1.) The refrigerator and freezer are most efficient when full. When it’s not full, put plastic milk or pop bottles with water in it. In case of a power outage, the ice helps maintain the temperature until the power comes back on. Or, depending on what you have in each, you may want to move some ice from the freezer to keep the fridge cold. And, “Keep the door closed!“

2.) Wrap the water heater with an insulating fiberglass blanket to prevent it from losing heat. If you have a wood stove or insert, keep a pot of water hot all the time for making a cup of hot chocolate or washing the dishes.

3.) Hang clothes to dry. Everyone has seen a picture of quilts hanging on a clothes line but not everyone has space outdoors to erect a clothes line. Folding laundry racks come in a variety of sizes and can be store out of sight when not in use. Even in a small apartment, wet socks can be hung on a wire hanger with clothes pins and hung from a door jam to dry.

4.) Use a pressure cooker. It cuts cooking time on the stove top by almost two-thirds. And pressure cooking tenderizes less expensive, tough pieces of meat. If necessary, a pressure cooker can also be used with cooker candles or small camp stoves

5.) Use a carpet sweeper in areas that get little traffic or rooms with little use and run the vacuum there half as much.