Some Simple Things You Can Do to Conserve Energy
Energy prices are going through the roof, the Russians and Ukrainians are playing politics with the European natural gas supply, and climate change is very much upon us. In order to save lots of money, save the planet, and achieve some energy security, here are some simple things you can do to save energy.

• Buy A-A+ energy rated appliances.

A -
B +23% more energy used than A
C +47%
D +71%
E +94%

F + 118%

G +141%

The refrigerator should not be located in a hot place (e.g. next to a cooker, next to a washing machine, in direct sunlight etc.). Make sure that a thick layer of dust does not accumulate on the coils at the back. It's recommended that they are cleaned once a year. Position the refrigerator so that air can circulate freely around the coils.<!-- pagebreak -->

• Pipe insulation If pipes carrying hot water are routed through unheated parts of a building (e.g. through a roof space) then a lot of energy will be wasted. Insulating the pipes will save large amounts of energy, and will also increase the temperature of the hot water supply.
• Getting the most from radiators Locating radiators optimally can help to improve the comfort level in a room, and ensure that the occupants of the room benefit from the heat that the radiator produces. Where a radiator is mounted on an outside wall, using a reflecting layer fitted to the wall behind the radiator can reduce the amount of heat loss. This stuff is basically bubble-wrap packaging with a layer of aluminum over it, and can be found at Obi, Praktiker, Baumax and other such shops for about 1 euro/m2. Thermostatic radiator valves reduce energy waste by allowing the heat output of individual radiators to be regulated to match needs.
•  The refrigerator should not be located in a hot place (e.g. next to a cooker, next to a washing machine, in direct sunlight etc.). Make sure that a thick layer of dust does not accumulate on the coils at the back. It's recommended that they are cleaned once a year. Position the refrigerator so that air can circulate freely around the coils.
• Door sweeps These are strips of soft brush material that fit to the bottom edge of doors to reduce drafts. Easily attached, close behind you unlike a door snake, and no worries about problems closing the door because of tile height.
• Door snake This is simply a fabric 'sausage' that is placed on the floor against the bottom of a door, or between 2 window panes to prevent drafts.
• Insulation panels on doors If doors are thin, a lot of heat can be lost by conduction directly through them. This can be reduced by fitting insulating panels.
• Door closing springs Despite efforts to raise public awareness, people are still likely to forget to close doors. Springs can be fitted to close doors automatically, so reducing heat loss.
• Shutters Wooden shutters which are closed at night will reduce the amount of heat lost through windows.
• Plastic film secondary glazing Heat loss through windows can be reduced by 25-40% by using clear plastic film to form a cheap, simple but temporary form of double-glazing.
• Heavy curtains on windows and doors If they are closed at night, heavy curtains can prevent heat loss through windows. It's important to make sure they don't hang in front of radiators. Heavy curtains can also be hung over doors to prevent heat loss.
• Window catches If window catches do not work properly, windows do not close completely, and heat may be lost.
• Expanding foam around window frames Sometimes there may be large gaps that need filling (for example, between the wall and the window frame). These can be filled with expanding polyurethane foam from a can. However, this material is very difficult to use, and there are doubts about its environmental impact.
• Roof insulation (flat roofs) or loft insulation (pitched roofs) A very large amount of heat is lost through the roof of a building. Although it can be quite expensive, insulating the roof (or the loft space where there is a sloping roof) is usually very cost-effective.
• Carpets A lot of heat is lost through the floor. Where floors are wooden with an air space beneath, cold air (and dust) can leak in through the gaps between the floorboards. Where floors are solid concrete, they are cold and unpleasant to walk on. Carpets will reduce the heat loss through floors as well as improving comfort.
• Compact fluorescent lamps These use only about 20% as much electricity to produce the same amount of light as ordinary incandescent lights, 80% savings! They are expensive, so they are not economical if they are fitted in rooms where the lights are only switched on for short periods. If the power supply quality is poor (frequent blackouts, unstable voltage etc) they may not work as well. These bulbs cannot be used on dimmer switches!!! Now many companies produce these bulbs, but you should be aware of several things about these companies. Phillips probably manufactures the highest quality, but they are also the most expensive. The human rights record of China may reduce the desirability of these producers. Siemens (Osram and Bosch  are also Siemens), as well as GE (owner of Hungarian light bulb giant Tungstrum, are major players trying to promote nuclear power in Eastern Europe. Check the light the bulb gives off before you make your final purchase – some give off blue, red or yellow light, and given the wrong choice, you can feel like you are in an aquarium. Lastly,these now come in all shapes ans sizes,even some that are the same shape as traditional incandescent bulbs.When GE bought Tungstrum they did not clean up the toxic waste as promised at the factory, but thanks to GE, Budapest's Chain Bridge is lit up with compact fluorescents. 
• Luminaire selection and maintenance The luminaire is the name given to the whole structure that a light bulb is fitted in. Some luminaires are better at directing more light to where it is needed. All luminaires are more efficient if they are kept clean.
• Task lighting. Electricity consumption in homes and offices can be reduced by using individual task lights (for example, desk lamps) to provide bright light only where it is actually needed.
• Water-saving taps and shower heads These are simple and cheap attachments which mix air with the flow of hot water. The tap / shower head works just as well as before, but only requires about half as much hot water. Less hot water down the drain means less energy wasted.
• Behavior changes Surprisingly large amounts of energy can be saved just by changing behaviors. Obvious examples are switching off lights that are not needed, not leaving a hot tap running unnecessarily, boiling only as much water in the kettle as you need.
• Boiler thermostats Large amounts of heat will be wasted if a boiler is heating water to an unnecessarily high temperature. Fitting a thermostat to the boiler can prevent this.
• Awnings These are canvas shades which are stretched above the outside of windows in summer to prevent direct sun from entering the window, helping to reduce overheating of buildings in summer. This will not actually save energy unless the building is air-conditioned, but it will improve comfort.
• Planting trees as a windbreak A row of trees can prevent the wind from blowing directly on a building, so reducing the heat loss.
• Conservatories These are structures made from glass, a bit like a greenhouse, but built against the south wall of a house. They trap the heat of the sun and so reduce the amount of heat lost during winter.
• Greening of walls A layer of climbing plants growing over a wall traps a layer of air around the building and acts as an insulating blanket.
• Plugging leaks in hot air ducts In some buildings, the heating system works by heating up air in a central heating plant. The hot air is then blown through a system of ducts into the rooms. If these ducts have leaks, then hot air is being wasted.
• Gaskets behind electrical fittings Some buildings are constructed with a cavity between the main wall and an interior layer of cladding. Cold air can leak into a room through the small gaps around light switches and electrical sockets. The fitting of rubber gaskets behind electrical fittings can reduce this.
• Caulking of leaks Caulk is a general term for any soft material that is used to fill cracks permanently. Many different materials can be used, with different costs, different lifetimes and different environmental qualities.
• Powering off electrical appliances (rather than leaving on standby) Many newer electrical appliances (particularly televisions) have a 'standby' mode, where although they are not operating, they are still consuming electricity. A lot of power can be saved by not leaving televisions on standby for long periods. As I have said several times already in this blog, standby lights on TVs, just TVs, just in the US, consume as much electricity as one nuclear power plant each year. Add to that DVD players, stereos, monitors...Some equipment these days, like adsl modems, do not even come with an off switch! Plug everything into an extension cord with a master switch. When you leave for work or go to bed, or when the stuff is generally not in use, just flick the master switch. Appliances still draw power when turned off but plugged in.
• Clean filters, ventilation, and fans such as those in computers so they will run more efficiently and draw less energy. Also clean your light bulbs and lamp shades.
• Keep the thermostat at 20 C or below. If you are chilly, throw on a sweater or go cuddle with someone.
• Lower ceiling height to 2.5 meters.
• Insulate your windows. Avoid the cheap foam strips. The foam strips are not very efficient, and disintegrate in a year anyway. Buy silicon p-profile strips. 25 meters costs about 4000-4500 forint, and saves up to 35% of your energy costs by shutting out the drafts. Clean the areas where you are going to apply the strips, wait till the area dries, then apply. These come in different sizes, so to see what size you need place pieces of blue tack around the window and close the window on the blue tack. Measure the imprint. If it is squished very flat, then you need the smallest insulation. The 2-5mm strips are the large size, and in my flat, the average.
• If you are putting in a new bathtub, put Styrofoam or other insulation around the tub before tiling.

adapted from http://www.switched-on.org