Between the extravagant claims for various forms of renewable energy, and figuring out ways to pay for energy-saving improvements and technologies in your home, we sometimes forget that major energy–and cost– savings can be realized simply by ensuring appliances and utilities in your home are operating or set at optimal temperatures.

A quick ‘temperature tour’ of your home to check the heating and cooling settings on your appliances. You can take a major step towards saving energy in approximately 20 minutes. Here’s where you’ll save the most:

• Set your hot water heater at 120 degrees.
• The refrigerator should be set at between 38 and 35 degrees, and freezer set to 0 degrees.
• Program your thermostat two degrees cooler than your normal winter setting and two degrees warmer than your normal summer setting. Turn it down or off when you are asleep or out of the house.
• Turn the water heater in the dishwasher to 120 degrees.
• Wash your clothes in cold water wherever possible, and dry on an outside line or drying rack depending on the weather
• Make sure all your light bulbs are CFLs. Incandescent bulbs waste a lot of electricity by turning it into heat instead of light

Simple stuff, but that is where over 50% of energy savings will come from during the next decade.