Making Your Home Energy Efficient Room by Room: Bathroom

There are several places you can look to save energy in your bathroom, from lighting to ventilation to water use and more. Use these energy saving tips to save energy and increase your comfort and safety in your bathroom.

Save Energy with Energy Efficient Bathroom Lighting

Bathroom lights are some of the most commonly used lights in an average American home. Vanity lighting often has several light bulbs that use excess electricity and produce lots of heat. You can start saving up to 75 percent on your lighting costs immediately by replacing your incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified LED bulbs or compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). ENERGY STAR qualified residential LED bulbs uses at least 75% less energy, and last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs while providing optimal light color.  Compact fluorescent bulbs provide high quality lighting and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent light bulbs. CFLs provide warm, bright lighting and generate less heat than incandescent lighting.  LEDs generate no heat. To save energy on bathroom lighting, you may also consider replacing your lighting fixtures with ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures, which come in a wide variety of styles. Some of the best advice for saving energy - turn off the lights when you leave!

Use a Ventilation Fan

Control moisture as well as mold and mildew growth by installing a properly-sized bathroom exhaust fan, and running it while you shower or bathe, and for 15 minutes afterward. ENERGY STAR models run quieter than standard fans, and can provide significant energy savings. ENERGY STAR ventilation fans that have lighting built in use around 65% less energy than standard models, which can save you around $120 over the life of the fan. To prevent moisture, mold and mildew problems, make sure that the ducts from the fan lead to the outdoors, and not into the ceiling. Learn how to prevent moisture problems and how to prevent mold, mildew, and musty odors.

Use Water Efficiently

Using a low-flow 2.5 gallon-per-minute shower head, you'll save 5 gallons of water by taking a 10-minute shower compared to a typical bath. You'll also save up to $145 per year on electricity. Of course, taking shorter showers will increase the savings.

Do you have a leaky faucet in the bathroom sink, tub or shower? If you do, it's probably wasting more water and energy than you realize. A leak of a drop per second may not seem like a big deal, but over a year you've wasted 1,661 gallons of water! And if it's hot water, you've thrown up to $35 down the drain in electricity or natural gas costs. Save water and energy. Fix drips today!

Air Sealing for Comfort and Energy Efficiency

You can improve energy efficiency, reduce drafts and help prevent common mold, mildew and moisture problems in the bathroom by sealing air leaks around windows, baseboards and floors. Learn what you can do to help prevent moisture on windows. You can also improve the energy efficiency in your bathroom by sealing gaps or holes around plumbing pipes, ductwork and electrical wiring.