SAVING ENERGY

Energy Tips

Electricity bills getting out of control?  Want a way to keep your expenses under control?  Well then take a look at our great energy savings tips listed below.  Following these tips will help reduce the amount of electricity that you consume which will greatly reduce how much you pay!

  • During the daytime, keeping your blinds or curtains open allows natural light to enter, reducing the need for having lights turned on.
  • Only run your dishwasher when it is full.
  • When doing laundry, try not to over wash the clothes and rinse them in cold water.
  • Turn off any lights that you do not need on.
  • Turn off any electronic equipment, such as your computer, when you are not using it.
  • During our cold winters, have your block heater plugged into a timer.
  • Try using compact fluorescent lighting where ever possible.  Compact fluorescent bulbs use about 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs.  While they may cost 20 times as much to purchase, they last 10 times as long and more than pay for themselves in energy savings.
  • Consider replacing older appliances with newer, more efficient ones.

Here are some specific tips during the summer months.

  • Give your dryer a break and try hanging your clothes to dry.
  • When it is cooler in the mornings or evenings try opening up windows to cool your home down instead of turning on an air conditioner.
  • Shelter sun-exposed windows with awnings and shrubbery.
  • Consider shutting off some appliances when you are on holidays.
  • Ceiling and floor fans are a great investment. They circulate the air to cool the room and cost pennies per hour to operate.
  • Why heat up your home by using the stove - go outside and use your barbeque or fire pit!

Here are some specific tips during the winter months.

  • Make sure walls, attics and floors are filled with adequate insulation.
  • Install a setback thermostat that controls heating costs by automatically lowering the heat when no one's home.  For every degree you lower your thermostat, you save three percent on your bill.
  • Close off heat and doors to unused rooms.  Keep closet doors closed - you don't need to heat them.
  • Caulk, weather-strip and use foam to seal air leaks.  Pay special attention to the areas around windows and doors; where pipes enter walls; around light switch and outlet boxes and anywhere two materials meet.
  • To help reduce home heating demand, consider using motorized air intake and outlet dampeners, minimizing the exchange of air through openings and ducts.
  • Keep your furnace clean.  Change or clean your filter monthly during the heating season.  Washable filters should be completely dry before replacing them in the filter rack.
  • Have your system checked yearly by a professional.  Regular maintenance helps keep it working efficiently and safely.

We hope these tips help you save your hard earned money.  We will continue to add any new tips that we become aware of to our list so that we keep you as informed as possible.  If you know of any tips that do not appear on our list, please tell our Webmaster and we will add it to our list so that all our members can benefit.  Thanks and have a great time saving!