Helpful Tips
Home Energy Efficiency Tips
Summertime has finally arrived and the warmer weather is a nice relief from
the cold windy days we’ve had. As we all know the month of June is just the beginning of our
summer time heat. As the weather warms up most of us will see our utility bills go up as well.
You, the consumer, have complete control over how much electricity you consume each month.
The more electricity you use, the higher your utility bill will be. As a co-op member, you
are responsible for the cost of power that flows through your meter each month. Family size,
the size of the home you are heating and cooling, water heater usage and appliance use all
have an impact on your power bill.
Pitt & Greene EMC wants to share the following information to help you keep
your utility bill as low as possible now as well as during the cooler months.
Keeping Cool
Have your central air conditioner serviced before summer arrives. Set the
thermostat at 78 degrees or as high as comfort allows. Remember the lower the setting, the
more the unit will run to keep you cool, using more electricity, causing your utility bill
to be higher. Cook in self-heating appliances such as a microwave oven or electric frying
pan. Use kitchen/bathroom exhaust fans to reduce humidity. Turn off heat producing gadgets
when not is use. Close shades on the sunny side of the house. Choose a light colored roof
to reflect sunlight. Plant shade trees. Install window awnings to block afternoon sun.
Use a fan to create a cooling breeze. They cost less to use than the air conditioner.
Keeping Warm
Have the heating unit serviced before winter. Set your thermostat on 68 degrees or as low as comfort allows. Remember the higher the setting, the more the unit will run to keep you warm, using more electricity, causing your utility bill to be higher. Add storm windows and doors. Draw shades on cloudy days and open them on sunny days. Seal off unheated rooms. Wear cotton or wool layers of clothing. Use electric blankets or layers of quilts at bedtime. Insulate heating ducts or pipes in unheated areas. Never use your oven to heat the kitchen. Use exhaust fans only as long as necessary as they will pull out heated air.
Close the fire-place damper when not in use to prevent heating and cooling loss.
Leaving it opened is like having a 48-inch square hole in your house. Upgrade the insulation
in your home. Shut outside doors quickly and tightly. Locate thermostats on inside walls to
provide even and economical heating and cooling. Use a programmable thermostat to adjust the
temperature in your home when you are not there during the day. Make sure your unit is not
blocked by shrubbery which can block the fan and lower efficiency. Replace air filters on a
monthly basis. Use kitchen and bathroom fans only as long as necessary. They draw out
air that you’ve paid to heat and cool. Caulk around windows and doors. Do not block vents
with furniture or drapes. Only heat and cool the rooms you need – close the vents and doors
of unused rooms. Check the ductwork to be sure it has not come apart under the home. If it
has you are paying to heat and cool the air under your home.
If you live in a mobile home, check the underpinning to make sure nothing can
get under the home. If an animal can get under the mobile home they could damage the duct
work and floor insulation causing you to loose energy in the winter and summer months. Your
mobile home was designed and built with insulation in the floor, and a layer of fiberboard
or “belly paper” to protect this insulation and the plumbing lines above it. Replace any
missing insulation with fiberglass batts. Use plywood and screws to repair any damaged
fiberboard. Use belly paper (purchased at a mobile home supply store) and construction
adhesive to repair any torn paper. If you live in a double-wide inspect the “cross-over
duct” that connects the heating system in each half of the home. If you find disconnected
ducts or loose joints, seal them up with metal duct tape or with duct mastic. Avoid common
gray fabric “duct tape” since it tends to come loose.
Cooking to Save Energy
Use straight sided pans with flat bottoms. Match pan size with size of surface
burner. Cover pots with tight fitting lids. Boil only the amount of water needed for tea or
coffee. Thaw frozen foods before cooking. Do not preheat the oven when you are broiling or
roasting. Bake several dishes at once. Turn off oven and surface units early because the heat
will finish the job. Keep the lids on pots. Better yet use a microwave oven. Use all day
slow cookers and/or low wattage appliances.
Major Appliances
Fill the refrigerator without blocking air circulation. A half-empty refrigerator
or freezer uses more energy, because air is harder to keep cold than chilled foods and liquids.
Defrost freezer when ice is quarter-inch thick. Place the refrigerator away from any heat
source. Make sure the refrigerator door gaskets are tight. Cool foods before refrigerating.
Avoid repeated and extended door openings on the refrigerator. Clean the refrigerator condenser
coils periodically. Maintain about 40 degrees in the refrigerator and 0 degrees in the freezer.
Wash only full loads in the dishwasher. Turn the dishwasher off after the wash cycle and let
dishes air dry. When washing clothes, match wash time, cycle, and water level to clothes load.
Wash only full loads in warm or cold water. Hang clothes to dry. Clean your clothes dryer
lint filters after each load. Check dryer exhaust ducts for leaks and make sure they are
vented outside. Turn off all appliances, TVs, lights and radios when not in use. For long
term savings, choose and use energy efficient appliances.
Water Heating
Fix leaky faucets. Take brief showers instead of baths. Do not leave water
running when shaving or rinsing dishes. Set the water heater at 120 degrees. Insulate pipes.
If you have an older water heater in an unconditioned area (garage) an insulating blanket will
help the unit retain heat and operate more efficiently. Save hot water by taking showers and
limit them to 5 minutes. Replacing existing shower heads with water saving models can save hot
water usage by 50%. Turn your water heater off when you go on vacation to save energy.
Lighting
Use fluorescent rather than incandescent bulbs whenever possible. They use a
fourth of the energy used by regular bulbs and last about 10 times longer. Burn one 100-watt
bulb instead of two 60-watt bulbs. Keep lamps, shades, and bulbs dust-free. Paint ceilings
and walls a light color. Turn off lights when not in use. Use motion detectors to turn on
outdoor lights rather than leaving them on all night.
Phantom Loads
Many devices in your home consume electricity even when they appear to be off.
These phantom energy wasters include instant-on TVs, microwave clocks, VCR displays,
telephones, and computer peripherals (such as monitors, printers, scanners, etc.) Phantom,
or standby, loads add up to a huge waste of electricity in the U.S. that costs consumers more
than a billion dollars per year.
One way to eliminate phantom loads is by plugging those appliances into a plug
strip that is equipped with its own power switch. Switch the power strip on and off when you
need to use the appliance.
For more energy tips see NCEMC or
Touchstone
or nationally syndicated talk-radio host, Doug Rye.