January 29, 2020 – We all have it within us to save energy. It doesn’t take much to reduce your carbon footprint while reducing your electric bill. Here are just a few ways to channel your inner energy-saver:
Cooling/heating:
• When cooling your home, set the thermostat at 78 degrees Fahrenheit. Each degree below adds 8 to 12 percent to the cooling costs.
• When heating your home, set the thermostat at 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Since heating costs three times more than cooling, consider using a space heater or electric blanket.
• While away from home for more than two hours, set the thermostat at 83 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Install a programmable thermostat that will automatically raise and lower the temperature at certain times of the day.
• Be sure your thermostat fan switch is set on the “auto” setting. This is more economical for temperature and humidity control.
• Do not close A/C vents or interior doors when A/C is running.
• Service your air conditioning system annually.
• Change or clean filters monthly.
• Keep windows and exterior doors closed when running your air conditioner or heater. Also, use caulk and weather strip around windows and doors.
• Turn off fans when the room is not occupied. Each continuously running fan costs approximately $7 per month on your electric bill.
Refrigerators:
• Do not locate refrigerators/freezers in a garage or other non-air conditioned space.
• Refrigerators should be maintained at 36 to 38 degrees Fahrenheit, while freezers should be maintained from 0 to 4 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Full freezers use less power. Use plastic soda bottles filled with water, or bags of ice, if necessary. Keep refrigerators full when leaving your home vacant for a long period of time.
• Test your refrigerator door gasket with a crisp dollar bill. A good gasket will hold the bill in place.
LEDs:
• Replace standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), which use 75% less energy, or LED lamps (light emitting diode), which use 85% less energy with a life expectancy of 30,000 to 50,000 hours of run time.
Another simple way to save electricity is to enroll in LCEC’s online bill pay and customer service portal, SmartHub! With SmartHub, you can do everything from setting up usage alerts to monitoring energy usage to reporting an outage to paying your electric bill!
Visit lcec.net to enroll in SmartHub and to discover more ways to save electricity!