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Ten Things
Your Family Can Do To Cut Energy Costs This Winter
The winter of 2007-2008 seemed to last an eternity. The daily weather records kept
here at Farmers’ Electric Cooperative showed that the months of December, January,
February, March, April and May were all colder than average.
With the fall season now in full swing this
is a good time to cover a few tips that can save you money on your monthly electric
bill.
- Turn your thermostat down. If
you begin the heating season with your thermostat set four degrees lower than last winter it
will be much easier for the family to acclimate to the cooler temperatures when winter
finally arrives. Remember, every degree you lower your thermostat saves you just over three percent on your heating costs.
- Make your heating system work for
you. Make sure heating registers and radiators aren’t obstructed by furniture, drapes or
rugs.
- Replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs. CFLs last up to 10 times longer and use 25 percent less electricity than regular bulbs. Best
of all, you get compact fluorescent bulbs from FEC absolutely FREE.
- Clean your refrigerator
coils. Refrigerators use more electricity than any other appliance. If you have a model
with exposed coils clean them regularly, lowering your energy costs and the unit will last longer,
too.
- Check for air leaks and seal
them. Drafts around doors, windows, window air conditioners and plumbing fixtures can waste a
lot of heating and cooling energy. Seal them with caulk or weather
stripping.
- Let the sun shine in. Let the sun
work for you. Keep drapes or blinds on sunny windows open during the day and closed at
night. Plant deciduous trees that will provide shade in the summer and let the sun in when
you need the warmth in the winter.
- Use your dishwasher and
washing machine wisely. Air-dry dishes instead of using the dishwasher’s drying cycle. Wash
only full loads of dishes and clothes.
- Lower the temperature on your
water heater.A setting of 120 degrees is adequate for household needs.
- Turn off computers and other
devices when not in use. Home electronics use small amounts of electricity, but they can add
up quickly. This is called “Phantom” electricity use. Cell phone chargers are another
example. Between 10-15 percent of most household bills are from phantom electricity
use.
- Have FEC do an
energy audit on your home. This will identify areas in your
home which are wasting your money in any season.
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