Practical Tips To Save On Your Electricity Bill

Electricity is a valuable resource to everyone in our community. Without it, we are simply left in the dark. That is why helping our customers use electricity safely and efficiently is so important.

Winter Tips

1. Regularly clean or replace the air filter in your furnace.

2. Turn down the thermostat at night and when the house is empty, or install a programmable thermostat.

3. During the day, let the sun heat your home by opening curtains and blinds. Be sure to close them again in the evening.

4. Maintain your furnace or heat pump regularly to keep things running smoothly and efficiently.

5. Weatherstrip and caulk your doors, windows and penetrations into the attic or crawl space that allow warm air to escape.

6. Increase insulation in the attic, walls and crawl space, if applicable.

7. To protect your pipes and keep it warmer under the floor, make sure your crawl space vents are closed.

8. Keep your fireplace damper closed when the fireplace is not in use.

9. Install window film or storm windows if you have single-pane windows.

10. Use a timer or motion sensor for outdoor lights so they are on only when needed.

Summer Tips

1. Use a ceiling, box or oscillating fan. The moving air cools you, creating less reliance on air conditioning.

2. Close the blinds before the sun gets a chance to heat up the house. Open windows at night to cool down the house.

3. During the heat of the day, keep windows and outside doors closed.

4. Replace the furnace filter and clean the outside coil on your air conditioner.

5. Don’t drastically turn down the temperature on your thermostat. Your house won’t cool down any faster.

6. To keep it operating smoothly, schedule a tune-up for your air conditioner or heat pump.

7. Weatherstrip and caulk your doors and windows if you can see light or feel air coming through them.

8. When replacing an old air conditioner, look for a more efficient one (SEER 14 or higher), preferably an ENERGY STAR® qualified model.

9. Hang your laundry to dry. As a bonus, your clothes will smell better than ever.

10. Cook with a microwave or a barbeque instead of the stove or oven. It will heat up your food but not your kitchen.

Year-round Tips

1. Choose compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) when replacing light bulbs.

2. Always opt for ENERGY STAR® qualified bulbs and fixtures.

3. Turn off lights that aren’t in use, even energy efficient lights.

4. Lower the temperature on your water heater to 120°F (unless your dishwasher requires a higher temperature).

5. For an older hot water heater, consider a water heater blanket. Check your manual prior to installation.

6. Fix leaky faucets as soon as possible. A hot water leak is an energy drain.

7. Wash only full loads of laundry and dishes and use water- and energy saving settings - and cold water - whenever possible.

8. Replace the refrigerator door gasket if you can slip an envelope between the door and the frame.

9. Unplug your second refrigerator and put all your food in one.

10. Use power management settings on your computer. Turn off your computer and monitor at the end of your work session.