×

Some tips to help you save energy at home

Eloise Ogden/MDN The switch from compact fluorescent lighting (CFLs) to LEDs has happened rather quickly, said Tom Rafferty, member services and communication manager for Verendrye Electric Cooperative.

People can save energy and money at home by using some low- or no-cost energy saving measures.

Following are some tips to save on energy at home provided by Tom Rafferty, member services and communication manager with Verendrye Electric Cooperative.

“The switch from incandescent to CFL took awhile but the switch from CFLs to LEDs is happening so fast,” he said. “LED lighting is awesome, it’s a huge trend.”

The longtime used incandescent is an electric light with a wire filament heated to a high temperature that it glows with visible light.

CFL stands for compact fluorescent lamp bulb or compact fluorescent light and is a miniature version of full-sized fluorescents.

LED stands for light-emitting diode and is a two-lead semi conductor light source assembled into a light bulb for use in lighting fixtures.

Rafferty said initially LEDs were expensive but now are fairly inexpensive. He said all different kinds of LEDs are made. For example, he said an LED light bulb equivalent to 60 watts uses only 8.5 watts. “That’s an easy way to save some energy,” he said.

“Every little bit counts,” he said. “If you can save a couple percent on lighting, if you can turn your thermostat down a little bit, you’ll save a little bit.”

In the summertime, he said it’s good to run a ceiling fan or a regular fan with the air conditioner. “If it’s blowing on you, you don’t need the air conditioner as much,” he said.

Some people also use ceiling fans to move the warm air in the wintertime in their homes.

“One big thing in the winter is when you plug your car in, if you buy a timer you don’t need to plug it in all night long,” he said.

A few other energy saving measures include:

– Take shorter showers. A typical bath uses 30 gallons of hot water compared to 18 gallons used for a five-minute shower.

– Make sure you do not have clothes dryer heat loss in the winter. Check to be sure the outdoor clothes dryer vent is not broken and closes.

– Turn computers and monitors off when not in use. Use computer power strips to save energy.

– Turn off large-screen TVs, stereos and radios when not in use.

“A lot of it is just turning things off. It saves a little bit here and there. If everybody did it, it would add up to quite a bit,” Rafferty said.

He said Verendrye has people on staff who will give energy and conservation advice to its members or will go to a home to conduct an energy audit.

Verendrye has booklets and brochures on energy saving measures and other information available to its members. An Energy Guide available to Verendrye members has information on costs based on national averages including appliance energy usage, energy costs of electric motors, comparative energy costs for heating and how to estimate energy usage and costs.

For more energy savings ideas, contact your local electric provider or visit these websites:

– www.aceee.org (American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy)

– www.eere.energy.gov (U.S. Department of Energy)

– www.energystar.gov (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program)

– www.energy.gov (U.S. Department of Energy)

– www.touchstoneenergy.com and touchstoneenergy.com/together-we-save/overview/(Touchstone Energy Cooperatives)

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

COMMENTS

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today