Energy Saving Tips
There are many ways you can help control your energy usage. Save money on the Time-of-Day rate with the following helpful tips.
Heating and Cooling:
- Install a programmable thermostat. By turning your thermostat back 10 - 15% for 8 hours, you can save as much as 5% to 10% on your heating and cooling costs per year. This is beneficial for members who have natural gas/LP heat and an air conditioner for cooling. Members who have electric heat such as a ground-source or air-source heat pump, it is more cost effective to pick a temperature during the winter months and keep your thermostat at that set temperature. (*Ground-source heat pumps it is recommended to find a comfort setting for winter and summer and keep it the same all year long.)
- Replace your furnace filter once a month. Failing to replace a filter can make your furnace and central air conditioner run harder and reduce its operating efficiency.
- Servicing your HVAC equipment annually will help prolong the life of the equipment and could potentially find any issues before they become a bigger issue.
- DIY tip - take your garden hose and use a soft to medium spray to clean your outdoor Heat Pump or AC unit monthly. This will remove any dust, pollen, leaves, or anything else that can get in between the fins. Just be careful to not damage the fins.
- Precooling your house can help save during the peak times. Precooling a house can be an effective way to reduce energy consumption and lower electric bills. By cooling the home prior to the On-Peak Rate (4:01pm-10:00pm), homeowners can reduce the amount of energy needed to keep the house comfortable throughout the On-Peak Rate.
- Add additional attic insulation. Upgrading from 3 inches to 12 inches can cut heating costs by 20 percent, and cooling costs by 10 percent.
- Upgrade your heating and cooling system to a heat pump.
Smart Plugs and Timers:
- Installing Smart Plugs can help save on your electric usage, especially during peak times. View our recent newsletter article for more information.
- The use of timers on items such as an electric water heater, electric/battery operated lawn equipment and pool pump can help reduce your usage during peak times. Installing timers on equipment to not run during the peak times will also lower your bill as the peak time or On-Peak rates is $0.15700 per kWh (4:01pm-10:00pm) compared to the off peak times; Off-Peak rate is $0.11450 per kWh (5:01am-4:00pm) and Super Saver rate is $0.05000 per kWh (10:01pm-5:00am).
- Smart Plug Rebate
SmartHub:
- Using SmartHub is a great way to track your usage to see when you are using the most electricity and if during peak times (4:01pm - 10:00pm), how behavioral changes can help you save money. Moving controlable behaviors such as laundry, dishwasher, dehumidifiers away from the peak times will help reduce your bill.
- Smart Hub Time of Day Usage
Appliances:
- When replacing appliances, purchase Energy Star rated.
- Use the delay function on your dishwasher and laundry to have them start after 10pm if doing evening chores.
- Washing clothes in cold water will save money and can also increase the lifespan of your clothes.
Lighting:
- Install LED lighting. It can save up to 75% of the electricity of standard lighting and will last years instead of months.
- Install occupancy sensors or motion sensor lights. Theses devices operate by turning off lights when a room or space is unoccupied and turn on when motion is detected in the room or space. This eliminates lights being left on when no one is in the room.
Insulation:
- Depending on the age of your home, you may need more insulation in the attic space. It is recommended to have a minimum of R-48 of insulation in your attic.
- Adding insulation can;
- Keep your room temperatures stable.
- Save money on heating and cooling your home while increasing your home's energy efficiency.
- Extend the life of your HVAC equipment.
- Help control air leakage.
Landscaping:
- Plant trees or shrubs to shade your air conditioning unit without blocking the airflow. A unit operating in the shade can use as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun. Download Your Road Map to Selecting and Planting Trees.
- Carefully positioned trees can save up to 25% of a typical household’s energy used for heating and cooling. Just 3 properly placed trees around the house can save an average household between $100 and $250 in heating and cooling energy costs annually.
Top 10 Energy-Saving Tips
- These basic tips will help you conserve energy and help reduce your utility bills.
- Energy-Saving Tips
For more energy efficiency information, visit our energy efficiency brochures page. To help evaluate your own energy usage, visit our Energy Evaluation page. For energy efficiency videos see our You Tube Energy Efficiency Playlist.
