Energy Conservation Tips

We encourage you to read this paragraph about why it's important to work hard in making a contious effort to conserve our natural resources. Don’t complain about energy cost do something about it! Many people have been spoiled. Not only spoiled, but foolishly wasteful! We complain about gas prices and energy prices, yet we contribute to the demand by wasting those resources. Certainly not everyone can go out and buy a new hybrid vehicle, or replace old energy hog appliances, but we can be smarter about our consumption! Read the tips below, work at them and spread this information to others. If everyone makes an effort we'll all be better off.

Utility companies love the fact that we don’t conserve! That’s supply and demand! Most Americans don’t realize that conserving in all areas of energy can drive prices down! Using less electrical power can actually save you money at the pump! That’s important! So we’ll repeat it. Conserve energy and drive prices down in all areas including the price of gas. We wish we could motivate everyone to conserve, but if we can't we do our part. Below are tips for energy conservation in several areas.

Gasoline – In the Car

1. Slow down! – Slowing from 75mph to 65mph increases your miles per gallon (mpg) by 10% . Slow it down to 55mph and you increase mpg 17%
2. Tailgating, lane-switching, quick starts and fast breaking are disasterous for Fuel efficiency. Drive wisely, be smooth and you can gain 30% in mpg.
3. Use Cruise Control when possible. You can save from 4.5 to 14% depending on the size of your vehicle.
4. Premium Gas has no impact on fuel economy?
5. Check your tires and be sure they have the recommended air pressure.
6. At 40mph or less it is best to lower you windows instead of using air conditioning. Above 40mph keep them rolled up and use you air conditioning if needed.
7. Empty your trunk. A lighter load can reduce your mpg by 1-2%
8. Tighten you gas cap. Gas evaporates. 147 million gallons of gas evaporates every year due to loose, damaged ot missing gas caps!
9. Buy gas early morning or late evening when gas is at it’s highest density. It is theory only and yet to be proven scientifically, but if true you actually get more gas then if you purchase mid day!

Office

1. Use large equipment during off peak hours whenever possible
2. Turn equipment and lights off after hours
3. Turn off your computers and any other office equipment when you're not using them, especially overnight and weekends. This practice costs nothing and can potentially save as much as $44 per year, per computer, depending on what you pay per kilowatt-hour. "Smart" power strips are being marketed that sense the presence or absence of office workers and turn the attached equipment on and off accordingly.
4. To be as energy efficient as possible, only buy office equipment that displays the ENERGY STAR® logo.
5. Choose settings that automatically switch the computer monitor into sleep or "power-down" mode when it hasn't been worked on for a preset amount of time. Shorten the delay time before your monitor automatically goes into sleep mode.
6. Consider having employees use laptop computers since they use up to 90 percent less energy than a standard computer. 
7. If it works for your business, consider ink-jet printers which also use 90 percent less energy than laser printers.
8. Purchase the proper sized copier for your business needs.
9. Choose the smallest computer monitor that will meet your needs. The bigger the monitor, the more energy it uses. For example, a 17-inch monitor consumes 35 percent more electricity than a 14-inch monitor.

Around the House

1. Turn down your thermostat. For every degree you lower your heat in the 60-degree to 70-degree range, you'll save up to 5% on heating costs. Wear warm clothing and set your thermostat to 68 degrees or lower during the day and evening, health permitting. Set the thermostat back to 55 degrees or off at night or when leaving home for an extended time saving 5-20 percent of your heating costs (heat pumps should only be set back five degrees to prevent unneeded use of backup strip heating). 2. Eliminate wasted energy. Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms. Unplug that spare refrigerator in the garage if you don't truly need it - this seemingly convenient way to keep extra drinks cold adds 10-25% to your electric bill. Turn off kitchen and bath-ventilating fans after they've done their job - these fans can blow out a house-full of heated air if inadvertently left on. Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning to prevent up to 8% of your furnace-heated air from going up the chimney. 3. Reduce hot water temperature. Set your water heater to the "normal" setting or 120º, unless the owner's manual for your dishwasher requires a higher setting. Savings are 7-11% of water heating costs. 4. Shorten showers. Simply reducing that lingering time by a few minutes can save hundreds of gallons of hot water per month for a family of four. Showers account for 2/3 of your water heating costs. Cutting your showers in half will reduce your water heating costs by 33 percent. 5. Use appliances efficiently. Do only full loads when using your dishwasher and clothes washer. Use the cold water setting on your clothes washer when you can. Using cold water reduces your washer's energy use by 75%. Be sure to clean your clothes dryer's lint trap after each use. Use the moisture-sensing automatic drying setting on your dryer if you have one. 6. Put your computer and monitor to sleep. Most computers come with the power management features turned off. On computers using Windows 98/ME/2000/XP open your control panel/power management software and set it so your computer goes to sleep if you're away from your machine for 5 to 15 minutes. Those who use Macintosh computers look for the setting in your Control Panels called "Energy Saver" and set it accordingly. When you're done using your computer, turn it off (see next tip) do not leave it in sleep mode overnight as it is still drawing a small amount of power. 7. Plug "leaking energy" in electronics. Many new TVs, VCRs, chargers, computer peripherals and other electronics use electricity even when they are switched "off." Although these "standby losses" are only a few watts each, they add up to over 50 watts in a typical home that is consumed all the time. If possible, unplug electronic devices and chargers that have a block-shaped transformer on the plug when they are not in use. For computer scanners, printers and other devices that are plugged into a power strip, simply switch off the power strip after shutting down your computer. The best way to minimize these losses of electricity is to purchase ENERGY STAR® products.
Inexpensive energy solutions Every home is different. With a quick trip to your local hardware store, you have even more choices at hand. Replace or clean furnace filters once a month. Dirty filters restrict airflow and increase energy use. Keep you furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted. Savings up to 5% of heating costs. Choose ENERGY STAR® Products. Replace incandescent light bulbs with ENERGTY STAR® compact fluorescent light bulbs, especially in high use light fixtures. Compact fluorescent lights use 75% less energy than incandescent lights. Plug your home's leaks. Install weather-stripping or caulk leaky doors and windows and install gaskets behind outlet covers. Savings up to 10% on energy costs. Install low flow showerheads. If you do not already have them, low flow showerheads and faucets can drastically cut your hot water expenses. Savings of 10-16% of water heating costs. Wrap the hot water tank with jacket insulation. This is especially valuable for older water heaters with little internal insulation. Be sure to leave the air intake vent uncovered when insulating a gas water heater. Savings up to 10% on water heating costs. Check out Tighten It Up for more ways to make your home as comfortable and energy-efficient as possible.
Good energy saving investments Do you need any new appliances, or are you planning to do some remodeling? Consider these energy efficiency suggestions before you purchase. Choose ENERGY STAR® appliances and electronics. When buying new appliances, choose Energy Star®-certified models. For example, a new Energy Star®-refrigerator uses about 20% less energy than a standard new refrigerators, and 46% less than one made in 1980. A new Energy Star® clothes washer uses nearly 50% less energy than a standard washer. Install a programmable thermostat. If you have a heat pump, select a model designed for heat pumps. Setback thermostats can save up to 15% on energy costs. Increase ceiling insulation. If your ceiling is uninsulated or scantily insulated, consider increasing your insulation up to R-38 to reduce heating costs by 5-25 percent. Seal ducts. Leaking ductwork accounts for more than 25% of heating costs in an average home. Check out the Flex Your Power website for rebate and consumer programs or contact or local utility. Consider replacing your old furnace with an Energy Star® furnace. New furnaces are available that use 20-30% less energy to heat your home than older models. High efficiency windows. If you are planning to replace your windows, choosing Energy Star® windows can reduce your heating and cooling costs by up to 15 percent. For more ways to make your home as comfortable and energy-efficient as possible check out Tighten It Up.

 Lighting - The Right Light for the Right Task

Many offices, stores or factories can easily reduce lighting without affecting productivity. Turn off as many unnecessary lights as possible. Use task lighting instead of overhead lighting, and light only those areas that are needed at the time. Providing the right lighting can save up to 15 percent on your lighting bill.

Again, make sure that equipment and lights are turned off after hours.

Replace old fluorescent lights with newer, more efficient models with electronic ballasts (such as retrofit T12 lights with magnetic ballasts to T8 lights and electronic ballasts). To help you make the best choice for lighting options including power reducers, go to the Energy Adviser.

Replace your high-use incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights. A compact fluorescent light uses 75 percent less electricity to produce the same amount of light as an incandescent bulb. The compact fluorescent will last about 10,000 hours as opposed to the 600 to 1,000 hour average life of an incandescent. By replacing a 100-watt incandescent with an equivalent 25-watt compact fluorescent, you can save more than $90 per bulb in electricity costs over the 10,000-hour lifetime of the compact fluorescent.

Make sure that bulbs, fixtures, lenses, lamps and reflective surfaces are cleaned regularly. By removing grease, dust and other dirt, you can increase the output of your lights.

Install automatic room-lighting controls to turn lights on or off depending on occupancy or time of day.

Change out incandescent or fluorescent exit signs with LED exit signs.

Check out the Peakload Reduction Incentives and Rebates available.

Heating and Ventilation Systems - Improve Efficiency

Set the thermostat in your workspace to 68 degrees during work hours, and raise the setting to 55 degrees when the space is unoccupied. For every degree you lower the heat in the 60-degree to 70-degree range; you can save up to 5% on heating costs.

Use a programmable thermostat and make it easy to adjust the settings as well as regulate the temperature when you are closed to avoid unnecessary heating costs. Consider a locking cover over the thermostat to avoid having employees change temperature settings.

Open window blinds to warm your rooms from direct sunlight.

Allow workers to wear warm clothing during cool weather. It makes little sense to keep a room hot enough that workers wear hot weather clothing.

To save energy, keep your exterior and freight doors closed as much as possible.

Keep your heating and ventilation systems tuned. Maintain a regular filter replacement and cleaning schedule. Don't forget to check ducts and pipe insulation.

Install ceiling fans - they circulate the warm air, pulling it away from the ceiling. Remember to change the fan rotation so it is reverse of your summer use.

When buying new heating and ventilation units - choose ENERGY STAR. They are 20 to 30 percent more efficient than older models.

Rewire restroom fans to operate with the lights.

When possible, remove solar screens, blinds or awning on the south and west facing windows to help increase heat gain, during the winter months. Replace during the Summer.

Insulate water heaters and supply pipes.

If possible, install ceiling and wall insulation. You will save money on your monthly utility bills and your employees will be more comfortable.

Check out the Energy Advisor for detailed information of other HVAC options.

Food Service and Refrigeration Equipment

1. Fully load cooking equipment to use energy efficiently however be careful not to overload beyond the recommended capacity.

2. Keep pots covered to reduce heat loss.

3. Remember, keep refrigerators full too. A full refrigerator retains the cold longer and will cycle on less frequently.

4. If ice makers factor big into your business, reduce your energy costs by choosing the right one for the job.

5. Preheat cooking equipment at the manufacturer's recommended setting.

6. Keep evaporator coils clean and free of ice build-up with regular maintenance. Check levels of oil and refrigerant.

7. Turn off backup fryers and ovens during low production periods.

8. Use insulated night covers on display cases.

9. Install automatic door-closers and strip curtains on walk-in freezers or coolers.

10. Make sure oven doors fit tightly by adjusting door latches, and that gaskets are in good condition.

11. Buy insulated cooking equipment when possible since insulation keeps more heat in the equipment instead of the room.

12. Consider replacing broilers with smooth or grooved griddles... your energy consumption will be significantly reduced.

Check out www.fypower.org for more information.