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ENERGY CONSERVATION
When you reduce the amount of energy you use, you not only lessen your impact on
the environment, you also (sometimes in the short-run, sometimes in the long-run) save money!
Energy Conservation Tips:
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Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms.
- 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.
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Seal cracks around doors, windows, and walls. Don't pay for hot or cool air
that escapes through cracks and openings scattered around the house. Also,
check your house's insulation. Make sure you have done all you can to keep the air you pay for inside the house.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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Choose Energy Star® Products. Replace incandescent light bulbs with Energy Star® compact fluorescent light bulbs, especially in high use
light fixtures. Compact fluorescent lights use 75% less energy than incandescent lights.
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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.
Order a drawing to help promote energy conservation. Send us an e-mail
to get started.
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