Central West Virginia's Guide To Life

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT
By Judy Wolfram

October 2008 - Lower Your Electric Bill

Even though it is only the beginning of October, it’s time to think about utility bills! Let me give you a few tips to save a little on that electric bill:

--Turn off all the lights that you don’t actually need in order to see. If you are bumping into walls, by all means, turn a light on.

--Unplug all electric devices that you are not using. Coffee pots, toasters, CD players, stereos, televisions, hair dryers, electric curlers and radios use electricity when they’re plugged in, even if you are not using them.

--When cooking on your stove tops, use lids on the pans to
keep in the heat. Also, use pans that fit the burners. When you heat beyond the pan’s edge, you just warm the air and waste energy.

--If you boil water for instant coffee, hot tea, or iced tea, use a pot or pan with the right amount of water in it. That way, you don’t have to boil a full kettle.

--If your freezer isn’t full, just pack it with scrunched up newspapers. It helps save energy if your freezer is full.

--Try to buy energy-saving appliances when shopping for a
needed replacement or new appliance.

--Energy-efficient light bulbs are expensive, but they will save you money in the long run. When you turn on an ordinary light bulb, only 10 percent of the electricity used is turned into light. A whopping 90 percent is wasted as heat. An energy efficient light bulb can save you up to $14 a year, and saves 40 kilograms of carbon dioxide a year.

--Don’t forget to clean the dust off the condenser coils on the back of your refrigerator. It keeps the appliance from running too often, which saves energy, and keeps the heat generated from it down to a minimum.

I hope these tips help you save energy, and keep cool during the Indian Summer.

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