Stay Warm & Save Energy This Winter

by Madeline Keimig, Touchstone Energy Cooperatives

On top of staying warm throughout the winter months, a lot of people worry about saving money and energy. According to a poll by the Consumer Reports National Research Center, four out of 10 consumers are worried about money this holiday season.

The average family spends $2,024 a year on energy; nearly half of that goes towards heating and cooling costs. Stay warm and save energy with these helpful winter tips:

·         Pick smarter lightbulbs. Decorate for the holidays efficiently with strands of light-emitting diodes (LEDs).  Using LED holiday lights for 12 hours a day cuts seasonal lighting costs by 90 percent when compared to traditional incandescent holiday lights.

·         Check furnace filters. Be sure to clean or replace your heating and cooling system’s air filter. At a minimum change the filter every three months; a dirty filter clogs the system, making the system work harder to keep you warm.

·         Install a programmable thermostat. Is your home alone most of the day? Programmable thermostats can knock up to10 percent off heating bills with the ability to automatically turn temperatures down 10 to 15 degrees for 8 hours a day.

·         Insulate water heaters and pipes. Wrap water pipes connected to the water heater with foam, and insulate the water heater, too. To save about $75 annually, consider lowering the water heater temperature from 130 degrees to 120.

·         Bundle up your home. The more heat that escapes from cracks, the more cold air enters, causing your system to work harder and use more energy. Use an incense stick to spot air leaks. When it’s windy outside, hold a lit incense stick near your windows, doors, and electrical outlets. If the smoke blows sideways, you’ve got a leak that should be plugged with weather-stripping, caulk, or expandable foam.

·         Use a low-flow showerhead. About 14 percent of your energy bill funds water heating. Low-flow showerheads can minimize water use by up to 50 percent—a helpful change, especially when extended family members visit for the holidays.

Want more ways to save? Take the home energy savings tour and see how little changes add up to big savings at www.TogetherWeSave.com. 

Sources: Touchstone Energy Cooperatives, ENERGY STAR, U.S. Energy Information Administration, Consumer Reports

Madeline Keimig writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives, the national branding program for 700-plus electric cooperatives in the U.S.

Energy Watch: Public Awareness for Energy Emergency

October 30, 2012:  Between 6 pm and 8 pm this evening, the Energy Watch Campaign is asking southcentral Alaska residents to voluntarily reduce their energy consumption. The annual test is aimed at preparing for the the possibility of a problem with delivering natural gas.

Energy Watch is a collaborative effort between the Municipality of Anchorage, the Kenai Peninsula Borough, the Matanuska-Susitna Borough, and regional utility organizations.

To learn more about the Energy Watch campaign, click HERE.

Mark Your Calendar : HEA's Energy & Conservation Fairs

 

Make plans to attend Homer Electric's Energy and Conservation Fairs hosted next month in Kenai on November 3rd at Kenai Middle School from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and in Homer on November 10th at West Homer Elementary from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

The fairs foster an environment for members to seek information, services and products that encourage energy efficiency, conservation, and sustainability – all under one roof! Workshops, demonstrations, and speakers will be on hand with energy solution topics and programs.
This is a family friendly event with children's activities and "Louie the Lightning Bug's Conservation Voyage," complimentary food, giveaways and informational booths. Join us for this annual event!

For more information on the event, go to HEA Energy & Conservation Fair.  To view photos from the event, go to

http://heaenergyconservationfairkenai.shutterfly.com

 

 

 

 

October is National Cooperative Month

Join Homer Electric in celebrating cooperatives in Alaska and across America during National Cooperative Month.

Every October, cooperatives are recognized for the qualities that make the business model unique: local democratic control, commitment to supporting the communities they serve and improving quality of life, special benefits and services, and the return of margins (the co-op term for profits) back to members in the form of capital credits.

Homer Electric is one of more than 900 electric cooperatives, public utility districts and public power districts serving 42 million people in 47 states. Electric cooperatives were formed because rural communities were struggling for lack of investment. Neighbors banded together and lit up the countryside when no one else would. That’s what we celebrate each October.

Energy Efficiency & Conservation Student Contest

 

Homer Electric is  proud to sponsor our 3rd Energy Efficiency & Conservation Student Contest for grades kindergarten through eight. HEA invites students to enhance their skills in science, writing and technology by entering the contest held in conjunction with the 2012 Energy & Conservation Fairs in November. 

The contest categories are:

• Kindergarten, Grade 1 & 2 - Coloring contest
• Grade 3 & 4 - Energy limerick poem
• Grades 5 & 6 - Song lyrics or game
• Grades 7 & 8 - Script for a play/TV show

Entries and registration form should be postmarked no later than October 26, 2012. For more information on contest rules, prizes and to download an entry form, go to HEA Energy Efficiency & Conservation Contest link.  Contact Tanya Lautaret at 283-2305 or tlautaret@homerelectric.com for details.

Generator Safety

Late autumn, winter, and early spring are times when the threat of inclement weather and other unexpected interruptions cause extended power outages. Many of us, including our friends, family and neighbors, have considered purchasing or borrowing portable generators to use in the event of such a power outage.

For the safety of you and your family, along with our field personnel, Homer Electric encourages you to be aware of generator safety and operation.

Generator Connections
Thorough knowledge about residential wiring is a must. The number one concern is to avoid "backfeeding" which is the result of improperly installing the generator and endangers the lives of our line workers and other emergency personnel. A generator must always be grounded before connecting to the building load. The safest thing to do is to consult with a qualified electrician and consider installing a transfer switch.

HEA strongly encourages all residential customers to have a properly licensed electrician install the equipment necessary to connect emergency generators, whether permanently mounted or portable, to their home's electrical system. All installations must meet the National Electrical Code.

For more information on generator safety, view HEA's Home Generator Safety brochure. 

Shedding Light on Energy Savings

     The lightbulb has undergone relatively few changes since it was introduced in the late 1870s. But new technology that can drastically reduce the amount of energy and money used to light our homes (accounting for roughly 13 percent of the average household’s electric bill) has arrived.

     Consumers have several options when choosing lights: traditional incandescent lightbulbs, halogen incandescent lightbulbs, compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs), regular halogen bulbs, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs). Most consumers are well aware of the energy savings of CFLs, but some are turned off by their curlicue shape and color of the light they produce. In response, manufacturers are making CFLs that look like traditional lightbulbs. CFLs can be as much as 75 percent more efficient than basic incandescent bulbs.

      LEDs are beginning to find their way onto store shelves as well. They can last up to 25 times longer than a classic incandescent bulb but are much more expensive. (Some LEDs are yellow in color even though the light they produce is white.) The key to buying an LED: Find one that has fins beneath the actual bulb to help cool it. LEDs make sense in fixtures like a yard or porch light that stays on eight to 12 hours a day.

      Halogen lamps (reflector-based, incandescent hybrids, and advanced lamps) are another option. They provide excellent color quality and can be dimmed. In fact, the dimming properties of halogens are the hardest for other light sources to mimic.

      When halogen lamps are dimmed, filament temperature decreases. This causes the light to change from white to yellow or red-orange. In many environments, such as homes and restaurants, people have come to expect and appreciate this “warmness”  from dimmed lights.

      However, after traditional incandescent lightbulbs, halogen lamps are also the least-efficient and offer the shortest life (only three times longer than a traditional incandescent bulb). Recent federal efficiency standards will eliminate most reflector-based halogen lamps from the market beginning in 2012.

      Advanced halogen lamps, on the other hand, use IR technology. These products provide a 20 percent to 30 percent increase in efficiency but cost two to three times more than standard halogen products. Halogen incandescents also remain a good alternative for consumers not ready to make the leap to CFLs or LEDs.

     You can also try other simple measures for trimming lighting expenses. Add occupancy sensors to wall switches in bathrooms, basements, or laundry rooms. These devices will automatically turn lights off when no one is in the room.

     Dusk-to-dawn fixtures come with a photo sensor that shuts off a light when the sun comes up. However, if the sensor is positioned in such a way that it is covered by a shadow, or if the sensor breaks, the light will operate during the day. Replacing can be a fairly simple task, but pay careful attention to all of the safety warnings and precautions that come with the new sensor.

      Understanding how much energy different bulbs consume and replacing broken equipment can be easy ways to save energy while maintaining a home that provides ample light. 

Brian Sloboda is a senior program manager specializing in energy efficiency for the Cooperative Research Network, a service of the Arlington, Va.-based National Rural Electric Cooperative Association. Additional content provided by ESource.