ENERGY SAVING IDEAS |
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(NAPSI)-While home energy costs are up nearly 15 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, you don’t have to get hot under the collar over energy bills. What You Can Do Here are hints that can help: • Conduct a household energy audit to find where you use the most energy. Check insulation levels, look for holes and cracks around doors and windows, check for openings in fireplace dampers and examine the lighting and plumbing. • Get Energy Star appliances and home electronics, including water heaters, dishwashers and furnaces. These products meet stringent efficiency criteria established by the U.S. Department of Energy and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. • Always turn lights off in any room not in use or install timers or sensors to reduce the amount of time a light is on. Replace old lightbulbs with fluorescent tubes and energy-efficient compact fluorescent lights (CFLs). Fluorescent lighting is much more efficient and lasts four to 10 times longer. What Others Can Do While efficiency is an important first step in addressing the energy challenge, the nation’s long-term needs will require a substantive national investment. The Electric Power Research Institute estimates that it will take a research investment of $1.4 billion a year from now until 2030 to develop new technology such as carbon capture and storage for our power plants. “To develop the technology needed to keep the lights on and rates affordable, the federal government must exercise committed leadership and provide funding,” said Glenn English, CEO of the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA). This national effort could include establishing and expanding academic centers on energy efficiency at colleges and universities nationwide, helping accelerate technology innovation and training efficiency experts. In addition, the federal government can help spur the technological ingenuity that America has relied on for centuries. Learn More Energy efficiency is one important way to lower monthly energy costs while keeping America’s energy cleaner. To find out more about what you can do and how to make your energy concerns heard, visit https://www.ourenergy.coop. In most homes, appliances make up about 20 percent of the energy bill. You can cut your current energy bill by a third and help lower greenhouse gas emissions by switching to more energy-efficient technologies. |
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