A few nights ago I was really cold and made a tiny comment on Facebook about how much would my electric bill go up if I turned up my thermostat 3 tiny degrees. All I meant to say was that I was cold but it lead to some great conversations offline.
Today, The Rappahannock Electric Corporation sent out this email
Ten New Year’s Resolutions for a Slimmer Energy Bill
New Year’s is a time for making resolutions to improve your life. Two perennial favorites are dieting and saving money. Homeowners can combine these two by going on an energy diet. By adopting some easy, low-cost strategies, you can save on energy costs all year long. The following are ten simple resolutions that can serve as your guide for saving energy year-round and living a more sustainable lifestyle:
- Switch to energy-efficient lighting. Replace burned out light bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).
- Maintain heating and cooling systems. Clean or replace furnace filters regularly and have the system checked by a qualified technician.
- Plug energy leaks. Install weather-stripping around doors and windows to ensure that they are properly sealed.
- Heat and cool naturally. Take advantage of natural sunlight and window shading to provide no-cost heating and cooling.
- Conserve hot water. Maintain water heater temperature at 120ºF or lower and take short showers instead of baths.
- Adjust the thermostat. Properly adjust the thermostat when the home is unoccupied to avoid wasting energy by heating or cooling an empty house.
- Work with a full load. Save energy by running the dishwasher and clothes washer only when they are fully loaded.
- Air dry the laundry. Clothes dryers are a big energy user. Air dry clothing whenever possible.
- Power down. Turn off or unplug computers, battery chargers, or other electronic equipment when they are not in use.
- Focus on energy efficiency. Whenever possible, replace older appliances and equipment with high-efficiency ENERGY STAR®-rated products.
It is no secret that New Year’s resolutions can quickly go by the wayside. To help you stay on track, set goals that are specific and measurable. How do you measure your progress? Simply compare your monthly energy bill with those of previous years. The money that you save should provide enough incentive to keep you going all year long.
Then it had a comment box so I wrote:
My question is how MUCH will this actually help? If I put on two additional layers of socks, how much money will I actually save? Will I spend more money washing clothes? If I turn off the tv, how much more will I have to spend in diapers from babies that will be created? Ok! Just kidding on the last one!
But I still want to know numbers without having an audit! And now I’m going to go and turn off some lights.
