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EXCITING NEWS ABOUT OUR
AREA
Five Ways To Cut Your
Energy Bill
(NAPSI)
Consider these simple
ways to boost the
environment and reduce
energy consumption-not
to mention your utility
bill:
1. Rethink your laundry.
About 90 percent of the
energy used to wash
clothes goes to heating
the water. By washing
full loads and using
cooler water and
cold-water detergents,
you can save energy,
water and money. An
Energy Star washer uses
half the energy that
standard washers do, as
well as much less water,
and they spin clothes
more efficiently, saving
drying time.
2. Power up with power
strips.
Even when the TV and
other appliances are
off, they use energy if
they’re plugged in. Plug
them into a power strip
and when not using a
device flip the strip
switch to off.
3. Make your thermostat
work for you.
Programmable electronic
thermostats control room
temperature depending on
the time of day.
Reducing the temperature
by just 4 degrees will
save about $130 a year
on energy. If no one is
home all day or you’re
away for a weekend,
program the thermostat
accordingly.
4. Switch out your
light-bulbs.
Compact fluorescent
light-bulbs use at least
two-thirds less energy
than standard
incandescent bulbs.
Compact fluorescent
bulbs produce the same
amount of light as
traditional
incandescents but last
up to 10 times longer.
Considering that
lighting accounts for 20
percent of the average
U.S. electric bill, this
small change can
translate to significant
savings.
Furthermore, the
installation of a
motion-sensor light
helps ensure you only
use lights as needed.
5. Use wind as fuel.
The wind is a continuous
source of clean, free
energy that you can
harness at your own home
with a utility
grid-connected
residential wind
turbine. Incorporating
wind energy into an
alternative energy plan
may seem to be a large
initial investment, but
it provides a rewarding
financial return.
Homeowners have reported
saving up to 50 percent
on their energy bill
with a “backyard” wind
turbine. To provide
quiet, clean electricity
even in very low winds,
Southwest Windpower
offers Skystream, a
compact, user-friendly,
all-inclusive wind
generator. In strong
winds, it can actually
produce excess
electricity that some
utilities will buy from
homeowners. You can
learn more at
www.skystreamenergy.com.
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