Pull the Plug, Save Some Shillings

Posted on June 16, 2011 by touchstone energy

Even when not in use, cell phone chargers and other plug-in household appliances use electricity. This energy drain is known as phantom loads, vampire electricity, or standby power. Although it may seem small, several appliances drawing vampire electricity in a household can add up and cost you money.

In fact, only five percent of the power drawn from your cell phone charger is used to charge your cell phone. The other ninety-five percent is wasted when you leave your cell phone charger plugged into the wall.

Look to save some cash and electricity this summer by unplugging your cell phone charger and other appliances when not in use.

Click here to learn more about how you can eliminate vampire electricity in your home.

 

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Heat Up Your Summer Energy Savings

Posted on June 15, 2011 by touchstone energy
Heat Up Your Summer Energy Savings

Sometimes keeping up the Joneses is about keeping your electric bills down

With temperatures on the rise, now is a perfect time to make your home more energy-efficient.  ENERGY STAR® offers suggestions for how to reduce your annual electricity costs by up to a third—that adds up to about $700 savings per year! Listed below are six of the biggest energy wasters in your home. Following these quick tips will help you save both energy and money.

1. HVAC Systems

HVAC systems account for 46 percent of your overall electric bill.

Change filters regularly. Furnace and air conditioner filters need to be changed monthly, especially during the summer and winter months when the HVAC unit has a heavy workload.

Install a thermostat. To save even more, you can install a programmable thermostat, letting you regulate your home’s temperature throughout the year.

Seal the cracks and gaps. Seal your heating and cooling ducts, especially those running through the attic, crawlspace, basement or garage.  This can improve the efficiency of your HVAC unit by as much as 20 percent!

2. Water Heater

Lower standby losses.  The average household spends $400-$600 per year on water heating. Eliminate standby losses by lowering the heater’s thermostat to 120 degrees Fahrenheit or below.

3.Lighting

Out with the old and in with the new. Lighting accounts for about 12 percent of your bill.  Just simply replace five of your standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs to save $70 a year.

4. Refrigerator

Clean the refrigerator inside and out. Check the temperature settings on your refrigerator.  Ideally, a refrigerator’s temperature should be between 37 and 40 degrees for maximum operating efficiency.

Replacing a refrigerator that is 10 to 15 years old may help you save in the long run.  Energy-efficient appliances can save you as much as $100 a year.

5. Energy Vampires

Unplug and save. Energy vampires consume 75 percent of the electricity used to power home electronics and appliances.  Any appliance or device that sucks up energy when it’s plugged in, despite being turned off, is draining your bill.

Don’t just turn energy vampires off—unplug them.  ENERGY STAR® suggests:  plugging your television and/or DVD player into a power strip and then turning that off when your television is in stand-by mode; put your computers on sleep mode; unplug a battery charger of adapter.

6. Entertainment

Unplug to save more for fun. It costs you about $120 if to leave your Xbox plugged in for an entire year.  Unplug video game consoles when you are not playing and limit the use of stand-by mode.

Click here for more information.

 

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More Efficient Light Bulbs Save Cash

Posted on June 15, 2011 by touchstone energy

Did you know that traditional incandescent light bulbs will be phased out by 2014?

In an effort it increase efficiency and save energy, the federal government requires that light bulbs be at least 25 percent more efficient than the standard incandescent light bulb. Three newer energy efficient alternatives have sprung up that can save you money on your energy bill.

More efficient light bulbs save you energy and money

Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs are about 75 percent more efficient than the old incandescent bulbs.

Halogen incandescent light bulbs are the most similar to the traditional light bulbs, and are about 25 percent more efficient over their lifetimes. These bulbs cost about $2 a piece and have the same familiar pear-shaped design as the old bulbs.

Compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs are about 75 percent more efficient than the old incandescent bulbs. They cost about $2 to $5 each and have a recognizable spiral shaped.

Light emitting diode (LED) lamps are about 85 percent more energy-efficient than the old bulbs. While these lamps do cost significantly more—anywhere from $20 to $55—these prices are expected to come down significantly over the next three years.

The next time you purchase light bulbs, consider purchasing energy-efficient bulbs that will save you money on your energy bills.

Click here for more information or check out ENERGY STAR’s Lighting Guidebook.

 

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Tax Credits for Energy Efficiency

Posted on May 27, 2011 by touchstone energy

If you recently purchased an energy-efficient product or renewable energy system for your home, you may be eligible for a federal tax credit.

While some energy efficiency tax credits are only available through 2011, others such as installing a Geothermal Heat Pump or Solar Energy Systems, are available through 2016. Plus if you haven’t filed your 2010 taxes yet, you can still claim 2009 and 2010 credits, based on work completed during those years.

You may also be eligible for additional tax credits or rebates, so visit the Database of State Incentives for Renewables and Efficiency to find out what else you may be eligible for.

Finally if you are looking to purchase some new appliances, learn about the state rebates for Energy Star (R) appliances.

 

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5 Ways to Spring Into Energy Efficiency

Posted on April 26, 2011 by touchstone energy

Spring is a perfect time of year to make your home more energy-efficient.  Here are five quick tips that will save both energy and money.

  1. Seal the cracks and gaps around your home. Spring may be the right time to put away those storm windows, but it is also a good time to add weather-stripping and caulking around leaky windows. Don’t stop there, sealing more cracks and leaks – especially around the floor and ceiling can save the homeowner over $200 annually.  See how you can seal the cracks and keep your wallet from leaking.
  2. Change filters regularly. Furnace and air conditioner filters need to be changed monthly and this can really help lower monthly energy bills.  Dirty filters can restrict air flow and reduce the overall efficiency of your cooling system and make it work even harder on hot summer days.
  3. Check your refrigerator. Clean the outside of the refrigerator as well as the inside. Gently vacuuming the outside coils (getting rid of “dust bunnies”) and checking the seals for air leaks can improve the efficiency of your refrigerator.  Also, check the temperature settings on your refrigerator.  Ideally, a refrigerator’s temperature should be between 37 and 40 degrees for maximum operating efficiency. When it’s time to replace that old refrigerator, be sure to buy an ENERGY STAR® labeled appliance. Energy-efficient appliances can save you members as much as $100 a year based our calculations. Discover how you can use Energy Star® qualifying appliances like an energy star.
  4. Think sun block. Closing the blinds on your windows this spring and summer, you could save about $35 a year.  Your local hardware or do-it-yourself stores have lots of inexpensive window coverings. Best of all, by blocking the sun, your house will stay comfortable year-round ($35 savings includes winter too).
  5. Control temperature settings. Do you have a programmable thermostat?  Check that the temperature and time settings are programmed for summer.  Try setting the temperature to 78 when you are home.  Let the temperature drift up a few degrees when you are away.

 

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Save Money on Next Year’s Taxes with Energy Efficiency Improvements to Your Home Today

Posted on April 25, 2011 by touchstone energy

If you missed out of any of the 2010 tax credits for energy efficiency upgrades to your home don’t worry because there are a lot of money and energy saving incentives you can take advantage of in 2011.

For example, you can receive a tax credit, up to $200 on new ENERGY STAR qualified windows. You do not have to replace all the windows or skylights in your home to qualify. And it doesn’t need to be a replacement either – installing a new window where there wasn’t one previously (like in an addition) qualifies.

Visit the Energy Star website for more information on Federal Tax Credits

 

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Sometimes the Smallest Appliances Are the Biggest Energy Wasters

Posted on February 9, 2011 by touchstone energy
Coffee Maker

Most coffee makers usually run on 900 to 1,200 watts of electricity.

Do you have a coffee maker? What about a digital picture frame? Or a set-top cable box?

You might not think of these types of devices as energy hogs but when left on all day and night they quickly add up to a lot of wasted electricity.

For example, set-top boxes like cable or converter boxes typically only draw about 30 watts of energy. But because these boxes are often left on even when your television is turned off, one box over the course of a year can use up to 265 kilowatt-hours, equivalent to the annual energy consumption of a 28-inch CRT television.

Meanwhile, if every home in the U.S. had a digital picture frame displaying around the clock it would take five power plants alone to power them, according to a recent Electric Power Research Institute estimate.

As for coffee makers, they also consume a lot of power. Most coffee makers usually run on 900 to 1,200 watts. If you want to save energy and money, refraining from making more coffee than necessary or leaving the warmer on for long periods.

Often the best way to combat these energy wasters is to plug these appliances into a power strip, and switch it off after you are down using them.

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Check out this article for more information.

 

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Paying Attention to Your Heat Pump Can Avoid Big Bills

Posted on January 27, 2011 by touchstone energy
Raise your thermostat in the Summer to save energy and money

Raise your thermostat in the Summer 78-degree or higher to save energy and money.

Air-air heat pumps are extremely efficient heating systems, when it’s the part of the system supplying the heat for your home. If the outside unit fails though, you could be faced with big utility bills.

A heat pumps is the only heating system that is really two separate heat systems in one. The primary system is the heat pump, which is very similar to your refrigerator. Just as your refrigerator absorbs heat from inside of the refrigerator and moves it to the coil (the one that used to be on the back), a heat pump absorbs heat outside and moves it inside. But when it gets cold and there isn’t enough heat outside (the same time your home needs more heat to stay warm), the auxiliary heat system begins helping the heat pump. This auxiliary system is the electric coils that are similar to an electric furnace.

If something on a gas furnace fails, you know right away something is wrong because it begins to get cold in your home. You know you need a repairman. But if the outdoor portion of your heat pump quits working, the electric coils take up the slack and you may not even know there is a problem. Until you get your next electric bill, that is. All of a sudden your usage has sky-rocketed and you don’t know why. Until your electric co-op representative suggests you check if that unit outside is running at the same time the system inside is.

To make sure this doesn’t happen to you, occasionally verify that the outdoor unit is running when the system inside is. If not, you may have a unit that has failed and you may need to call a repairman. Before doing that though, double check the thermostat to make sure no one has inadvertently put the system into emergency heat mode. This setting shuts the outside unit off and lets the electric coils supply all of the heat.

Some thermostats even have warning lights or indicators that the auxiliary heat (the electric coils) is on. This may not indicate that you have a problem though because it could just be cold out and the heat pump needs the auxiliary electric coils to help keep your house warm. The best way is to look out a window to see that the fan on unit outside is running or to actually walk outside to hear and visibly see that it is working.

Paying attention to your heat pump, knowing how it sounds and looks when it is operating correctly can help you quickly identify when it malfunctions. Doing so can help you avoid that sudden big electric bill.

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Article Written By:
Bryce Cramer
Egyptian Electric Cooperative Association

 

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Which Gaming System is the Most Energy Efficient?

Posted on December 17, 2010 by touchstone energy
Which Gaming System is the Most Energy Efficient?

Nintendo Wii™ Uses One-Sixth the Power of Sony PlayStation ® 3 or Microsoft ® Xbox 360

A new study from the Electric Power Research Institute listing just how much power it takes to play the three most popular video gaming systems has come out and the Nintendo WiiTM took home the high score.

According to EPRI, the Nintendo Wii system uses six times less energy than a Sony PlayStation ® 3 or Microsoft ® Xbox 360 in active mode.

  • Nintendo Wii averaged 13.7 watts
  • Sony PlayStation 3 averaged 84.8 watts
  • Microsoft Xbox 360 averaged 87.9 watts

For more information, check out this article.

 

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An Energy Bill Breakdown and What You Can Do to Lower It

Posted on December 15, 2010 by touchstone energy

According to EnergyStar, the average household spends about $2,200 a year on their energy bill. So here’s an energy bill breakdown:

  • 46% on HVAC systems.
  • 14% on Water Heating.
  • 12% on Lighting.
  • 13% on Home Appliances.
  • 11% on other Electronics Devices.
  • 4% on Phantom Loads.

Want some easy ways to cut the cost? Why not test out these energy saving applications and discover how you can lower your energy bill.

For more information, check out this article on Energy Wasters in Your Home.

 

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