Saving energy = Saving money and helping the environment

The following is a column by Lt. Governor Mark Parkinson.

For most of us, as the temperature outside rises, so does our utility bill. To combat the heat and lower monthly energy costs, you can make several changes in your home to increase its energy efficiency while decreasing how much you pay for power.

Many things can be done at little or no cost. For example, when summer nights cool, adjust the air conditioner a couple of degrees, keeping your home cold while still saving money. This is made much easier if your home has a programmable thermostat, which can automatically regulate your home’s temperature at different times during the day.  Most cost as little as $50 to install and that money can be quickly recouped through energy savings.

Also, much energy is used to heat water in the home. Installing a special insulating blanket around an older water heater, using a low-flow shower head, and washing more clothes with cold water can substantially decrease energy costs. In the summer, it is also important to keep your air conditioner running efficiently by regularly checking and replacing its filter. Further, installing sound weather stripping around windows and doors, as well as using heavier drapes over windows, can help insulate your home against the summer heat.

One of the cheapest and easiest fixes can be done year-round. Replacing regular incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent (CFL) ones can save up to $30 over the cost of each bulb’s lifetime, while using 75 percent less energy and lasting 10 times longer. These bulbs are so efficient that the Energy Star program estimates that if every American installed only one CFL in their home, then over $600 million in annual energy costs could be saved. In addition, this would prevent the same amount of greenhouse gas emissions as taking 800,000 cars off the road for a year. Now that’s an impact.

By increasing your home’s energy efficiency, you are not only conserving energy and practicing environmentally-friendly habits, but you are saving money – and who could argue with that?

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