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STAY COOL THIS SUMMER!

Interested in learning how to save energy? You've come to the right place. We have some fun facts and great tips to lower your energy costs this winter!

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Heating

Lighting

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SUMMER ENERGY-SAVING TIPS

• Surprising facts on home cooling – The average family spends $1,900 a year on household energy bills, with nearly half of that spent on cooling and heating. Making smart decisions about your homes cooling system can have a big effect on utility bills and comfort.
• Unplug and turn off – Save electricity and reduce waste heat by shutting off lights and home electronics, especially computers, while not in use. Televisions, cable television boxes, cell phone chargers and other electronics give off more waste heat than you might imagine. Unplug these items or consider purchasing power management devices to eliminate electric consumption entirely when not in use.
• Make sure you insulate your home – Insulate your attic; it's where you'll see the greatest energy-savings year round. By insulating the attic, you'll keep the heat outside from filtering through the roof and into the rest of your house.
• Mind the blinds - Block out heat by keeping blinds or curtains closed during the day, especially on south facing windows (as they get the most sun). Keep doors closed when it is hotter outside than inside. Open your doors in the evening or morning, when it is cooler outside.
• Everything you need to know about your air conditioner - ENERGY STAR® qualified room air conditioners (room ACs) and central air conditioning systems (CACs) use up to 25% less energy than non-ENERGY STAR room ACs and CACs. Always purchase units with the highest energy efficiency ratio (EER) available; units with higher EERs are more energy efficient costing you less to operate. When purchasing a room AC, make sure you are purchasing a unit that is properly sized for the area you want to cool. Ask you retail sales person for help finding the right size air conditioner for your needs.
• Replace your light bulbs - ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) use 75% less energy and last up to 10 times longer than a standard incandescent bulb. Switch out commonly used bulbs with CFLs and beat the summer heat – they emit less heat than incandescent bulbs and remain cool to the touch.
• Take the Whole House Approach - Houses work as a system. Insulation, heating and air conditioning, air sealing, water heating, ductwork, windows, and doors all work together to determine the efficiency of your home. Schedule a comprehensive home energy assessment through Home Performance with ENERGY STAR to improve your home’s energy efficiency.
• Invest in a ceiling fan - ENERGY STAR qualified ceiling fans can help cool a home without greatly increasing electricity use. They improve airflow and create pleasant breezes. An ENERGY STAR qualified model is about 50% more efficient than conventional units and can save up to an additional $20 per year on cooling and heating bills.
• Program your thermostat - An ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostat allows you to automatically adjust the temperature based on your schedule. On average, New Yorkers save $100 a year by using a programmable thermostat.
• Shift your energy-intensive tasks – Do your laundry, cooking and dishwashing during the morning, nights, weekends, or other times when waste heat has less of an impact. Changing your household habits will keep your home cooler and may reduce your energy bills.

Additional tips for:

HOME ENERGY USE

DID YOU KNOW?

• You could use 30% LESS energy in your home just by using energy more wisely and purchasing products with the ENERGY STAR label. You can find the ENERGY STAR on refrigerators, clothes washers, computers, dishwashers, room air conditioners, TVs, VCRs, dehumidifiers, lighting, ceiling fans, and more!
• Where does your home use energy?
  - 60% - Air conditioning/heat
  - 16% - Water heater
  - 12% - Refrigerator
  - 7% - Lights
  - 5% - Computers, TV, etc.
• The amount of electricity you use is measured in, and priced by, kilowatt-hours (kWh). When you pay for a kilowatt-hour of electricity, you are paying for 1,000 watts of electricity used continuously for one hour.
• You can calculate the operating cost of any electrical appliance by checking its wattage and using these formulas:
  - wattage x hours used/1,000 = kWh
  - kWh x cost per kWh = operating cost

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LIGHTING

DID YOU KNOW?

• Replacing your current incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lightbulbs (CFLs) will save you nearly $30 over the life of each bulb.
• ENERGY STAR CFLs use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer. This means that over the life of one CFL, a consumer can avoid replacing up to 10 incandescent bulbs!
• ENERGY STAR lighting fixtures put out the same amount of light as standard fixtures while providing excellent color rendering and light temperature. Colors appear true and natural.
• ENERGY STAR fixtures operate at much lower temperatures than many traditional lamps, drastically reducing the risk of fire in your home.

LIGHTING ENERGY-SAVING TIPS

• Turn off unused lights and electronics (TVs, radios, computers) when you leave a room.
• Use timers on indoor and outdoor lights.

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THE ATTIC - ENERGY-SAVING TIPS

• Check your insulation - especially your attic. By increasing and filling gaps in insulation in older homes you keep your home warmer in the winter, cooler in the summer, and save money all year round.
• Install a vapor barrier in your attic to reduce the flow of moisture from inside your home through the insulation. This eliminates condensation that reduces insulation efficiency.

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LAUNDRY

DID YOU KNOW?

• 90% of the energy used for washing clothes is for heating the water.
• ENERGY STAR clothes washers use 50% less water than standard models, saving about 8,000 gallons a year per household.
• They also use 37% less energy, saving you up to $80 a year (depending on the water temperature setting and whether it's an electric or natural gas hot water heater).
• In addition, ENERGY STAR clothes washers extract more water from clothes during the spin cycle. This reduces the drying time and saves energy.

LAUNDRY ENERGY-SAVING TIPS

• Only wash and dry full loads.
• Always rinse in cold water.
• Hang your laundry outdoors to dry.
• Remove the lint from your dryer screen.
• Make sure the clothes dryer exhaust is not blocked.

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REFRIGERATOR

DID YOU KNOW?

• Your refrigerator uses the most electricity of all the appliances in your home.
• A refrigerator sold in 2001 uses more than 40% of the amount of electricity needed to operate an ENERGY STAR model.
• ENERGY STAR refrigerators have better insulation and efficient motors, as well as all the features you want and expect.

REFRIGERATOR ENERGY-SAVING TIPS

• Select a refrigerator/freezer with energy-saving features. It's guaranteed to use 20% less electricity than the standard model, saving you approximately $60 a year. Get more info on ENERGY STAR refrigerators.
• Regularly clean the condenser coils of your refrigerator that are typically located underneath or behind the refrigerator.
• Make sure the seals on your refrigerator, freezer and oven doors fit tightly. Easily perform this test by leaving a lit flashlight inside a closed appliance and if you see light around the gasket, replace the gasket.
• Keep your refrigerator between 35 and 38 degrees Fahrenheit and your freezer at 0 degrees Fahrenheit.

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DISHWASHER

DID YOU KNOW?

• ENERGY STAR dishwashers are 41% more efficient than the federal minimum standard for energy.
• An ENERGY STAR dishwasher saves approximately 1,200 gallons of water a year - 6 times the amount of water the average person drinks in a year!
• 60% to 80% of the power used by a dishwasher is consumed just to heat the water.

DISHWASHER ENERGY-SAVING TIPS

• Run your dishwasher only when full.
• Air dry the clean dishes by turning the energy-saver switch on.
• Scrape - do not rinse! Scrape your dishes before loading the dishwasher. Pre-rinsing is no longer necessary with today's technology and detergents. You may be using more water to pre-rinse your dishes than the dishwasher uses for a full wash cycle!

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HOME OFFICE

DID YOU KNOW?

• Look for the ENERGY STAR label on computer monitors, fax machines, copiers and water coolers.
• In the average home, 40% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off.
• Home electronic products use energy when they're off to power features like clock displays and remote controls. Those that have earned the ENERGY STAR use as much as 50% less energy to perform these functions, while providing the same performance at the same price as less-efficient models.

HOME OFFICE ENERGY SAVING TIPS

• Turn off lights in offices when they are not in use.
• Turn off office equipment when it is not needed at night or on the weekends.

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THE BATH - ENERGY-SAVING TIPS

• Use your exhaust fans sparingly. In just one hour they can remove a houseful of warmed or cooled air.
• Repair all leaky faucets. One drop per second can waste as much as 10 gallons of water in a week.
• Take showers rather than baths. A typical shower requires only half as much hot water as an average tub bath.

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FIND AN ENERGY STAR RETAILER NEAR YOU

GET ENERGY-SAVING TIPS BY EMAIL

GET INFORMATION ON OTHER ENERGY STAR PRODUCTS: DISHWASHERS, REFRIGERATORS, CLOTHES WASHERS AND LIGHTING.

*Savings will vary depending on your air conditioner size, hours of use, and your electric rates. Please ask your sales representative to help you better understand the potential savings for your situation.