Electricity: Facts on Saving Electricity

One of the most important concepts when considering how to save on electricity begins with the actual building and design of a home or building. According to John Theodore Houghton, author of "Global Warming: The Complete Briefing," options that offer the largest savings are found in the areas of commercial lighting and air conditioning, and in residential appliances and space heating. If you are building a new home or remodeling, keep in mind ways to cut back on electricity.

Over the past decade, many appliance companies, such as Maytag, have begun offering consumers products that use significantly less electricity than appliances of the past. Energy-efficient electrical appliances can save homeowners thousands of dollars each year.

A simple way to save electricity is to purchase appliances with a good Energy Star rating. The government-endorsed Energy Star program promotes energy efficiency and is designed to assist homeowners in reducing electric bills, while protecting the environment.

Your home's inadequate insulation and leaky windows can cause you to lose valuable electricity dollars during both the summer and winter months, when heating or air conditioning is used most.

Attics and walls should be properly insulated when built or remodeled. This keeps warm and cold air in a home longer, so that you need to use less electricity for comfort. Well-insulated walls discourage drafts, allowing less outside air into the home.

Maintaining windows also creates fewer energy leaks, helping you save on electricity costs. During winter months, you can cover unused windows in plastic to prevent heated air from leaking out, and you should also make regular checks to be sure that your windows are shut properly.

Many homes have at least one computer. A computer uses a lot of electricity; however, you can easily cut back on its use.

First, you should turn off your computer when you're not using it. If you leave a computer in "sleep mode," the machine will continue to draw small amounts of electricity even though it is not being used. Also, most computers have an "energy saving mode." Look in your computer's options menus, and use the energy-saving options when possible.

One of the most compelling reasons for reducing electricity usage is to protect the environment. The power plants that produce electricity are fossil fuel-based. These plants produce carbon dioxide, which deteriorates the earth's atmosphere and leads to environmental problems such as global warming.

According to SaveOurEnvironment.org, "Recent analyses by the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) found that requiring 20 percent of electric generation from renewable energy sources by the year 2020 would create over 355,000 new high-paying jobs and save consumers at least $49 billion on their electric and natural gas bills."

Sunday, 15 June 2014