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Even though it’s only the beginning of October, it still
might be warm enough to use your air conditioner--which means that the
electric bill goes up, up, up!
Let me give you a few tips to save on that bill:
--Turn off all the lights you don’t actually need to
see. (If you’re bumping into walls, turn a light on.)
--I’ve mentioned this before, and I’ll remind you again:
unplug electric devices you are not using. This includes coffee pots,
toasters, CD players, stereos, televisions, hair dryers, electric
curlers, electric toothbrushes and radios. While plugged in, they are
still using some electricity. Even cell phone chargers should be
unplugged.
--When cooking on a stovetop, use lids on the pans to
keep the heat inside the pan, and use pans that fit the burners. When
you heat beyond the pan’s edge, you warm the air and waste energy.
--If you boil water for instant coffee, hot tea or iced
tea, use a pot or pan with the right amount of water in it. That way you
don’t have to use a lot of energy to boil a full kettle.
--If your freezer isn’t full, just pack it with
scrunched up newspapers. It helps save energy. They also absorb odors.
--Try to buy energy-saving appliances when shopping for
a needed replacement or new appliance.
--I know energy-efficient light bulbs are expensive, but
they will save you money in the long run. When you turn on an ordinary
light bulb, only 10 percent of the electricity used is turned into
light. A whopping 90 percent is wasted as heat. One energy-efficient
light bulb saves up to $14 and 40 grams of carbon dioxide every year. If
every household changed to energy-efficient light bulbs, we would save
enough energy to provide the lighting in 10 million homes for a year.
--Don’t forget to clean the dust off the condenser coils
on the back of your refrigerator. It keeps the fridge from running too
often, saving energy and keeping the heat generated to a minimum.
My thought for the month is: When you save energy, you
not only save money, but help to save the planet too.
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