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Even though it is only the beginning of September, it
still might be warm enough all month to use your air conditioner, which
means that the electric bill goes up, up, up! Let me give you a few tips
to save a little on that bill:
--Turn off all the lights that you don’t actually need
in order to see. If you are bumping into walls, by all means, turn a
light on.
--Unplug all electric devices that you are not using.
Coffee pots, toasters, CD players, stereos, televisions, hair dryers,
electric curlers and radios use electricity when they’re plugged in,
even if you are not using them.
--When cooking on your stove tops, use lids on the pans
to keep in the heat. Also, use pans that fit the burners. When you heat
beyond the pan’s edge, you just 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 boil a full kettle.
--If your freezer isn’t full, just pack it with
scrunched up newspapers. It helps save energy if your freezer is full.
--Try to buy energy-saving appliances when shopping for
a needed replacement or new appliance.
--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. An energy efficient light bulb
can save you up to $14 a year, and saves 40 kilograms of carbon dioxide
a year.
--Don’t forget to clean the dust off the condenser coils
on the back of your refrigerator. It keeps the appliance from running
too often, which saves energy, and keeps the heat generated from it down
to a minimum.
I hope these tips help you save energy, and keep cool
during the Indian Summer.
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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