It’s time to open the windows, break out the mop and start cleaning.
Spring cleaning is the perfect time to think about energy efficiency. Work these seven tips into your routine to save energy and money.
Change the direction of airflow on your ceiling fan: In the winter, the fan should rotate clockwise to push warm air toward the floor. In spring, switch the direction so the blades draw air upward, cooling the room with constant airflow.
Keep your blades clean: While you’re up there changing the direction of your ceiling fan, dust the blades. This will keep the fan running efficiently. This is also a good time to check for dust around the motor housing.
Install window treatments: Energy-efficient window treatments or coverings – such as blinds, shades and films – do more than improve the look of your home. They also slash heat gain when temperatures rise, reducing your energy costs.
Bring in sunlight: During daylight hours, switch off artificial lights, open the curtains and use sunlight to brighten your home.
Service your air conditioner: Easy maintenance, like replacing or clearing air filters, can lower your cooling system’s energy consumption by up to 15%. Spring cleaning could also serve as a reminder to call your HVAC professional for a thorough cleaning to make sure the system is performing like it should.
Cook outside: On warmer spring days, keep the heat out of your home by using an outdoor grill instead of your stove or oven.
Update your landscaping: Believe it or not, your landscaping can also improve your home’s comfort and lower your energy bills. On average, a well-designed landscape saves enough energy to pay for itself in fewer than eight years. Check out energy.gov for the top three landscaping strategies by climate.
Do you have any other energy efficient spring cleaning tips? Tweet us @pplelectric so we can share them with our customers.
John Boyer may be the second-generation owner of a small grocery chain in Central Pennsylvania, but there is nothing old-school about the way he runs his business.
He takes a fresh approach to keep his stores up-to-date and make sure his team exceeds customer expectations. In that spirit, John recently completed a total remodel of his location in Hazleton, one of 18 Boyer’s Food Markets in eastern Pennsylvania.
Among other efficient improvements, John upgraded the store’s outdated fluorescent lighting to efficient LEDs. This not only resulted in significant energy savings, but it ensured that the store would be properly lit to provide customers better visibility to the products on the shelves.
“Our resources are kind of limited – we need to pick and choose and use our capital as efficiently as we can. These kinds of projects where you can see the immediate payback to the bottom line, they’re winners,” Boyer noted. “When we can save money, put it in the bottom line, it helps us to upgrade the rest of our stores and bring them up to the speed that today’s customer demands.”
The big game is this Sunday. Think about all the electricity it takes to power such a spectacular event – the stadium lights, the global TV hookups, the concession equipment, the glitz and glitter of the halftime show, and the hundreds of devices in the press box.
Thankfully, your game day menu at home doesn’t have to be an energy hog. We’ve fallen in love with slow cookers and Instant Pots® as convenient, energy-efficient options to supercharge your game day menu. Whether you prefer low and slow, fresh and fast or both, these appliances are perfect for feeding your family.
Here’s a round up of recipes for wings, dips and more – all offering energy efficient and delicious game day inspiration.
Instead of distributing candy this Halloween, we’re dishing out energy-saving tips! This year’s treat is learning how to cut down on phantom load, or energy vampires, that suck up your power and result in wasted energy.
Energy vampires are small appliances or devices such as cell phone chargers, computers and coffee makers that drain energy when they’re plugged into outlets, but not being used. These sneaky monsters could cost you more than $100 each year!
So how can you avoid wasting energy and scare these vampires away for good? Simply unplug your small appliances and electronics when they’re not being used or when you’re away for the day.
Last winter, many customers on variable-rate plans for their generation supply faced high bills, resulting from a combination of high usage during the prolonged cold weather and volatile market prices.
We suggest a three-step plan to help customers avoid paying more than they have to for electricity:
1. Use energy wisely
We have many low-cost and no-cost tips to help you save energy. They include turning the thermostat down, if you can. Heating accounts for more than 30 percent of an average home’s energy bill. Turning the thermostat down about 1 degree saves about 2 percent on your heating bill, while turning it down 5 degrees saves about 10 percent. Also, seal your house against drafts, and have your ductwork checked for air leaks.
2. Shop for electricity
Shopping for everything from groceries to gasoline is part of almost every family’s routine. So why not shop for electricity, too? The Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission has a website that makes shopping easy: PAPowerSwitch.com.
3. Shop smart
Customers have two choices when they shop for their electricity: fixed rate and variable rate. If you have a variable rate, it means the price you pay per kilowatt-hour can change anytime, based on factors like weather and market conditions. A fixed-rate plan offers pricing stability for a defined period of time. There are many fixed-rate offers below PPL Electric Utilities’ price to compare — the rate PPL Electric Utilities charges customers who don’t shop.
Even if you’re already on a fixed-rate plan, it’s a good idea to check the terms and expiration date of your supply agreement. Sometimes fixed-rate plans automatically shift to variable-rate plans when they expire.
As with any purchase you make, it’s always good to double-check what you’re buying, and know the terms of your energy contract and the price you’ll pay this winter.
No matter where you buy your electricity, it will still be delivered safely and reliably by PPL Electric Utilities.
