Jan 10, 2024 | Energy Efficiency
Eighty-three percent of our customers who took the October home energy efficiency quiz correctly answered that heating and cooling is the single largest use of energy in a home. Your HVAC system is critical to your home’s comfort and a big part of your annual energy costs, so it’s a good idea to have a replacement in mind before you need a new system.
Three signs that your HVAC system may need to be replaced:
- It’s more than 15 years old or needs frequent repairs.
- Your energy usage is going up without any other household changes.
- Your HVAC system struggles to meet thermostat setpoints.
Luckily, there’s an energy-efficient option: heat pumps. Heat pumps can keep your home comfortably warm during the winter months, but they can also keep you cool in the summer—while reducing your electricity use for heating by around 65% compared to electric furnaces or baseboard heaters.
And when the time comes to make a change, you can take advantage of special incentives to upgrade your system.
How do heat pumps work?
In winter, heat pumps extract heat from the outside air and transfer it into your home. Even when it’s very cold outside, there is still heat energy in the air that heat pumps extract to warm your home.
In summer, they work like a standard air conditioner by absorbing unwanted heat in the air inside your home and transferring it to the air outside.
To calculate how much you might save by switching to a heat pump, go to the ENERGY STAR® page here, and click on “Calculate Your Savings.”
Image: Left to right – Ducted heat pump and ductless heat pump
Types of heat pump systems
Ducted air source
These heat pumps use your home’s existing ductwork. During the summer months, they serve as central air conditioners and lower cooling costs. In winter, they supply more efficient heat and cost less to operate than conventional furnaces, boilers or electric resistance heat.
Ductless
Often referred to as a “mini split,” a ductless heat pump is a good alternative to replace a window cooling unit as well as radiators or baseboard heating. They can be an excellent solution for older homes and additions or outbuildings that do not have existing ductwork.
We make the decision easier with special incentives!
We offer a rebate of up to $450 for air-source heat pump systems and $400 per outdoor unit for ductless mini-split systems.
Plus, heat pumps with a thermal efficiency rating of 75% or more qualify for a federal tax credit of up to $2,000 per year. You may also be able to include installation labor in your cost calculation. Learn more here.
There’s money hiding in your home, and a few simple changes can help you find it! Learn more about these and other ways you can Save with PPL.
Dec 11, 2023 | Energy Efficiency
Do you know the only category of energy use that’s increasing in homes? In our energy quiz last month, 63% of our customers correctly answered that appliances and devices use around 21% of a home’s energy each year. And device use is rapidly rising.
Each year, energy for electronic devices costs an average of $191 for every U.S. household, according to the Consumer Technology Association. So why not start saving this year? Whether you’re hoping to give or receive an electronic device or just looking for ways to decrease electronics use in your own home, here’s an easy guide for how to save energy and money.
TVs:
Review your TV’s brightness settings
Use your TV’s default brightness setting. On some TVs, this may be called the ABC, or Automatic Brightness Control.
Power off when not in use or use a smart power strip
Plugging your TV and components into a smart power strip can prevent energy waste when the system is not powered on. You can buy one at a discounted price on our Online Marketplace.
Buy ENERGY STAR®
If you’re purchasing a TV, look for the ENERGY STAR label and remember that smaller screens save energy. Find out how to choose the optimal screen size in the “buying guide” section here.
Speakers and Sound Bars:
Turn down the sound
It saves energy and prevents damage to your hearing. Or use volume-leveling technology that adjusts the volume for you between shows and commercials. To ensure that volume leveling is on, follow the directions included with your speakers or given on the manufacturer website.
Use sound bars instead of powered speakers
Sound bars use less energy than multi-speaker surround systems and can offer the same three-dimensional sound effect.
Computers:
Adjust sleep settings
You can save $10–$100 every year by activating the sleep settings on your computer, according to ENERGY STAR. Here’s how to activate these settings on your model.
Don’t use screen savers
Despite common belief, screen savers don’t save energy. In fact, screen savers often continue to draw power from the monitor and can even keep the CPU from shutting down.
Go smaller for bigger savings
Smaller devices tend to be the most energy efficient, so pick a smaller device to do a task when possible. Desktop computers use more energy than laptops or notebooks, while notebooks and laptops use more energy than tablets.
Games:
Shut down when you’re finished
Many computer games continue to run even when you’re doing something else, and don’t allow the computer to go to sleep even if the game is paused.
Keep up with updates
New software updates can reduce the energy use of a gaming console.
Don’t use your gaming console to stream media
Digital media players, also known as streaming devices, use 15 times less energy than gaming consoles.
There’s money hiding in your home, and a few simple changes can help you find it! Learn more about these and other ways you can Save with PPL.
Nov 14, 2023 | Energy Efficiency
The holiday season is here. Whether you’re planning to host a gathering, prepare a celebratory meal or decorate your home, we have some easy ways to save energy and money during the festive season. Wishing you very happy holidays!
Click on the card to expand it
Click on the card to expand it
Click on the card to expand it
Extra Links:
*For more tips on how to add shine to your decorating, see our 2022 blog on decorating for the holidays.
† Get your smart power strip and more at our Online Marketplace.
‡Learn about energy-efficient landscaping here.
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There’s money hiding in your home, and few simple changes can help you find it! Learn more about these and other ways you can Save with PPL.
Sep 26, 2023 | Energy Efficiency
October is Energy Awareness Month. Here’s an opportunity to find out how much you know day. To get started, click the button below to answer the quiz questions. When you choose an answer, you’ll get some useful tips and suggestions to help you start saving energy and money right now!
There’s money hiding in your home, and a few simple changes can help you find it! Visit our one-stop shop to find out all the ways you can Save with PPL.
Sep 12, 2023 | Energy Efficiency
As the leaves and outside temperatures change, simple actions, household fixes and upgrades can help you save on your energy consumption this fall, winter and beyond. Here are some of the easiest and most effective changes you can make right now.
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Visit the links below to learn more about the benefits and offerings featured above.
There’s money hiding in your home, and a few simple changes can help you find it! Visit our one-stop shop to find out all the ways you can Save with PPL.
