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.
The dog days of summer are here, and the temperatures are sizzling. ☀️ No sweat … we’re here with tips to help you beat the heat.
You can save energy and money, even in extreme heat, with our energy efficiency tips:
Make sure your drapes and shades are pulled down during the day to block the hot sun.
Wear light clothing and set your thermostat between 72 and 78 degrees. You’ll save energy for every degree higher you can set your thermostat.
Try not to use large appliances like dishwashers, stoves, washers and dryers during the warmest hours of the day. Incandescent light bulbs also produce heat, so switching to cooler and more efficient LED bulbs is a smart choice.
Ceiling fans cost far less to use than air conditioners, but only turn them on in rooms that are occupied.
The National Weather Service reports about 175 Americans die from extreme heat in a normal year. Older adults, children and sick individuals are at greater risk from extreme heat.
Here are some tips to stay safe during the hottest days:
Find a cool place with air conditioning and check on your at-risk family members or neighbors.
Drink plenty of cool, non-alcoholic beverages.
Never leave people or pets in a closed car.
Avoid strenuous activity.
If you are outside, find shade and wear a hat big enough to protect your face.
We want everyone to have a cool and efficient summer. But some days, when the air is thick and the temperature reaches 90 or above, it can be a challenge to stay comfortable without air conditioning.
Check out our video above. Give the tips a try. And stay cool!
It’s a simple equation: The less you spend on energy during the heat of summer, the more you have to spend on lemonade, pool passes, ice cream, and road trips to the beach.
So how do you make that happen?
We’re glad to share the following tips for a cool but cost-effective summer. (Many of these will work for businesses too.)
If you have air conditioning, don’t set it lower than normal when you first turn it on. That won’t cool your home or business any faster, and it could cost you more.
Make sure nothing is blocking your ventilation ducts, so you get all the cool air you’re paying for. And use a programmable thermostat that’s set to cool things down when people are at your home or business – not when they aren’t.
Make sure ceiling fans are set to turn counterclockwise (as you are looking up at them), which will push a cool flow of air downward. Also, make sure to turn off fans – ceiling or floor – when you leave a room, because fans cool people, not rooms.
In the kitchen, use your microwave to cook. Make cool seasonal dishes like salads that require little or no cooking. Or, get out of the house entirely and fire up the grill. All these options will save energy and keep your kitchen cool, compared to using the oven.
Plug devices like printers, DVD players and computers into smart power strips. These devices continue to use electricity even when they’re not actively operating. A smart power strip shuts down the power at those times, saving you money.
Switch to long-lasting, efficient LED bulbs that use 90 percent less energy than standard incandescent light bulbs. (PPL offers discounts on LED bulbs at participating retailers – no coupon is needed. Visit pplelectric.com/savings for a list of retailers.)
Also, don’t forget you can shop for your energy supply, and may be able to get a lower rate than PPL’s price to compare. (That’s the rate we charge to supply energy to customers who don’t buy it from a competitive supplier.) Visit pplelectric.com/shopping for useful tips to get you started.
Those tips all cost relatively little to put in place. There are also bigger steps you can take toward efficiency that carry a cost in the short term, but should make it up over the long term.
If it’s been a while since your HVAC system was tuned up, schedule a professional maintenance visit. That will make sure your system is running as efficiently as possible.
Got a pool with an older pool pump? Today’s models can be significantly more efficient. Consider investing in a replacement, so you can save money while staying cool.
PPL Electric Utilities has many energy efficiency programs to reward customers for buying more efficient equipment through rebates on ENERGY STAR® central AC units, lighting, central heat pumps, ductless heat pumps, pool pumps, smart thermostats, refrigerators, and other equipment. Visit www.pplelectric.com/savings for more info on available rebates.
PPL also offers a variety of business-focused rebates on lighting, HVAC and other systems; check out www.pplelectric.com/businessrebates for more.
Whether your efficiency steps are large, small, or in between, we wish you a cool, enjoyable, energy-smart summer.
