Nov 8, 2021 | Energy Efficiency
Start your savings with the flip of a switch and read on for where you might find ways to save energy in your home office, kitchen, and every room in between.
Your Morning Bathroom Routine Could Be Adding to Your Electricity Costs
Did you know the bathroom vanity is one of the highest-use fixtures in the average home? By replacing your home’s top-five most frequently used light fixtures with ENERGY STAR® certified LEDs, you could save as much as $70 each year in energy costs. Get started and take the pledge today.
See How Much Wasted Energy Is Lurking in Your Home Office
Most home office equipment is left on 24 hours a day. Equipment that is automatically set to sleep mode not only uses less energy, but it also runs cooler and lasts longer. In addition, you can save even more energy in your office with these small hacks:
- When your monitor is inactive, switch to sleep mode or turn it off to avoid screensavers.
- Turn off fax machines, printers, scanners, and copiers when not in use.
- Switch off power cords on weekends or any time spent out of the office.
Check Attics and Basements for Air Leaks and Get a $200 Rebate on Air Sealing
With windows throughout your home, start by monitoring rooms for air leaks. A quick way to get started is to caulk and weather-strip around windows and doors that leak air. It’s also a good idea to replace your screens with storm windows to provide an extra barrier from the outside air. Other common trouble spots for air leaks are in the basement, attic, and plumbing vents. Here’s a guide to get you started. You might also consider talking to a professional who can help you take advantage of our rebate for up to $200 on air sealing services.
Enjoy a Rebate on Your Refrigerator
Fun fact: Refrigerators made before 1993 use twice the energy that newer models do. An ENERGY STAR certified refrigerator, however, uses less energy than a 60-watt lightbulb run continuously does and uses at least 20% less energy than required by current federal standards. If you have an older fridge, you can prevent 5,500 to 20,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions just by unplugging and recycling it properly—and you can also get a $50 rebate from us.
Oct 14, 2021 | Energy Efficiency
It’s spooky season, and it’s time to slay those energy vampires — the electronic gadgets, appliances, and other devices that draw energy when they’re plugged in but not in use.
Here are four tips to keep these monsters at bay.
In the home office
- After you sign off, your home office laptops and PCs are still on the job. Shut them – along with your printers, scanners, and other equipment – down and save.
In the family room
- Popular gaming systems use energy, even when they’re in standby mode. Next time you put down the controller, shut the system down.
In the kitchen
- If you’re not using an appliance, make sure it’s turned off. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, this simple act can save you between $10 and $20 per year in energy costs.
Everywhere you charge
- Your phone, laptop and tablet are using energy whenever they’re plugged in, even if they’re fully charged. Once the meter hits 100 percent, unplug your device to save.
Sep 30, 2021 | Energy Efficiency
Since 2009, our customers have saved 4,026,933,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity. To put that into perspective, that’s the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent of:
- Removing 620,000+ passenger vehicles from the road for an entire year
- Charging 347,145,834,418 smartphones
- Operating 594 wind turbines for a year
- 970,686 tons of waste recycled instead of landfilled
- 343,666 homes’ energy use in a year
The Difference Customers Like You Have Made
For the past 12 years, our customers have cut electricity usage by over 4 billion kWh by participating in our energy efficiency programs—that’s savings of more than $403 million in energy costs. Wow! Check out these big stats worth celebrating:
- 24,000,000+ energy-efficient light bulbs were purchased
- 143,000+ appliances were properly recycled
- 71,000+ energy-efficient devices and appliances were installed in local businesses
Energy Efficiency Means Peace of Mind
Taking the time to make the right decisions about your home’s appliances, air quality, and heating and cooling systems goes a long way. When your home is more energy efficient, it means you’re in control of your costs and your comfort. Whether you’re upgrading to ENERGY STAR® certified appliances or being mindful of your day-to-day acts, like shutting off lights, it all adds up—benefiting your family’s comfort, your savings, and the planet.
Celebrate With an Energy-Efficient Rebate
When it comes to major home endeavors like insulation or upgrades to heating and cooling systems, you can save hundreds with our rebates and incentives. In addition, Pennsylvania offers residents financial incentives and tax credits on upgrading your home’s energy efficiency.
For more tips to help you save energy, visit savewithppl.com.
Jul 22, 2021 | Energy Efficiency
When the temps go up, the energy costs often do too. Here are a few handy tips to save energy and save money. Even small changes can collectively help you out during the heat of summer.
Tip 1: Avoid the Oven
Cooking with a conventional oven can add unwanted heat to your house, forcing your A/C to work harder. Do more of your cooking with a microwave or slow cooker to keep the kitchen cool. Better yet, use the summer heat as an excuse to fire up the old backyard barbeque. Outdoor grilling is a summertime tradition for a reason—you can cook delicious meats and veggies while keeping the heat outside.
Tip 2: Energy Recon
A home energy monitor can give you real-time data on your energy usage. You can determine which of your appliances are gobbling up the most energy. You can conduct experiments to help you save energy. Also, you can monitor your usage for a certain time period. When you see how and when you’re using energy, you can find ways to save.
Tip 3: Cool Your Bulbs
Switching to LED lightbulbs can help you save in multiple ways. ENERGY STAR® certified bulbs use at least 75% less energy and last 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. Plus, LEDs don’t give off as much heat as traditional bulbs, so they can help keep cooling costs down.
Tip 4: Throw Some Shade
During the dog days of summer, window shades can really help your energy consumption. In rooms without direct sunlight, you can pop those shades up and use the sun to light this part of your home. In rooms with direct sunlight, do the opposite: Drop your shades to keep the room nice and comfortable.
Tip 5: Location. Location. Location.
Be mindful of where you place appliances that give off heat. When placed near a thermostat, lamps with incandescent bulbs and some TVs can make it difficult for your thermostat to get a good reading. This means your A/C might work harder than necessary to keep you comfortable.
So there you have it. Hopefully these tips and tricks will help you—and your energy bill—beat the heat during these summer months. Discover even more ways to save with PPL.
Apr 1, 2021 | Energy Efficiency
Laundry can be daunting, right? It seemingly never ends. Since the average household requires at least a few loads per week, it’s worth taking a closer look and finding ways you can save on your laundry-related electricity costs.
If you’re in the market for a new washer, there are efficient options available that will help you save over the lifetime of the unit. But if you prefer to hang on to your current machine, there are still plenty of ways to save energy and money:
Wash with cold water. Using warm water instead of hot can cut a load’s energy use in half, and using cold water saves even more. Cold water detergents are helpful to ensure items get clean. Be sure to use high-efficiency detergents when required by the manufacturer.
Wash full loads. You washer uses approximately the same amount of energy no matter the size of the load.
Dry right-sized loads for your machine. If your dryer is too full, it will take longer and use more energy for your clothes to dry. Loads that are too small also can take longer to dry, plus you spend more per item when running the dryer for only a few things.
Air dry when you can. Spring is here! And with sunshine and warmer weather you can hang laundry outside or use a drying rack to avoid powering up the dryer.
Clean the lint filter on your dryer. The dryer will run more efficiently and safely.
We hope these tips make your laundry routine more efficient and less of a chore!
