Money saved is money earned!

Energy efficiency means getting the most benefit for your money.

For example, if you have an older air conditioner from the 1970s, it’s probably less efficient and consumes more power to give you the desired cooling.

In contrast, a new high-efficiency air conditioner will use less energy to produce the same amount of cooling, resulting in big savings on your utility bills.

As another example, standard incandescent light bulb uses only ten percent of the electricity it consumes to produce light. The other 90 percent is wasted as heat! Compact fluorescent bulbs use 75-80 percent less electricity to make the same amount of light.

The answer again depends on the needs of your family. Investing in new high-efficiency appliances will bring the most dramatic reduction, but this isn’t an option for most homeowners.

Instead, remember all the little ways to save energy: turning off lights, washing only full loads of clothes, using smaller kitchen appliances whenever possible. The savings for each is small, but it can add up to a noticeable difference.

Every family has different energy needs. One factor is the number of people in the household – families with young children use more electricity because they do more laundry, wash more dishes and have more home electronics.

Another consideration is the age of your major appliances. A new high-efficiency central air conditioner will use about half as much electricity as an older model. The energy efficiency of refrigerators and water heaters also has improved greatly over the past ten years.

The quantity and quality of appliances is also important, e.g. a second hand refrigerator will consume more power compared to a brand new one.

To find out exactly where your energy is going, refer the energy audit and energy calculator which will identify ways to reduce your electricity consumption, without sacrificing your family’s comfort and convenience.

When you're getting ready to go on vacation, your refrigerator, T.V. and water heater are probably the last things on your mind. But if you don't give your appliances a vacation too, you'll probably return home wondering why an empty house doesn't mean lower energy bills.

Many of your appliances and electronics keep drawing power even when you're not home. You can keep energy costs to a minimum while you're away by following our easy Vacation Tips.

Air conditioner

If you'll be away for several weeks, make a through check, before you leave, that all electrical appliances are disconnected or the mains are turned off.

During the summer, turn the thermostat off. If you have a window air conditioner, it's best to remove it; if it's difficult to remove, cover the compressor and unplug the unit.

Refrigerator

A refrigerator is usually one of the biggest energy-wasters while you're on vacation. If you'll be gone for several weeks, empty out the food and unplug it.

If that's not practical, get rid of easily spoiled items like milk and yogurt, and turn up the thermostat a notch or two. You can raise the internal temperature up to 38 degrees and still keep your food safe.

The same advice applies to the freezer. Remove fast-melting foods like ice cream, and raise the temperature a few degrees. Meats and vegetables will remain solidly frozen if the freezer temperature is five or below.

Safety and security

Safety and security are even more important than energy bills, so be sure to give your house that lived-in look while you're away.

No matter how short your vacation, have a neighbor keep an eye and collect your mail and your newspaper.

It's easy to read your meter track how much electricity or natural gas your family is using.

Energy meters have either four or five dials on the face. Some dials move from zero to nine in a clockwise direction, while others move counter-clockwise.

Your meter reading will have four or five digits - one number for each dial on the meter. When the pointer on a dial is between two numbers, read the smaller number, as in the example below:

When you have your meter reading, you can determine your approximate usage by subtracting the number from the last month's reading list on your previous bill.

For the best results, read your meter at the same time every day for a week. This will give you a good daily average for your family's energy needs.