Three nights in a row, my 1-year-old and I have preponderated the parks in Jamestown. If the city had a curfew, we’d surely break it. Formidable and forgiving, Mother Nature took pity on us this year, and Cole aren’t letting her good graces go to waste!
Cole and I don’t like to waste beautiful weather, and we don’t like to waste energy either. So when it’s warm out, we use these energy-saving tips from TogetherWeSave.com. We sweat enough outside, we don’t need to sweat our energy bill too! Here’s how you can save as well!
No more pictures, mom. Just let me play!
Adjust the thermostat. As TogetherWeSave.com demonstrates, lowering a thermostat in winter can save as much as $85 per year. During warmer months, raising the thermostat a few degrees can save money, too. Set the temperature between 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit, and you could save up to 8 percent on monthly cooling bills (two degrees translates to about $300 annually for an average home in the Dakota Valley service area, according to TogetherWeSave.com).
Programmable thermostats make it easy to save by offering four pre-programmed settings to regulate a home’s temperature throughout the year. Contact us at Dakota Valley to learn more, 800-342-4671.
Be a “fan-atic.” While they don’t replace air conditioners or heat pumps, fans move air and help you feel more comfortable. On milder days, fans can save as much as 60 percent on electric bills. Fans cool people, not rooms, so turn them off when you leave.
Regular maintenance is essential. Dakota Valley recommends members service their HVAC systems annually. HVAC professionals will check your entire system to make sure it runs efficiently. This will help to extend life of the system and save money!
Look for ENERGY STAR equipment. When it’s time to replace your cooling system, TogetherWeSave.com recommends replacing it with an ENERGY STAR- qualified model. Doing so could reduce your energy costs by as much as 30 percent. Tax credits and rebates on qualifying ENERGY STAR appliances may be available so check with us at Dakota Valley (800-342-4671) for more information.
Bigger isn’t always better. Too often, cooling equipment isn’t sized properly and leads to higher electric bills. A unit that’s too large for your home will not cool evenly and might produce higher humidity indoors. That’s why it is important to talk our energy efficiency experts. They take pride in helping you save energy and save money!
Instead of getting burned this summer by high energy bills, visit www.energysavers.gov OR Touchstone Energy® Cooperatives energy-saving website, www.TogetherWeSave.com, for more money-saving ideas. Or call your Dakota Valley energy experts at 800-342-4671!
