Tips for Reducing your Central Maine Power Bill
Turn off lights when leaving room.
Use task lights, rather than general room lighting.
A Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) uses 75% less electricity to produce the same amount of light as an incandescent. The CFL will last about 10,000 hours as opposed to the 600 to 1,000 hour average life of an incandescent. Replacing a 100 watt incandescent with its equivalent 25 watt CFL will save more than $90 per bulb in electricity costs over the CFL’s 10,000 hour lifetime. You will also eliminate the inconvenience and expense of replacing the ten to fifteen incandescent bulbs which will burn out over the same period.
Limit display and decorative lights.
Turn off printers, computers, television, radios, and so on when not in use.
Unplug clocks and other small appliances in rooms you seldom use.
The refrigerator uses 20% of the average home’s electricity. The temperature in your refrigerator should be 38-40 degree F, and the freezer 0 to 5 degrees. Make sure they are not running too cold. Make sure the strip around the door is in good repair. Make sure the freezer is defrosted (if this is done manually).
Keep the freezer full of something, such as loaves of bread or milk jugs filled with water, to keep the cold air from "falling out" when the door is opened.
Use a pressure cooker or microwave to save energy when possible. A pressure cooker cuts cooking time by two-thirds; a microwave uses less than half the energy of a conventional oven.
Use cold water detergent to wash clothes in cold water.
Make sure the lint filter in the dryer is clean. A clean filter not only saves energy, it reduces the chance of fire. Limit dryer use by hanging some clothes outside when possible, particularly large, bulky items such as jeans, towels, and blankets.
If you purchase new appliances, look for the Energy Star label, identifying them as highly energy efficient products. They cost more initially but usually pay for themselves in reduced energy cost in a few months.
If you have a waterbed, keep it covered at all times. The blankets act as insulation, keeping the heat in. A waterbed in a cool room will use considerable energy even if covered as it acts as a room heater.
Electric blankets are one option for keeping warm in the bedroom, with a
low operating cost when compared to the cost of heating an entire room.
However, electric blankets can be dangerous if improperly used, with older
blankets in particular posing a significant potential fire hazard. Choose a
blanket with overheat protection, follow all manufacturer's instructions,
and inspect the blanket regularly for signs of overheating, damage or wear.
An electric mattress pad will warm the bed safely, relatively cheaply. Because it is designed to operate under covers, it will not overheat as an electric blanket may.
