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Compact Flourescents Computers Incandescent Lighting Tune up your Furnace Storm Doors Vent Fans to Control Moisture Electric Blankets and Mats Weatherstrip Your Home Save Energy While on Vacation | |
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COMPACT FLUORESCENTS Compact fluorescent light bulbs are a great way to save energy in your home. Designed to directly replace incandescent lamps, they bring us all the best features of fluorescent lamps….longer life, lower operating costs, and less heat gain. Compact fluorescent light bulbs made for home use range from 5-to-28 watts, and have a brightness and color rendition comparable to 25-to-100 watt incandescent lamps. And while they cost a little more to buy, they quickly return that money through lower monthly utility bills. In addition to these savings, they life is almost 10 times longer than standard incandescent lamps and give off one quarter as much heat. | |
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COMPUTERS The number of home computers is growing rapidly as they become more and more the family entertainment and business center. And with more people operating businesses from their homes, the impact these computers and all their peripherals like printers, scanners, and large color monitors are having on utility bills is increasing. If you are turning your computer on and off when you use it, the costs are much different than if you leave the unit on all the time. A computer turned on and off, when in use, will normally use 300 watts per hour. Using it for 4 hours per day, at $.10 per kWh, adds up to about $45 annually or less than $4 a month. You might think twice, however, about leaving it on 24 hours a day. That would be 6 times more usage or about $270 per year. Besides the cost, speed of operation and other options, and addition consideration might be to focus your attention on a computer's energy efficiency. Look for the Energy Star logo to find computers that use less energy. The savings can add up! | |
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INCANDESCENT LIGHTING The most familiar type of lighting in a home today is known as incandescent lighting. The popularity of the incandescent lamp is due to the simplicity with which it can be used and the low price of both the lamp and the fixture. The lamp requires no special equipment, like a ballast, to operate. Incandescent lamps produce light when an electric current passes through their metal filaments heating it to the point where it glows. The down side of the incandescent lamps is they are only about 10 percent efficient at producing light. About 90 percent of the energy they use is given off as heat. During the winter, incandescent lighting does produce heat, but it is an expensive form of electric heat. While in the summer months, that heat actually adds to the heat of your home while increasing your cooling bills. So while they are inefficient, there are some advantages if you use them wisely. For instance, knowing that the efficiency of incandescent lamps increases as lamp wattage increases can allow you to save energy. This makes it possible to save on both energy and fixture costs whenever you can use one higher wattage lamp instead of two lower wattage lamps. An example of this is shown by the use of one 100-watt lamp which produces more light, 1740 lumens, than two 60-watt lamps (860 lumens each) or only 1 720 lumens. Whenever you can substitute one 100 watt lamp for two 60s, you save 20 watts. Beware though, read the fixture ratings. Be aware that many fixtures may not be rated to accommodate the higher wattage bulbs. They may only be rated for 60 watt bulbs or lower. The specific type of incandescent lamp used and the kind of fixture involved also can make a difference. There are several newly designed bulbs that can actually deliver more light. For example, a 75-watt ellipsoidal reflector lamp delivers more light in a stack-baffled down light than a 150-watt R lamp of the higher wattage. This is because much of the R lamp's light is trapped in the fixture and converted to heat. The 75-watt ER lamp's shape and reflective interior focuses light down, outside of the fixture, thereby producing more light on the surface. In addition, there are a few energy efficient versions of the 150-watt R lamps available that use only 120 watts and provide only slightly less light. The rated life of an incandescent lamp is determined by operating a fixed number of lamps at standard voltage until 50% burn out. The voltage at which a lamp is operated affects its life expectancy. A lamp operating with higher voltage will burn brighter, but with dramatically shortened life, and one operated under voltage will not burn as brightly, but will have extended life. Look for lamps marked "energy efficient." They use 5% to 13% less energy than standard bulbs. There are energy-efficient replacements for all standard wattages and while they may cost a little more, they more than make up for their extra cost through lower operating costs. Another label that appears on some lamps is "long-life" or "rough service." These bulbs have a thicker filament, which makes them last longer, but it also makes them less efficient and therefore they are not recommended except in locations where changing bulbs is difficult, or where conditions cause standard bulbs to fail prematurely. The most common types are: the "A" or arbitrary bulb-shaped lamp; the "PS" or pear-shaped lamp; the "R" or reflector lamp; the "PAR" or sealed-beam lamp, and the tungsten-halogen lamp. Know the possibilities before you purchase your next light bulbs! | |
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TUNE UP YOUR FURNACE You can save energy this fall and winter by having your furnace tuned up. Electric, gas and propane furnaces can go approximately three to five years between service calls and longer, if you change the filters regularly. Oil furnaces need to be serviced once a year, because they get dirty and need annual adjustment. As many know, changing filters regularly is one of the key maintenance tasks to keep any type of furnace running efficiently. Make sure that you know where your furnace’s filter is located and what size it is. Inspect it periodically, and replace it when it is dirty. How frequently you need to change the filter depends on the amount of dirt in the house and around the furnace and also how much time the furnace runs. Duct air leakage is one of the largest energy-wasters in your heating system. Heating contractors can check your ducts for air leakage, and seal the biggest leaks. Contractors start by sealing the larger joints near the furnace, and then work out towards the branch ducts as access allows. Believe it or not, duct tape is not a good choice for sealing ducts because its adhesive usually fails after a short time. Duct mastic, available in cans or buckets, is an effective and permanent material for sealing duct air leaks. | |
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STORM DOORS Most primary entry doors built to today’s standards are efficient, but a storm door installed will further reduce energy loss through the door. Installing a storm door will also reduce the amount of outside air that can leak inside. Although the storm door may not be equipped with the same type of weatherstripping as the primary door, just breaking the direct flow of wind will reduce pressure and air infiltration. Also, by protecting the primary door from harsh weather conditions and the solar rays of the sun, the weather-stripping will hold up many years longer. Before you go out and purchase a storm door, make sure the primary door is in good shape. Installing a storm door over an old, uninsulated, leaky door may help some, but you would be better off to replace the weather-stripping and make it relatively airtight to receive the full benefits of stopping cold or hot air from leaking in to your home. Storm doors with screens are the best option because you can block out the cold winter air and let air vent through the screens in the summer. Some even come with heavy duty deadbolt-type latches, so you don’t have to worry about leaving your primary door open for ventilation. To be most efficient, the storm door should fit as close to the primary door as possible. Make sure to inspect the frame and trim and get proper measurements in order for the door to fit close. If the dead air space between the primary door and storm door is too wide, it is no longer a dead air space. Cold-to-hot convection air currents can form inside the wide gap. Storm doors come in many different styles and price ranges. You may want to install a more decorative door, such as ornate steel or wrought iron in the front of your home, while choosing a standard particleboard-filled aluminum skin door for the back. | |
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VENT FANS I’ve heard it many times in conversations over the years that if you build a house too tight, you are going to have moisture problems. Let’s take a moment to analyze that. The fact is, if your home is truly energy efficient and your heating and cooling system has been sized and installed correctly, your cooling system should remove the excess moisture during the summer without a problem. However, if your system is oversized, when it comes on, the run cycle will be too short to remove an adequate amount of moisture from your home. In the winter, most houses are actually too dry, so it’s good to retain some moisture at a time when humidity levels are much lower than the summer months. Although homes built to today’s energy efficient standards that include properly sized heating and cooling systems, proper insulation and the prevention of air infiltration, it is still a good idea to install a vent fan. Because most of the moisture that is in a house comes from bathroom areas, you should install a vent fan with a built-in humidistat. Most people feel comfortable with a humidity level around 50 percent. With the built-in humidistat and the setting at 50 percent, if someone took a shower and caused the humidity level to exceed 50 percent, the fan would come on to remove the excess moisture. Remember, low humidity means no mold, no mildew and more comfortable living conditions. | |
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ELECTRIC BLANKETS AND MATS Studies have proven that setting back your thermostat can cut your heating bill by one to two percent for each degree your lower the temperature. By utilizing an electric blanket or electric bed mat, you can sleep comfortably in your bed and save energy at the lowered thermostat setting. Electric blankets and mattress pads use a small amount of energy, usually ranging from 100 to 200 watts. The average usage will be less because the thermostat will be continually cycling the blanket or mat on and off to reach the temperature that feels comfortable to you. Say for instance, the average is 150 watts per hour for 10 hours a night. That equates to 0.15 kWh (kilowatt hours) per hour and a total of 1.5 kWh for a 10- hour period. Multiply that times a standard 30-day billing period and you have only used a total of 45 kWh. 45 kWh, at an average of 11 cents per kWh, would translate to only $4.95. The differences among various brands and models are the controls and heating wires. More expensive models use digital ambient controls that sense temperature drops in the room overnight and compensate by increasing heat output for steady comfort. Cheaper brands make a quiet click when the thermostat switches them on and off. If you can’t fall asleep easily, the clicking can be annoying. Make sure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions on use and cleaning and periodically check for rips or tears to keep your blanket or mat safe for years of reliable use. | |
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WEATHER-STRIP YOUR HOME Did you know that the 3-millimeter gap between your door and the frame is equivalent to a 13-square-centimeter hole in the wall? By sealing these small cracks around the windows and doors in your home, you can cut your electric heating bill 15 percent simply by weather-stripping. Best of all, this can be done within your entire home in a single day by yourself. When weather-stripping your home, it is important to select the type of weatherstripping that will withstand the friction, weather, temperature changes, wear, and tear associated with its location to ensure the most energy efficiency and savings. For instance, when applied to a door or threshold, weather-stripping could drag on carpet or erode as a result of foot traffic. Weather-stripping in a window sash must accommodate the sliding of panes – up and down, sideways, or out. The weather-stripping you select should seal well when doors and windows are closed while allowing you to freely open them. As you weather-strip your home, you should select a product for each specific location. Felt and open-cell foams tend to be inexpensive, susceptible to weather, visible, and inefficient at blocking airflow. However, the ease of applying these materials may make them valuable in low-traffic areas. Although it is slightly more expensive than other materials, vinyl holds up well and resists moisture. Metals (bronze, copper, stainless steel, and aluminum) last for years and are affordable. Weather-stripping made out of metal can provide a more ascetically pleasing look to older homes whereas other materials, such as vinyl, might seem out of place. | |
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SAVE ELECTRICITY WHILE ON VACATION Have you ever returned from your vacation and received your power bill and asked, "How could we have used that much power while we were away?" Have you considered that when you leave home without turning off major appliances such as the refrigerator, freezer, air conditioning and water heater, that your energy usage may not be much lower? Also, consider that the bill you receive may only cover a portion of the time you are gone and the remainder of your vacation time will be carried over to next monthfs bill. Most families have large amounts of clothing to be washed, dried and ironed after returning from a trip too. Here are some tips that will help you save energy when leaving for a few days.
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Location: 879 McDowell Rd., Asheboro, NC 27205
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 40, Asheboro, NC 27204
Phone: (336) 625-5177 Fax: (336) 626-1551 Toll Free: 1-800-672-8212
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Email: webmaster@remc.coop
Privacy Statement
Location: 879 McDowell Rd., Asheboro, NC 27205
Mailing Address: P.O. Box 40, Asheboro, NC 27204
Phone: (336) 625-5177 Fax: (336) 626-1551 Toll Free: 1-800-672-8212
Office Hours: 8:00am-5:00pm
Email: webmaster@remc.coop