Energy conservation tips

  • Published
  • By the 319th Civil Engineer Squadron
GRAND FORKS AIR FORCE BASE, N.D. --  October is national energy awareness month. Here are some tips to help you conserve energy:

Tip: Install compact fluorescent light bulbs in your home and workplace.
Fact: Replacing one incandescent light bulb with an energy-saving compact fluorescent bulb means 1,000 pounds less carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere and $67 is saved in energy costs over the bulb's lifetime.

Tip: Repair and weatherize. Leaks around the windows can be inexpensively plugged with weather-stripping and caulking. Also, be sure to install tight-fitting, insulating window shades on windows that feel drafty.
Fact: Storm windows can reduce heat loss by 25 to 50 percent.

Tip: Wash full loads of laundry and dishes instead of small loads.
Fact: About 2,700 pounds of carbon per person per year (18 percent of total emissions) come from operating our homes, and most of that is from the energy used to power electrical appliances.

Tip: Where possible, purchase ENERGY STAR model appliances. These appliances range from refrigerators to dehumidifiers.
Fact: Residential appliances, including heating and cooling equipment and water heaters, consume 90 percent of all energy used in the U.S. residential sector. The biggest energy users in your home are major appliances.

Tip: Unplug battery chargers (for example, cell phone chargers) when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use. Chargers waste electricity when they remain plugged in even when not charging electronics.
Fact: Thirty percent of energy consumed in buildings is used unnecessarily or inefficiently.

Tip: Clean or replace air conditioning filters once a month. Dust and dirt causes your unit to have to work harder, resulting in higher electric bills.
Fact: Eighty-two percent of greenhouse gas emissions are from burning fuels to generate electricity and power cars.

Tip: Using cruise control on the highway helps you maintain a constant speed and will save you gas.
Fact: Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and hard breaking) can lower you highway gas mileage by 33 percent and city mileage by 5 percent.

Tip: Be smart about hot water. Set your water heater thermostat to 120 degrees or lower. Fact: Solar water heaters do not pollute. By investing in one, you will be avoiding pollution and wastes created when your utility generates power or you burn fuel to heat your household water.