Energy savings tips for your home.
Some retailers are selling this two-pack of Philips LED household light bulbs for about $5, or $2.50 a bulb. They use only 8.5 watts, about as much as "night lights" used in the past. The downside? They are not dimmable and last only 10 years. CLEVELAND, Ohio -- On Monday, FirstEnergy's standard rates are increasing and average consumer bills are expected to increase a few dollars to $120 a month for homes using 800 kilowatt-hours a month in Greater Cleveland.
State regulators approved the latest increase Thursday. And that's just the beginning of ever-increasing monthly bills.
What to do? Use less electricity.
Here are some money-saving strategies worth considering from the Public Utilities Commission of Ohio, the Northeast Ohio Public Energy Council, or NOPEC, the U.S. Department of Energy and even from FirstEnergy itself:
- During the day, block the heat from the sun by closing windows, doors and curtains.
- If you use a window air conditioner, make sure it fits correctly into the window to reduce the amount of cool air lost.
- Consider using a window fan, which requires as little as 1/10 the amount of energy needed to run an air conditioner.
- Install a whole-house ventilating fan in your attic or in an upstairs window to help pull air through into to your home through other windows and circulate it throughout the house. Although not a replacement for a central air conditioning system, a fan is an effective way to stay comfortable on milder days and will bring in cooler air overnight.
- Use vents and exhaust fans to pull heat and moisture from the attic, kitchen, bath and laundry directly to the outside, if you don't have air conditioning.
- If you have whole-house air conditioning, turn UP the thermostat, especially when not at home. Raising the temperature by 5 degrees for eight hours can reduce your cooling costs by 3-5 percent.
- Consider buying a "smart" thermostat, one that "knows" when you are home and will adjust the cooling and heating accordingly.
- Replace all those old-fashioned 60 watt light bulbs with much more efficient 13 watt CFL (compact fluorescent) bulbs or 8.5 watt electronic LED bulbs. These bulbs use about 75 percent to 85 percent less electricity and run much cooler -- and longer.
- Buy only light bulbs certified as meeting federal Energy Star standards.
- If you are not in the room, turn off the lights. Or install switches with motion detectors to turn them off automatically.
- When buying new home appliances, look for those that are ENERGY STAR approved. These appliances meet more stringent energy efficiency standards.
- Avoid creating unnecessary heat and humidity in the house during summer days. Run the dishwasher and washing machine before noon or after 8 p.m, or run them overnight. Try to limit cooking to the same hours, or use a microwave instead of the range.
- Consider a home energy audit. FirstEnergy companies no longer offer them (though they continue at FirstEnergy companies in other states). But Dominion East Ohio Gas and Columbia Gas of Ohio continue to offer energy audits, which are heavily subsidized and cost consumers just $50.
To learn about Dominion's audit, click here or call toll-free 877-287-3416.
To learn about Columbia's audit, click here, or call toll-free 877-644-6674.
For more detailed information about home energy efficiency from the U.S. Department of Energy, click here.
For NOPEC's energy saving guide, click here.
For the PUCO's complete energy saving tips, click here.
Click here to read an Edison Electric Institute brochure on saving electricity that could still be found on FirstEnergy's website on Wednesday.