Energy-Saving Tips from the ENERGY STAR Change a Light Campaign

It’s ENERGY STAR Change a Light Day! Time to renew your pledge and encourage a friend to join you in your commitment to replace at least one incandescent light at home with an ENERGY STAR qualified option. Visit www.energystar.gov/changealight to see what more you can do to join in the fight against global warming.

Tips for choosing energy-efficient lighting for your home:

• First, look for the government's blue ENERGY STAR label.
If you're replacing a bulb that's operating on a dimmer or 3-way switch, then look for a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) made for this use – otherwise, the CFL will not perform as well nor last as long as it should.

• If you’re replacing a bulb in a recessed fixture in your ceiling (also called recessed can), select an ENERGY STAR reflector CFL for this purpose. Note that reflector CFLs may take longer to warm up than a regular CFL, but they will offer bright light and perform better in your recessed fixture.

• Choose a bulb that offers the same lumen rating (amount of light) as the light you are replacing.

• Select the color that works best for you. Warmer colors (2700 to 3000 Kelvin) are appropriate for most rooms, but a cooler color (3500 to 6500 Kelvin) may be preferable for task lighting. Cooler color tones are generally referred to as bright white, natural or daylight.

• Replace bulbs where lights are typically left on the longest for maximum energy savings.

• Remember to dispose of your CFL responsibly when it burns out, so the small amount of mercury in it may be reclaimed.

Here are a few easy steps you can take to stay warm and keep your energy bills low:

• Get a tune-up! Just as you do with your car to improve gas mileage and overall performance, a yearly tune-up of your heating and cooling equipment can improve its efficiency and performance – and offer you more mileage from your system. Now is the time to call a licensed HVAC professional for their annual visit to inspect and tune up your furnace.

• Change your filters. Replace or clean the air filter on your home heating system every single month to keep your system running efficiently and avoid wasting energy. Dirt and neglect are the No.1 cause of premature failure of heating and cooling equipment.

• Let the fresh air in. Take advantage of extended periods of time during the fall when it’s not too hot or cold outside by giving your heating or cooling system a break and opening up the windows for a little fresh air. Heating and cooling your home amounts to about half of the average home’s annual energy costs!

More tips from EPA to save energy and help reduce carbon footprints:

• Sleep is good! Check the sleep or power management settings on your computer and monitor to ensure they go to sleep when you’re not using your computer for more than 15 minutes. Learn more from www.energystar.gov/powermanagement.

• Unplug it! Make an effort to unplug battery chargers when not in use, turn home office equipment off from a power strip, and turn lights and ceiling fans off when no one is in the room. Many products use energy even when turned off if they are still plugged in. Small trickles of energy use in your home can drain your wallet, and waste our natural resources.

More than 900,000 people have pledged to change more than 2 million lights. This will prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions from more than 75,000 cars.

Posted by dreynold at October 3, 2007 03:32 PM | TrackBack