Cooperative Living January 2014 - 24

IT'S YOUR BUSINESS
Efficiency Keeps
Bills Affordable
by Sara Peterson, South Mississippi Electric Power Association
Ready for even bigger savings? Check
your home's insulation. According to
energystar.gov, the insulation in your
home's attic should cover joists and be
evenly distributed. It is also important to
use insulation with the appropriate
R-value for your region. In Virginia, the
www.insulate.org website recommends
R-49 for ceilings, R-30 for floors,
R-15 for walls and R-13 for
basements. The colder the
climate, the higher the
R-value you need to
maximize savings.
Your electric
A
re you looking for creative ways to
make ends meet in your monthly
budget? Many budget-savvy consumers
exercise ways to stretch every
dollar, from clipping coupons and passing
down clothes to using discount cards
whenever possible.
One potential savings hotspot is your
electric bill. A few home improvements
and simple changes in behavior can add
up to big savings over the long run.
Your local home-improvement store
offers inexpensive products that can make
your residence more efficient. Small foam
insulators installed inside the wall plate on
your outlets cut down chilly winter drafts.
A few tubes of latex or silicone caulk for
your windows help hold warm air in while
keeping cold winds out.
Changes in your daily routine can also
translate into electric bill savings.
Approximately 55 percent of the electricity
used in the average home goes for heating
and cooling. Did you know that the ideal
winter setting for your thermostat is 68
degrees? Rather than turning up the heat
on a cold day, adding a layer of clothing
will keep you comfy while shaving
power costs.
22
cooperative is a
not-for-profit
electric power
provider. That
means our mission
is to provide you
with the electricity you
need to improve your
quality of life - not turn a
profit for a shareholder.
An important part of that mission
entails empowering you to manage your
electricity use. We want you to have more
affordable power bills. It's good for everyone.
One way to do that is by having a home
energy audit, where an energy expert will
assess your home and recommend how to
make it - and your money - work more
efficiently for you. You can contact your
cooperative for more information on
the best way to have a home
energy audit done.
To learn how little
changes can add up
to big savings,
visit sites such as
www.Energy
Savers.gov,
www.Together
WeSave.com or
www.Energize
Efficiently.coop.
You can also ask the
experts at your local
home-improvement store. n
Sources: U.S. Department of Energy
Electric bills rise in the winter for lots of reasons - holiday
parties, house guests, and shorter days and longer nights.
Take little measures to help control costs like turning down
the thermostat, washing clothes in cold water, swapping out
lightbulbs for high-efficiency bulbs, and using microwaves or
toaster ovens to cook. Find more ways to save at
TogetherWeSave.com.
Source: TogetherWeSave.com
Cooperative Living/January 2014

http://www.energystar.gov http://www.insulate.org http://www.Energy http://www.Savers.gov http://www.Together http://www.WeSave.com http://www.Energize http://www.Efficiently.coop http://www.TogetherWeSave.com http://www.TogetherWeSave.com

Cooperative Living January 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Cooperative Living January 2014