July / Aug. / Sept. 2009 - Nebraska Public Power District

More documents

Recommendations

Info

14 ENERGY INSIGHT • JULY / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER <strong>2009</strong> Weatherize your home and use less energy. Properly sealing and insulating your home is one of the most cost‑effective ways to become more energy efficient. According to ENERGY STAR®, a nationwide energy efficiency program sponsored jointly by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, homeowners can realize a potential savings of up to 20 percent on heating and cooling costs (or up to 10 percent on their total annual energy bill) by improving the sealing and insulation of a home. First, help make your house weather tight. Many air leaks and drafts in the home are easy to find because they are easy to feel – like those around windows and doors. Other leaks may take some hunting to find – like holes hidden in attics, basements and crawl spaces. Sealing any of these leaks with caulk, spray foam or weather stripping will have a great impact on improving your comfort and reducing utility bills. Second, after any home sealing project, have a heating and cooling technician check to make sure your combustion appliances (gas- or oil-fired furnace, water heater and clothes dryer) are venting properly. Third, here’s a good EnergyWise SM rule of thumb: Don’t scrimp on the insulation! Insulation helps keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer. There are several common types of insulation – fiberglass (in both batt and blown forms), cellulose, rigid foam board and spray foam. When correctly installed with air sealing, each type of insulation can deliver comfort and lower energy bills throughout the majority of the year. To get the biggest savings, the easiest place to add insulation is usually the attic. A quick way to see if you need more insulation is to look across your uncovered attic floor. If your insulation is level with or below the attic floor joists, you probably need to add more insulation. For more information on steps homeowners can take to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, contact your local electric public power utility or visit the ENERGY STAR® Home Advisor at http://www.energystar.gov/ homeadvisor. Lots of useful energy efficiency information is also available at http://www.nppd.com.
Three letters... CFL ...lead to energy efficiency. Relatively new technology, the compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL) is an energyefficient emitter of light that performs adequately in many, but not all, situations where a standard incandescent light bulb has been used in the past. The CFL has many benefits when compared to its elder cousin. Chief among those, a CFL can last up to 10 times longer than a standard light bulb and uses about 75 percent less energy while producing a comparable amount of illumination. Here are some facts about CFLs: • CFLs are safe to use and are energy efficient. It’s true, each bulb contains about 5 milligrams of mercury, but this does not pose a health risk when the bulbs are properly used, handled, and disposed of. • If a CFL breaks, it is safe for you to clean the broken ENERGY INSIGHT • JULY / AUGUST / SEPTEMBER <strong>2009</strong> 15 bulb yourself by following some general safety practices. For more information visit www.epa.gov • When buying a CFL, select one with an ENERGY STAR® on the label. This indicates the bulb has met strict federal specifications for quality, energy savings, long life, color and brightness. • CFLs come in all shapes and sizes making it possible for you to replace nearly every conventional light bulb in your home. When shopping for a CFL, check the wattage equivalency numbers on the package. • A typical 20-watt CFL costs around $3 when purchased as a single bulb and about $2 per bulb or less when purchased in multi‑packs. The CFL bulb will often pay for itself in energy savings and low electric bills in less than eight months, depending upon your local electric rate and hours of use. And the energy/cost savings don’t end then; a CFL will save you money throughout its long life.
Page 1 and 2: Current news about Nebraska Public
Page 3 and 4: SAFETY TIPS for a... Halloween is a
Page 5 and 6: average price for the same time per
Page 7 and 8: In total, these projects carry an e
Page 9 and 10: time‑of‑use rates, load control
Page 11 and 12: How is the pilot program structured
Page 13: Q: Which entity does NPPD report to
Page 17 and 18: Norfolk Operations Center construct
Page 19 and 20: Students from St. Isidore’s Eleme
Page 21 and 22: R E T I R E E N E W S Bill McBride
Page 23 and 24: of events N O V E M B E R 11 Vetera

July / Aug. / Sept. 2009 - Nebraska Public Power District

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?