Energy Management Plans

Learn how you and your family can work together to lower your energy bills, and help protect the enviroment. The following Energy Tips have been broken down into 3 steps; No Cost Options, Low Cost Options and Investment Earning Options. The following tips will serve as a platform for you and your family to develop and implement an Energy Management Plan for the household.

As part of your Energy Management Plan, make a point to monitor your monthly energy savings. Perhaps your kids can be involved in comparing the savings with the energy conservation efforts everyone is incorporating. The with the money saved, the family could celebrate by going for ice cream or a movie. It's a great way to get everyone on board!

Step 1

No Cost Energy Tips - The first step in taking control of your energy costs is to incorporate these No Cost Energy Tips into your family's daily routine.

• Air dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher.

• Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.

• Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120°F.

• Take short showers instead of baths.

• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.

• Look for the Energy Star label on home appliances and products. Energy Star products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Enviromental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

• Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TV's and DVDs in standby mode still use several watts of power).

• Set your thermostat comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer.

• When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed. A chimney is designed specifically for smoke to escape, so until you close it, warm air escapes -- 24 hours a day!

• Check your ducts for air leaks. First, look for sections that should be joined but have seperated and then look for obvious holes.

• Consider using an interior fan in conjunction with your window air conditioner to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use.

• Don't place lamps or TV sets near your air-conditioning thermostat. The thermostat senses heat from these appliances, which can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.

• Keep windows on the south side of your house clean to let in the winter sun.

• Be sure your dishwasher is full, but not overloaded, when you run it.

• Don't use the "rinse hold" on your dish washer for just a few soiled dishes. It uses 3 to 7 gallons of hot water each time you use it.

• Don't keep your refridgerator or freezer too cold. Recommended temperatures are 37° to 40°F for the fresh food compartment of the refridgerator and 5°F for the freezer section. If you have a seperate freezer for long-term storage, it should be kept at 0°F.

• Regularly defrost manual-defrost refridgerators and freezers; frost buildup decreases the energy efficiency of the unit. Don't allow frost to build up more than one quarter of an inch.

• Dry towels and heavier cottons in a seperate load from lighter-weight clothes.

• Schedule a Free Energy Survey with Florida Public Utilities' Conservation Representative.

Step 2

• Low Cost Energy Tips - Once you have successfully incorporated the No Cost Energy Tips into your daily routine, you are ready to for the next step. The following Low Cost Tips can have a dramatic impact in how you and your family consume energy.

• Install a programmable thermostat that is compatible with your heating and cooling system and utilize the set back feature to maximize energy efficiency when no one is home.

• Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows that leak air.

• Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, duct work or electrical wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors, ceilings and soffits over cabinets.

• Install rubber gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on exterior walls.

• Look for dirty spots in your insulation, which often indicate holes where air leaks into and out of your house. You can seal the holes by stapling sheets of plastic over the holes and caulking the edges of the plastic.

• Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month or as needed.

• If you use tape to seal your ducts, avoid cloth-backed, rubber adhesive duct tape, which tends to fail quickly. Researchers recommend other products to seal ducts: mastic, butyl tape, foil tape or other heat approved tapes. Look for tape with the Underwriters Laboratories’ logo.

• Plant trees or shrubs to shade air conditioning units, but not to block the airflow. Place your room air conditioner on the north side of the house. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.

• Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads.

• Insulate your electric hot-water storage tank, but be careful not to cover the thermostat. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations.

• Insulate the first 6 feet of the hot and cold water pipes connected to the water heater.

• Consider installing timers, photo cells or occupancy sensors to reduce the amount of time your lights are on.

• Use Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) in all the portable table and floor lamps in your home.

• Take advantage of daylight by using light-colored, loose-weave curtains on your windows to allow daylight to penetrate the room while preserving privacy. Also, decorate with lighter colors that reflect daylight.

• Use outdoor lights with a photocell unit or a motion sensor so they will turn on only at night or when someone is present. A combined photocell and motion sensor will increase your energy savings even more.

• Wash your clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents whenever possible.

Step 3

• Investment Earning Energy Tips - Once you have successfully incorporated the No Cost Energy Tips in your daily routine, and have implemented the Low Cost Energy Tips, the next step is to consider energy efficiency when making major purchases. Consider the following Investment Energy Tips when purchasing major appliances or remodeling.

• Look for the ENERGY STAR® label on home appliances and products. ENERGY STAR products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.

• Increase the level of insulation in your home. The U.S. Department of Energy Recommends Florida residents to insulate attics with R-38 and walls with R-13.

• Consider natural gas or propane on-demand or tankless water heaters. Researchers have found savings can be up to 30% compared with a standard-storage-tank water heater.

• When shopping for a new clothes dryer, look for one with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts off the machine when your clothes are dry.

• When you’re shopping for new windows, look for the National Fenestration Rating Council’s label; it means the window’s performance is certified. Select windows with air leakage ratings of 0.3 cubic feet per minute or less.

• An ENERGY STAR computer uses 70% less electricity than computers without this designation. If left inactive, ENERGY STAR computers enter a low-power mode and use 15 watts or less.