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Print the full guide (100k pdf file) California's electricity shortage will become acute this summer. Prices for electricity are expected to rise significantly. Dirty and inefficient old power plants will be allowed to operate more hours, fouling our air and wasting natural gas. Backup generators — small diesel and gas-fired machines, many with few pollution controls — will run during power emergencies, contributing to our air pollution problems, especially in low-income and working class neighborhoods. But we can take some control over the situation and our energy costs by being more efficient in the way we use electricity. As a result, we will have cleaner air, save money and protect the environment. Energy efficiency is the cheapest, fastest, safest and cleanest answer to our electricity shortage. We don’t have to be held hostage by power generators. Every kilowatt of electricity we save displaces one we would otherwise have to buy or produce. Energy efficiency is thus a form of electricity supply. More efficiency means fewer backup plants, fewer operating hours for older and dirtier power plants, and increased financial savings. While we will need some new plants, we may not need as many if we play our cards right. Energy efficiency is no mystery. It is simple and works extremely well. It is far cheaper and more environmentally friendly to save a power plant’s worth of energy than it is to build a new power plant. There is a substantial amount of electricity wasted in California homes each day. Simple steps can prevent much of this waste and protect us from shortages. This guide can help you and your family save energy and money without discomfort or sacrifice. If you adopt the steps described below you may even be able to qualify for a cash bonus from the state for your efforts! Those consumers (served by California private utilities) who reduce their electricity consumption by 20 percent over the summer will qualify for a 20 percent rebate on their electricity bills under Governor Davis' "20-20" program. Even if you don’t qualify for the program, you can feel satisfied that your efforts will make the state’s air cleaner this summer, helping fellow Californians who suffer from pollution-related illnesses, and showing the rest of the country there is a better way to meet energy needs. Technical fixes and intelligent living equal lower utility bills and a cleaner environment. So, how do we go about reducing our energy usage? There are two categories of things we can do. First there are "technical fixes" we can employ to use less energy without having to do anything in our lives differently. These are things like replacing incandescent light bulbs (which waste much of their energy as heat) with bright-shining compact fluorescent light bulbs, or replacing old appliances with newer, highly efficient models. New models of refrigerators can be more than five times more energy efficient than older models. New air conditioners are similarly far more efficient than older ones. New dishwashers, clothes washers and dryers are more efficient then older models. New government standards have upgraded the efficiency of appliances and they are getting better all the time. While it is expensive to replace many of these items, utility companies and the state have rebate programs to assist people who either need to replace an appliance or would like to make a change. For people on fixed or low incomes there are both state and federal assistance programs. For more information or to find out if you qualify, contact one of the agencies listed in the Resource Guide. The second category of ways to increase energy efficiency includes common-sense things we can do as part of our daily lives. While not every action may be practical for you or your family, most can be done by any-one. Getting started: The first step is to walk through your house and property and take stock of how energy is being used by your family. Ask yourself: do we need to use that fixture/appliance/light? Is there a way we can use it more efficiently if we do need it? If you feel you would like to consult with efficiency experts, utility companies offer free or low-cost services through which “energy auditors” can visit your home and make suggestions about what could be done to make your home more efficient. If you have a computer, there are also some Web-based tools (See the Resource Guide) you can use to analyze which energy-saving measures will work for you. Residential air conditioning constitutes 14 percent of all electricity use in nearly half of households at the hottest times of the year. Using less electricity to cool your house is the best thing you can do to reduce your electric bill this summer. Do you run your air conditioner at night? Can you open windows instead? Opening windows costs nothing but saves enormous amounts of energy over running an air conditioner. Closing windows in the daytime can help keep your home cooler in the evenings. Are you cooling rooms you rarely use? Do you really need an air conditioner in less-used spaces in your home? Use a fan as your first line of defense against summer heat, and turn on air conditioning only in rooms that are occupied and noticeably uncomfortable. Is your thermostat set too low? Setting your thermostat five degrees higher (or to a setting of 78-80 degrees) will save a significant amount of electricity. You may not even notice the change in terms of your comfort, but you are likely to in terms of your cooling bills. Is your air conditioner more than 10 years old? Is it working properly? Do you have to run it longer than you should to cool your home? If you have an older model air conditioner that seems to work too hard to do too little, consider replacing it with a newer, energy-efficient model. Utility and government programs can provide both rebates and, for low-income qualifying families, grants for new equipment, such as swamp coolers and air conditioners. Many vendors will pick up and recycle your older air conditioners free of charge. Check filters every month and replace if dirty. Filters are inexpensive to replace, and clean or new filters allow the unit to cool more quickly and use less energy. If your air conditioner is not in need of replacement, getting it serviced could dramatically boost its efficiency, saving you money on your utility bills. The cost of servicing your air conditioner could likely be recovered from lower cooling bills in a single season of use. If you have a central air conditioning system, when was the last time you had it checked and tuned up? Have a qualified repair facility inspect central air systems, recommend action and give the unit a tune-up if needed. It will last longer, run better, cool more easily and save more energy. Also check for and repair leaks in the duct systems. You could be cooling crawl spaces or attics no one uses. These leaks are wasting precious energy and costing you money. Repairs are generally simple and not too expensive. They should pay for themselves in energy savings fairly quickly. Whole house fans can also replace air conditioners in many homes, fully exchanging warm air in a home with cooler air from the outside in the evening. Because they only need to run for short periods to cool your home, they are very energy efficient. If you have a whole house fan and aren’t using it, try shutting off your air conditioner and running the fan in the early evening instead. Can you create shade near your home’s windows? Creating shade for your home is another simple low-cost or even free way to cut summer cooling bills. Closing drapes to keep out direct sunlight doesn’t cost a dime and will make it easier for cooling equipment to do its job, running fewer minutes and saving energy. Is your home properly ventilated? In addition to creating stuffy rooms, poor ventilation can lead to other serious problems, including improper release of water vapor leading to mold and pathogen build-ups. Attic ventilation is one solution: Hot air that builds up in attics is allowed to escape, making it easier to cool your home. While not free, increasing attic ventilation is generally inexpensive. Do you live in an older dwelling that may not be adequately insulated? You may want to consider adding insulation to ceiling and walls. Though this can be on the more expensive side, there are utility and government programs that can help defray this cost. The less cool air (or warm air in winter) you lose to the outside, the more energy you save in keeping your living space comfortable. Do you have some ill-fitting and leaky old windows? Consider replacing older windows with modern energy efficient glazing. As with insulation, this can be pricey, but there utility and governmental programs that can keep costs within reason. Low-income families may qualify for free assistance for window repairs under the same programs mentioned above. See the Resource Guide. After air conditioning, refrigerators are the next largest user of electricity in California households. Inefficient refrigerators inside an air conditioned home waste energy and also make your air conditioner work even harder. Spare refrigerators and freezers located in warm garages waste enormous amounts of electricity. To reduce the energy used to chill and store food: Keep spare refrigerators and freezers plugged in only if absolutely necessary. Consider permanently retiring these appliances, but at a minimum, remove all contents and unplug underutilized units. Does your refrigerator seem to turn on too often? Do you hear it running long after it has been closed? Perhaps some simple repairs are in order. Clean the coils in back of the refrigerator or freezer and check that the door seals are clean and tight (they should hold a slip of paper snuggly). Make sure air can circulate freely over coils. If you hear your refrigerator or freezer motor running a lot, call in a service person to check the seals and the refrigerant. An old refrigerator can be the biggest energy hog in the whole house. (One of the authors of this guide recently found that when he had his 10-year-old fridge’s coolant refilled he saved 20 percent of his household energy from that alone — enough to qualify for California’s "20-20" rebate program. The fridge’s temperature got down into the "cold enough" region for the first time in years). Maintenance work on older units has a big payoff in energy efficiency. Put some water or milk bottles in your fridge, and keep a lot of ice in your freezer. A well-loaded fridge and freezer will stay cold for many hours if the power goes out. Perhaps the biggest change you could make with regard to refrigeration is to replace older units with new, high efficiency units. Check the ratings for refrigerators if you are buying a new one. Select the highest possible energy rating you can. Remember, energy savings over the life of a refrigerator will make up any difference in price that might exist. In addition, rebates exist for purchases of high efficiency units. If you replace an old refrigerator, do not move the old one to the garage or basement and keep it in service! This obviously defeats the purpose of replacing it in the first place and will substantially increase utility bills. There are recycling programs run by the utility companies to safely recycle refrigerators and their ozone-depleting refrigerants. Controlling our lighting needs is one of the cheapest and easiest things we can do to reduce energy consumption. Simply switching a compact fluorescent bulb with a wasteful incandescent one will save up to 75 percent of the electricity previously used by the fixture! Though compact fluorescent bulbs cost more at first, they last years longer than incandescent bulbs and save so much energy they quickly pay for themselves. Utilities have rebate programs for compact fluorescent bulbs that make them even more affordable. Do you have a lamp you use frequently or leave on for long periods of time? These lamps are good candidates for replacement with compact fluorescent bulbs. Always replace the most-used lamps first. Do you or your children leave lights on when you are not present in a room or the garage? Simply shutting off lights you may sometimes forget about can make a big difference in your consumption. Can you use natural light instead of turning on an electric lamp or fixture? If you are at home during the day you may not need to use lights. Just be sure to close the blinds or curtains when you’re done so you can keep your home cool. Do you have security lights that remain on for long periods of time? There may be compact fluorescent replacements for certain types of outdoor flood lights, and by connecting the lights to a motion detection switch instead of leaving them on constantly, you can save significant amounts of electricity. This is an inexpensive measure that should pay for itself within the first month you install it. COOLING CHECKLIST
REFRIGERATION CHECKLIST
LIGHTING CHECKLIST
MISCELLANEOUS CHECKLIST Water Heating
Clothes Drying
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Computers and Peripherals
Resources: Great Web Sites
This site is perhaps the best place to start. From here you can get tips; plug in a zip code and get a list of measures to install that would be typical for a home in your area; link to utility and government programs and Web sites; and learn about financing options.
This site contains links directly to utility pages, provides tips and has a searchable database that lets you see exactly what rebates are offered by which utilities in California. You simply select your utility and the measure you are interested in and up pops your answer. This tool can be found at: www.consumerenergycenter.org/rebate/. This database contains even the smallest municipal programs in the state, and is updated constantly. You can also link to it at www.flexyourpower.ca.gov. Major utility rebate programs Many companies offer rebates for refrigerators, air conditioners, clothes and dishwashers, evaporative coolers, water heaters, thermostats, fans, insulation, compact fluorescent lamps, bulbs and fixtures and more. Refrigerator recycling may also be available. Check sites below for details on what individual utilities offer.
Low-Income Energy Service Providers California Department of Community Services and Development, (916) 322-2940; www.csd.ca.gov The California Department of Community Services and Development coordinates state and federally funded energy efficiency programs for low to moderate income California families. They can provide information about programs or agencies that furnish free or low-cost energy services such as weatherization, appliance programs, emergency utility payments, and energy education. Low-income energy providers by County Alameda – City of Berkeley, (510) 644-8544 A Family Guide to Saving Energy and Money was written by Paul Craig, PhD., Rich Ferguson, PhD. and Carl Zichella, Sierra Club field director for California/Nevada/Hawaii. Thanks to Lawrence Berkeley Labs for their incredible Web site and generosity. Their advice made this guide much more useful. This guide has been funded by a grant from The Sierra Club Foundation. Up to Top HOME | Email Signup | About Us | Contact Us | Terms of Use | © 2008 Sierra Club |
