Putting a Stake through an Energy Vampire’s Heart
The Alliance to Save Energy has published a free, fun guide to slaying your energy vampires.
Unlike those blood-sucking ghouls from Transylvania, these vampires are found in every home. An energy vampire is any electronic appliance that secretly uses energy–even when it’s not in use. Examples are cell phone chargers, answering machines and video game systems.
This 2-page, colorful report starts with instructions for finding all your home’s energy vampires. Then it gives a detailed check list that includes all types of appliances along with the estimated dollar amount each one costs when plugged in, but turned “off.”
Once you’ve gone through the list, you can calculate your home’s “Energy Vampire Drain,” in dollars. And you can begin to “slay” your energy vampires by remembering to unplug appliances when you’re not using them. You can make things easier by using power strips to completely disconnect a whole set of “vampires” from their power sources.
Visit this link to download the Energy Vampire Hunt.
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Click here for a FREE six-part mini-course on Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
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Longer Nights Call for Energy Efficient Light Bulbs
Energy efficient light bulbs, whether CFLs or LEDs, are a good idea any time of year. But with long winter nights looming, and electricity rates on the rise, it’s time to stop procrastinating.
Before you go to the hardware store, though, take a few minutes to survey the incandescent light bulbs you want to replace. How many bulbs of each wattage will you need? How many on 3-way switches? How many flame-shaped candelabra bulbs? How many decorative globes? How many track lights, spot lights, flood lights? And what kind of base for each (standard size, candelabra, bi-pin)?
Any light fixtures on a dimmer switch? Make sure you buy bulbs clearly labeled “dimmable.” Yes, they are out there, but they cost more than other energy efficient light bulbs, and you might not be satisfied with the results. So buy one and test it out before investing in more.
Any lamps on electronic timers or photosensors? Be sure to read the package carefully. CFLs and LEDs are different animals than incandescent bulbs and most don’t always work well with these kinds of controls.
Also remember that energy efficient light bulbs don’t come in the same wattages as the incandescent bulbs you’re replacing. So, if you want to put an energy saving bulb into a fixture that uses a 60-watt incandescent, you’ll need about a 13-watt to 19-watt CFL or LED. The bulb package will give you an “equivalent” incandescent wattage. Or you can compare the lumens–the light output–to make sure they are about the same.
Yes, you’ll save money on your electric bill by switching to energy efficient light bulbs. But take the time to do it right.
For more help with converting your incandescent bulbs to energy efficient light bulbs, click here for my FREE mini-course, Six Startling Facts You Need to Know Before Changing Another Light Bulb.
Photo Source: lgweb, Stock.xchg