Energy Awareness Month
October 2009

October is National Energy Awareness Month — Help Texas Be Part of the Solution!
This year's Energy Awareness Month theme, A Sustainable Energy Future; Putting All the Pieces Together, encourages everyone to see how they fit into the big picture.

In honor of National Energy Awareness Month, TexasIsHot challenges all Texans to think of ways to take control of their electricity use. The following is a simple checklist of energy conservation/efficiency measures to use at home. Click here for more tips. Also make sure to check out the TexasIsHot consumption calculators to see the financial impact of energy use changes.

Today

• Survey your incandescent lights for opportunities to replace them with compact fluorescents (CFLs) or light-emitting diodes (LEDs). CFLs can save three-quarters of the electricity used by incandescents. The best targets are 60-100 W bulbs used several hours a day.
• Turn off the lights in unoccupied rooms or consider installing timers, photo cells, or occupancy sensors to reduce the amount of time your lights are on.
• Install a programmable thermostat that can be adjusted according to your schedule.
  
• Review strategies to reduce your water heating bills. Water heating can account for 14%-25% of the energy consumed in your home.

This Week

• Visit the hardware store. Buy a water-heater blanket, low-flow showerheads, faucet aerators, and compact fluorescents, as needed.
• Rope caulk leaky windows.
• Assess your heating and cooling systems. Determine if replacements are justified, or whether you should retrofit them to make them work more efficiently to provide the same comfort (or better) for less energy.
  

This Month

• Collect your utility bills. Separate electricity and fuel bills. Target the largest energy consumer or the largest bill for energy conservation measures.
• Insulate heating ducts in unheated areas, such as attics and crawlspaces. Keeping ducts in good repair can prevent heat loss of up to 60 percent at the registers.
• Seal up the largest air leaks in your house—the ones that whistle on windy days, or feel drafty.
• Schedule an energy audit (ask your utility company or state energy office) for more expert advice on your home as a whole.
  

This Year

• Insulate. If your walls aren't insulated have an insulation contractor blow cellulose into the walls.
• Bring your attic insulation level up to snuff.
• Replace aging, inefficient appliances. Even if the appliance has a few useful years left, replacing it with a top-efficiency model is generally a good investment. Especially check the age and condition of your refrigerator.

These tips were taken from the Department of Energy and the ACEEE Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings. Click here for more tips.

More Resources:

Department of Energy — Energy Awareness Month Page

Edison Electric Institute — More than 100 Ways to Improve Your Electric Bill

September 2009 ACEEE Study: Saving Energy Cost-Effectively: A National Review of the Cost of Energy Saved Through Utility-Sector Energy Efficiency Programs