MTEMC: Most members can save money on their bills

Middle Tennessee Electric officials say most cooperative members can save at least 6 percent on their electric bills this summer.

“The average member of MTEMC could save money on their electric bill by taking some quick and easy steps toward energy efficiency,” Chris Jones, MTEMC vice president of marketing and communications, said. “Perhaps because electric costs are so low in Middle Tennessee, many in our area are a bit lax in saving electricity.”

Jones said the first place to look is the biggest energy user in the average home – air conditioning.

“The quickest and easiest way to impact your bill is to adjust your thermostat,” he said. “Each degree you raise or lower the thermostat from 70 degrees means you pay about 3 percent less on your bill. For example, you would save 6 percent by adjusting your thermostat from 68 to 70 this summer, and 12 percent by moving it from 68 to 72.”

Water heating is the second biggest energy user in the home and another place to look for quick savings.

“Make sure your water heater thermostat is set no higher than 140 degrees,” he said. “Then think about how you use hot water. Wash and rinse clothes in cold water when you can. Run the dishwasher only when it is full. Use a low-flow showerhead.”

Jones also encouraged MTEMC members to caulk their homes, replace conventional light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs and to turn off lights and TV sets in unoccupied rooms.


33 ways to lower your electric bill this summer

1. Set the thermostat to the highest comfortable temperature. Moving the thermostat up one degree means about a three-percent reduction in your electric bill.
2. Keep air conditioner filters clean. Aluminum mesh filters may be washed. Fiberglass filters should be replaced.
3. Keep air vents clear of obstructions.
4. Close the drapes on the sunny side of the house during the day.
5. Leave storm windows and doors in place when the air conditioner is on.
6. If you're gone for an extended period, leave your air conditioner off.
7. If you cool with window units, place them on the north side of the house when possible, clear vents of obstructions, shut doors to unused rooms, and close floor or wall registers used for heating.
8. Be sure you have an energy-efficient electric water heater. To check, just read the label or call your local power company.
9. Set the water heater thermostat at 140 degrees if you have an electric dishwasher or 120 degrees if you do not. Always turn off the circuit breaker before you adjust the thermostat on an electric water heater.
10. Insulate the pipes going into and out of the water heater tank. Add an insulated blanket around your water heater if it's an older model.
11. Turn the water heater off when you're gone longer than a weekend.
12. Wash full loads of clothes in the coolest water possible. Rinse clothes in cold water.
13. A low-flow showerhead can reduce water use by 50-70 percent.
14. Run the dishwasher only when it's full.
15. Compact fluorescent lamps can replace bulbs in most table lamps and will save up to 75 percent in lighting energy, produce more light and last up to 10 times longer.
16. For more light, use one large bulb rather than several small ones. A 100-watt bulb produces more light with less energy than two 60-watt bulbs.
17. Tungsten-halogen incandescent bulbs cut lighting costs by 15 percent.
18. Use low-watt bulbs where lighting is not critical.
19. Dimmer switches are actually smarter.
20. Place floor lamps and hanging lamps in corners. The reflection off the walls will give you more light.
21. Turn off all lights, TV's, stereos and radios if no one will be in the room.
22. Keep the temperature between 36 degrees and 40 degrees in the refrigerator and 0 degrees and 5 degrees in the freezer. Use a refrigerator/freezer thermometer to check the settings.
23. Cool foods to room temperature before placing them in the refrigerator unless the recipe specifies otherwise.
24. Place the refrigerator away from the stove, dishwasher, heat vents and direct sunlight. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on the amount of air space needed around the refrigerator.
25. Keep the freezer full. The fuller the freezer, the less cold air you lose when opening the door.
26. Defrost manual-defrost refrigerators or freezers when the frost becomes 1/4" thick.
27. Plan meals so several things can cook at the same time in the oven. Avoid opening the door until the food is done, unless the suspense is too much for you.
28. While the microwave is great for re-heating leftovers, takeout foods or cooking a single dish, a conventional oven may be more economical if you're cooking several items.
29. Baking or microwaving defrosted food uses one-third less energy than starting with frozen food.
30. If you're going to clean your oven, use the self-cleaning cycle right after you finish baking. That will give the self-cleaning cycle a head start in heating the oven.
31. Besides cleaning your lint filter after every load, make sure you dry full loads of clothes without overloading.
32. Stop the dryer as soon as clothes are dry, or use the moisture sensor control to automatically shut off the dryer. Overdrying wastes energy and sets in wrinkles.
33. Dry loads one right after another. You'll use less energy because the dryer is already heated.

Posted on June 17, 2005.