Monthly Energy Wise Tips

Monthly Energy Wise Tips is a page dedicated to bringing you a new energy tip each month of the year. The tips are designed to save you energy and money.

February 2010 EnergyWiseSM Tip: “Install a Programmable Thermostat”

Perennial Power is providing monthly “EnergyWise” tips to help electric consumers use energy efficiently and, in the long run, conserve natural resources and save money.
February’s EnergyWiseSM tip is one of the easiest ways to save energy — install a programmable thermostat. Standard thermostats only save energy if the occupant remembers to turn them up or down, depending upon the season and his or her life-style. However, a programmable thermostat does the thinking for you — adjusting your home or apartment’s heating and cooling system to maximize comfort and efficiency, while saving money when possible.
With a programmable thermostat, the occupant programs the unit to control the temperature at various levels throughout the day. During the winter, for example, it is prudent to set back the temperature five to 10 degrees when your home is unoccupied and while you are sleeping. Heat pumps utilize programmable thermostats with a special feature in them that allows the heat pump to gradually bring the home back to occupied setting to optimize your energy savings!
Likewise, during the summer, the thermostat’s temperature should be set five to 10 degrees higher during unoccupied and sleeping hours. This efficient operation of your home’s heating and cooling system helps save energy and money, since the heating or cooling system runs less than if it were set at an unchanging temperature 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
A programmable thermostat costs between $150 and $200, but has the potential to save about the same amount each year for the life of your heating/cooling equipment. The savings can really add up! Get the most value for your money, each and every day.

For more information on steps homeowners can take to improve the energy efficiency of their homes, call us at (402) 362-3355 or visit the ENERGY STAR® Home Advisor
Beginning September 1, 2009, Perennial is offering rebates for attic insulation. Call us for details.

Perennial wants you to get the most value for your money, each and every time you turn on a switch. It costs far less to save a kilowatt-hour than it does to build a new power plant to generate one.

For more information, contact Perennial at (402) 362-3355.

For more information on steps homeowners can take to improve the efficiency of their homes, contact Perennial PPD, or visit the ENERGY STAR® Home Advisor www.energystar.gov/homeadvisor.