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New Energy Services fact sheets give gift of energy savings

The Holiday Lighting fact sheet is one of six new Energy Services publications that can help consumers save money all year ‘round.

As heating bills go up and everyone scrambles for extra holiday spending money, Western’s Energy Services has placed a package of new and updated fact sheets online, where they can help utilities and their customers save energy. Energy Services fact sheets are designed for our customers to use in residential outreach programs.

Deck the halls with efficient lights
In keeping with the season, the Holiday Lights fact sheet offers businesses and homeowners tips for safer, more efficient holiday decorating.

Light Emitting Diode holiday lights put a mature technology to festive use. Made of nearly indestructible epoxy, the cool-temperature bulbs use 10 times less energy than mini-bulbs and 100 times less than standard incandescent C-7 lights. If a bulb burns out, the other bulbs stay lit—great news to anyone who has thrown away a string of lights rather than hunt for the burned-out bulb.

The artificial Christmas tree gets a high-tech makeover with fiber optics. Only recently available to consumers, the trees transmit the light of a single five- to 50-watt incandescent bulb through hundreds of very small fibers along each tree branch. The result is a tree that radiates cool light. Add a rotating color wheel to change the color of the light emitted from the fibers.

The fact sheet compares lighting costs for standard C-7, LED and mini lights, and lists retail outlets that may stock energy efficient decorations.

There’s no place like a comfortable home
A cozy, well-sealed house is the best defense against Old Man Winter and high utility bills, but a tight building envelope can adversely affect indoor air quality. Learn how proper ventilation and limiting household pollutants can ensure a healthy indoor environment from “Energy efficiency and indoor air quality.” Diagrams explain how different ventilation systems work, and Web links offer further resources to make sure that only the smell of holiday baking is filling the air.

Winter can be a good time to get a bargain on a new air conditioning system, so “Energy efficient home cooling” might be just what your residential customers wanted. Recommendations range from natural cooling strategies and proper sizing for room units to different types of central systems and tips for maximizing their efficiency.

Efficient appliances put money in consumers’ pockets
Since water heating accounts for about 18 percent of home energy bills, an efficient water heater could make a great family gift. “Water heating: Purchasing a new electric water heater” is full of good advice for people in the market for a new unit. In addition to general hot water conservation tips, the fact sheet lists different types of heaters along with their advantages and drawbacks. There is also information about how off-peak or time-of-use rates can save consumers money.

Household appliances that save money year after year are gifts that keep on giving, not only to the owners but to the environment, too, because they emit less pollution. “How to buy energy efficient appliances” tells consumers what to look for when shopping for refrigerators, freezers, clothes washers, dishwashers and dryers. Labels identify energy efficient models, and shopping strategies help consumers select the model that best suits their needs.

For people who have everything but their own power supply, “Fuel cells promise clean, distributed generation.” Ok, maybe not this year. But with potential applications from powerplants to transportation to portable power sources for laptop computers and cell phones, fuel cells could wind up on your gift list sooner than you think. Download this fact sheet to learn more about the technology that may well be powering future Christmases.

Every season has its opportunities for energy savings. If there are any fact sheets on your wish list, you can submit topics online. Western’s Energy Services wishes all our customers and their customers happy holidays, and to all, reliable energy solutions.