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Half of the electricity used in the USA comes from coal. Coal comes from our mountains. Part of doing our share is
using less electicity. You can do it without altering your lifestyle, all while saving money too. Here is a little help.
 ENERGY STAR (EnergyStar.Gov) is a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy helping us all save money and protect the environment through energy efficient products and practices.
Results are already adding up. Americans, with the help of ENERGY STAR, saved enough energy in 2005 alone to avoid
greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from 23 million cars - all while saving $12 billion on their utility bills.
For the Home
Energy efficient choices can save families about a third on their energy bill with similar savings of greenhouse gas
emissions, without sacrificing features, style or comfort. ENERGY STAR helps you make the energy efficient choice.
Plus, the IRS offers tax credits to people who improve the energy efficiency of their homes.
Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs
If every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL),
it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road.
CFLs provide high-quality light, smart technology, and design, requiring less energy while lasting longer than typical
incandescent bulbs.
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Earning the ENERGY STAR
ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs use 66% less energy than a standard incandescent bulb and last up to 10 times longer.
Replacing a 100-watt incandescent with a 32-watt CFL can save you at least $30 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs operate at less than 100F, they are also safer than typical halogen bulbs,
which are frequently used in floor lamps or torchieres
and burn at 1,000F. Due to their high heat output, halogens can cause burns and fires. CFLs are cool to the touch.
Remember, saving energy prevents pollution.
ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs provide the same amount of light (lumens) as standard incandescent bulbs,
but have lower wattage ratings. This means they use less energy and cause less pollution.
If you are unfamiliar with the best CFL wattage to use for your lighting needs, always refer to the lumen,
or light output on the product packaging as your guide. For example, most 60-watt incandescents provide around 800 lumens,
so look for ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs that provide 800 lumens or more.
Turn off that monitor!
ENERGY STAR Power Management features - standard in Windows and Macintosh operating systems -
place inactive monitors and computers (CPU, hard drive, etc.) into a low-power sleep mode.
A simple touch of the mouse or keyboard "wakes" the computer and monitor in seconds.
Monitor power management (MPM) can save $10 to $30 per monitor annually.
Or 500 KWH.
In Windows XP: Start - Control Panel - Power Options. In the Power Schemes tab set "Turn off monitor"
to After 10 mins.
On Win 98 it is Start - Settings - Control Panel ..
Mac Settings (external link)
Use a thermos bottle.
Pouring your coffee into a thermos and turning off the coffee maker can save you around $300 per year.
A typical coffee maker uses 1,000 watts while on and will use 5,000 kwh per year if left on 14 hours a day.
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