This document provides tips for saving electricity and money by reducing energy consumption at home. It notes that over 70% of Alabama's power comes from coal-fired plants, a significant polluter. It debunks common myths about electricity usage and offers minimal and more involved efforts people can take, such as using air conditioning less, switching to CFL bulbs, installing a programmable thermostat, and taking shorter showers. Collectively, small reductions in electricity usage can significantly reduce costs, carbon emissions, and other pollutants from power generation.

1. Saving Electricity
(and money too)

2. How it works
• Alabama’s power is generated with just
under 70% coal fired plants (significant
polluter)
• That power then reaches your home,
goes through a meter, and is consumed
by the devices in your home
• The less power going into your home, the
lower the reading on the meter and the
smaller the bill each month

3. Common Myths
• It takes more energy to turn a light off and
then on rather than just leaving it burning
– False – Turning on a light uses the same energy as that same light
burning for .4 seconds
•It takes more energy to cool down a house at
the end of the day than keeping it cool all day
long.
–No. Cooling a hot house down at the end of the day always takes less
energy than leaving the AC running all day, even if it's running on a high
setting.

4. How to keep the meter
down – with minimal effort
• Turn off your computer when not using it -
$100-$400/year
– If you use your laptop for 2 hours a day, 5 days a
week, it costs around $5/year.
– If you have a high end gaming computer left on 24/7
and a CRT monitor, it costs $400/year.
– Screen savers don’t save power; they just protect
your screen. Instead, use the sleep-mode or energy-
saving feature on your computer.
– Save power by turning off your computer monitor
when you'll be away from your computer for more
than 10 minutes

5. Minimal Effort - continued
• Turn off lights/TV when not in room
• Use energy saving dry mode on
dishwasher
• Only do full loads of dishes/laundry
• During summer, do laundry/dishwasher at
night
• Keep fridge closed until you know what
you’re getting

6. Minimal Effort - continued
• During summer, turn up the temperature a few degrees
and use fans instead
– If your air conditioner is on for 12 hours/day for 3 weeks, it uses
the same amount of energy as leaving your refrigerator open
24 hours for a YEAR.
– Every degree below 78 increases your bill by about 4%. So
going from 72 to 76 is 16%. If you’re power bill is normally
$100, you will save around $10-15/month.
• During winter, open blinds for heat/light, in summer
keep them closed
– Free heat and light during the winter, and in the summer the
less heat you let in, the less you have to pay to get out.

7. Saving power – some work
• Switch to CFL's - $36/per bulb
• Add weather stripping around doors
• Take shorter showers
• Don’t use the oven during daytime in the
summer, only at night
• Use surge protectors on electronics

8. • Open windows at night to cool down
rather than running A/C
• Use a desklamp rather than overhead
lights
• Only install the number of bulbs you need
• Install a programmable thermostat $50-
$150/year

9. The Big Picture
• Reducing electricity consumption saves
money and reduces CO2 and other
pollutants
• Some measures may seem trivial,
however, collectively they all add up
• If everyone in the U.S switched to CFL’S:
– Removing 800,000 cars
– Saving $600,000,000 in energy