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In Minnesota, learning how to be more energy-efficient is a high priority for many governmental leaders. Equally important, however, is for residents to find new ways to be energy-efficient in their homes.
Following the meeting of the Brown County Congress, Jeff Vetch of Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERT) led a workshop for interested individuals on how to conserve energy at home.
In Brown County alone, $20 million is spent each year for residential electricity. Because many electrical suppliers are from outside Brown County, this is $20 million sent out of the county each year that could have boosted the local economy.
Also, much of this electrical usage is unnecessary. Vetch went through the top five energy wasters in the home and gave ideas about how to cut down on these expenses.
The number one energy user in a home is the heating and cooling system. To save on these costs, Vetch emphasized easy solutions such as adding insulation and changing filters on a regular basis.
Secondly, heating water also uses lots of energy and comes with a high price tag. Vetch recommended setting the water heater no higher than 120 degrees and taking shorter showers on a rgular basis.
Third, appliances are major energy users as well. Vetch suggested that individuals learn how much energy each appliance uses to better understand the cost of our modern conveniences.
To do so, Vetch recommended acquiring a Kill-A-Watt appliance meter. This device connects right to home appliances via a regular plug-in and measures how many watts the machine uses per hour.
Vetch went on to emphasize the cost-savings of switching to Energy Star appliances. Also, Vetch promoted getting rid of unnecessary appliances (such as that “beer-n-bait” fridge in the garage).
Fourth, the cost of lighting a home is an almost never-ending expense. Vetch said that although this number surprised him, the average home in the U.S. has over 80 light bulbs!
To save money and energy on lighting, Vetch recommended switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). In a home with 80 light bulbs, Vetch estimated that consumers could save over $500 each year by switching to CFLs.
The fifth major energy user in the home, according to Vetch, is children. He said simple training can help kids learn energy-efficient habits such as turning off lights and electronics when they are not in use.
Also, Vetch gave some tips to help entire families save energy. When electronics aren’t in use, unplug them or turn off the power strip. When the computer isn’t being used, shut it down. Easy things like this can add up to major cost savings.
Following Vetch, Tim Lipetzky from Green Energy Products of Springfield gave a presentation about installing solar panels at home. Although costly at first, Lipetzky feels green improvements like this definitely pay off.
“People ask how much it costs for a system, but really, it doesn’t cost them anything long-term,” he said.
In Minnesota, learning how to be more energy-efficient is a high priority for many governmental leaders. Equally important, however, is for residents to find new ways to be energy-efficient in their homes.
Following the meeting of the Brown County Congress, Jeff Vetch of Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERT) led a workshop for interested individuals on how to conserve energy at home.
In Brown County alone, $20 million is spent each year for residential electricity. Because many electrical suppliers are from outside Brown County, this is $20 million sent out of the county each year that could have boosted the local economy.
Also, much of this electrical usage is unnecessary. Vetch went through the top five energy wasters in the home and gave ideas about how to cut down on these expenses.
The number one energy user in a home is the heating and cooling system. To save on these costs, Vetch emphasized easy solutions such as adding insulation and changing filters on a regular basis.
Secondly, heating water also uses lots of energy and comes with a high price tag. Vetch recommended setting the water heater no higher than 120 degrees and taking shorter showers on a rgular basis.
Third, appliances are major energy users as well. Vetch suggested that individuals learn how much energy each appliance uses to better understand the cost of our modern conveniences.
To do so, Vetch recommended acquiring a Kill-A-Watt appliance meter. This device connects right to home appliances via a regular plug-in and measures how many watts the machine uses per hour.
Vetch went on to emphasize the cost-savings of switching to Energy Star appliances. Also, Vetch promoted getting rid of unnecessary appliances (such as that “beer-n-bait” fridge in the garage).
Fourth, the cost of lighting a home is an almost never-ending expense. Vetch said that although this number surprised him, the average home in the U.S. has over 80 light bulbs!
To save money and energy on lighting, Vetch recommended switching to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). In a home with 80 light bulbs, Vetch estimated that consumers could save over $500 each year by switching to CFLs.
The fifth major energy user in the home, according to Vetch, is children. He said simple training can help kids learn energy-efficient habits such as turning off lights and electronics when they are not in use.
Also, Vetch gave some tips to help entire families save energy. When electronics aren’t in use, unplug them or turn off the power strip. When the computer isn’t being used, shut it down. Easy things like this can add up to major cost savings.
Following Vetch, Tim Lipetzky from Green Energy Products of Springfield gave a presentation about installing solar panels at home. Although costly at first, Lipetzky feels green improvements like this definitely pay off.
“People ask how much it costs for a system, but really, it doesn’t cost them anything long-term,” he said.
