Tips To HelpConserve

Electricity

A N D R E D U C E Y O U R P O W E R B I L L

Nobody wants to pay morethan necessary for power!But a lot of us do. And that hurts

when you live in a place with

warm summers and cold winters

like Big Bear.

Bear Valley Electric Servicewants to help you keep yourpower costs down.This booklet is full of tips to help cut

your power bill. Some ways

to save are as simple and cheap as

turning off the light switch. Other

ideas are more costly or need you to

do some work or hire a contractor,

such as buying a new air conditioner

or insulating your home.

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Cut Your Power BillCut Your Power Bill

Where The Money GoesTo better understand the possibilities

for saving money, it helps to look at

the big picture. If you divide every

dollar spent to show what each

component of power usage costs,

this is what the breakdown would

look like. Just think how much money

you could save by cutting your

cooling costs by 20 percent!

Bear Valley’s RoleYou might wonder why a utility that

sells power would want to help you

cut your power bill. That’s easy. As a

community based utility, BVES is in

the business of providing its

customers with the best service at the

lowest possible cost. The largest part

of your energy price includes the

costs of producing and delivering

power to you.

By helping you keep your power use

down, especially in the hottest or

coldest part of the day, BVES can

reduce the amount of expensive peak

power it must buy. And that saves

everybody money.

= Bear Valley Energy Saving Tip

= The Symbol For Energy Efficiency

IntroductionIntroduction

01

b

a. lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10%

b. heating and air conditioning . .28%

c. cooking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5%

d. refrigeration . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27%

e. major appliances . . . . . . . . . . .7%

f. entertainment . . . . . . . . . . . . .11%

g. small appliances . . . . . . . . . . .12%

Since more than half of your energy

costs are for heating and cooling, a

little insulation could go a long way

toward lowering your energy bill.

Should you insulate your home?

You may consider it if you have an

older home with little or no

insulation and if:

• Your energy bills are high.

• You are uncomfortably cold in the

winter and hot in the summer.

• You are adding an addition to your

home. (It’s easier and cheaper to

do now than later).

But give the project careful

consideration, it could be expensive.

Should you do it yourself or hire a

contractor?

This decision depends on several

factors. Often a careful homeowner

can install insulation batts or

poured-in insulation in attic floors,

basements, new or open walls and

crawl spaces. Blown-in and sprayed-

in insulation as well as adding

insulation to a mobile home are best

left to the professional installer.

If you’re going to do it yourself,

carefully follow the manufacturer’s

instructions and take the precautions

recommended.

Install minimum R-19 rated attic

insulation (R-38 is recommended)

and minimum R-11 rated floor

insulation (5-19 is recommended).

Check the ENERGY STAR® web site for

more details about insulation at

http://www.epa.gov/appdstar/insula

tion/index.html.

InsulationInsulation

02

Windows

A lot of heating and cooling can go

right out the window if you’re not

careful. Fortunately, there are many

ways to reduce this.

Use awnings, solar screens or plant

shade trees around the exterior of

your home. Indoor decorative

shading provides insulation as well,

but is less effective. The key is

stopping the UV rays before they hit

your windowpanes.

Installing ENERGY STAR®

windows and skylights can also

reduce energy loss, knock 15 percent

off your cooling costs and make your

home more comfortable. These

products are twice as efficient as

the average windows manufactured

just 10 years ago.

By virtue of their design

ENERGY STAR® windows help

eliminate drafts and resist

condensation. Also, low-e coated

glass, found in many ENERGY STAR®

products, can reduce harmful UV

rays by up to 75 percent.

Doors

Drafty doors can send heating and

cooling bills through the roof.

b An easy way to prevent

energy loss here is to maintain

good weather stripping. Also, check

to make sure there is a good seal

between the weather stripping and

the door. Check doors for cracks

around the frame and repair and

replace when necessary.

If you are installing a new

door, look for the ENERGY STAR®

label. They are 40 percent more

efficient than products required

under most common building codes.

Windows & DoorsWindows & Doors

03

About 20 percent of a power bill in a

home goes toward heating water. There

are a lot of ways to cut the cost of

heating water, including buying a high-

efficiency water heater. But you don’t

have to go as far as buying a new water

heater to save big money.

b A leaky hot water faucet can cause

your water heater to waste a lot of

energy. A leak of one drip per second

can cost $1 or more per month and bigger

leaks can raise that loss substantially.

To see the potential for savings on the

cost of energy to heat water it helps to

understand how much hot water a

family uses in a day. A typical family

uses 60 to 80 gallons of hot water a

day. Here’s where the hot water goes:

Tub bath . . . . . . . . . . . . 10-15 gallons

Shower (under 5 minutes) . . . 8-12 gallons

Automatic washer . . . . . 25-30 gallons

Automatic dishwasher . . . 11-16 gallons

Hand-washing dishes . . . 9-14 gallons

Cleaning. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3-8 gallons

Food preparations . . . . . . . . 5 gallons

There are plenty of ways to savemoney on heating water. Forinstance, you can:

b Put an insulating wrap on your water

heater if it’s an older model to reduce

your heat loss. And insulate the pipes

going into and out of the tank.

b Take five-minute showers instead

of baths, to use a lot less hot water.

And install a low-flow showerhead,

which can reduce water use by 50

to 70 percent.

b Set the temperature on your water

heater at 120 degrees, unless you have

an older automatic dishwasher that

requires water heated to 140 degrees.

b Wash clothes in the coolest water

possible. Rinse clothes in cold water.

And wash clothes only when you have

a full load.

b Turn off power to your water

heater when you are away for more

than a weekend.

If you have questions about water

heaters contact BVES at www.bves.com

or you can call (909) 866-4678 or

toll-free (800) 808-BVES.

Water HeatersWater Heaters

04

Turning on an air conditioner isthe most effective and also the mostexpensive way to cool your home.Fortunately, there are other lessexpensive ways to make summermore bearable. Portable fans, ceilingfans and evaporative coolers can goa long way toward keeping yourhome cool at a fraction of the costof an air conditioner.

Portable fansb Use a portable fan as the cheapestway to keep cool. Fans cool byevaporating the moisture from yourskin. Because they are portable theycan easily be moved to meet yourfamily's needs.

Ceiling Fansb Use a ceiling fan as anotherinexpensive means of cooling yourselfin your home and get a decorative itemas well. Like portable fans, ceiling unitsmove the air across the perspiration onyour skin, causing it to evaporate andcool you.

Remember that fans do not cool homes,only people, so if you're in a room witha fan, turn it on, but remember to turnit off when leaving the room.

b By using fans you can also raise yourthermostat 2-3 degrees, lower yourpower bill and remain cool.

Evaporative Coolersb Use an evaporative cooler to reducethe need for your air conditioner.Evaporative coolers cool and humidifyby blowing air across wet pads.Evaporative coolers cost less to operateand run than an air conditioner.

b Evaporative coolers work best inwarm, dry weather, so you may stillwant to use your air conditioner onhumid days. By using an evaporativecooler, you may be able to cut the useof your air conditioner from five or sixmonths a year to just two. Using anevaporative cooler for 5 months ratherthan your air conditioner can save $100to $120 on your annual electric bill.

By using fans and an evaporative coolerto supplement your air conditioner youcan save money and extend the life ofyour air conditioner.

b Make sure fans and evaporativecoolers are properly maintained to keepthem operating most efficiently and toextend their lives.

Fans & CoolersFans & Coolers

05

The thermostat is the heart of your

heating and cooling system. It

turns your air conditioner and/or

furnace on or off when indoor

temperatures change.

A key factor to cutting your cooling

costs is a properly set unit. Many

are manually set, but new models

can be programmed automatically,

and have better efficiency.

b BVES recommends setting your unitat 78 degrees or higher during thesummer and at 68 degrees or lowerin the winter.

ENERGY STAR® has labeled a

number of programmable models

that can shave up to 20 to 30

percent off your power bill. To get a

list of models, check the EPA website

at: http://www.epa.gov/

appdstar/hvac/prodthem.html.

Make sure your unit is placed

between 2 to 5 feet above the floor.

Avoid placing unit on outside walls,

near outside doors or bedrooms

where windows may be left open.

Do not place near cooling or heating

outlets, behind doors, on walls that

receive heat from the sun or fireplace

or on walls that house cooling or

heating pipes, ducts or chimneys.

Avoid placing close to furniture.

Lamps, TVs or radios under a unit

will give false readings.

Set your unit at a conservation

level and maintain that level while

the home is occupied. When vacant,

raise the setting 10 to 15 degrees

in the summer to avoid

unnecessary cooling.

Working families can really save

using a programmable thermostat.

They are easy to use and can be

programmed to automatically

change temperature settings at

different times, depending on

your cooling needs.

Thermostatic ControlsThermostatic Controls

06

When it comes to your power bill,no one wants to be left in the dark.Unfortunately, many of us addunnecessary expense to our powerbills because of the way we lightour homes.

More than 80 percent of our perceptionof the world is based on what we see.Unless you are an owl, you don't see allthat well in the dark. Light is actuallyvital for most tasks we do as well asmaintaining safety. Having enough lightcan actually make you more productive.

The problem is that the standardincandescent bulbs most of us use arenot very efficient. Just 10 percent of theenergy used by standard bulbs is used toproduce light. The other 90 percent iswasted as heat. Believe it or not,incandescent bulbs are hot enough tofry an egg!

Thanks to new technology, there is nowan alternative.

Use ENERGY STAR®-qualified

compact fluorescent lamps (CFL). CFLs

produce as much light as incandescent

bulbs, but at a much cooler temperature.

That means a CFL uses 75 percent less

energy than an incandescent bulb and

lasts up to 10 times longer. And CFLs can

be used almost anywhere a standard

incandescent bulb is used, including

lamps, recessed lighting fixtures and

enclosed outdoor fixtures.

Even without changing every bulb inyour house, there are several ways you

can cut the amount of energy needed tolight your home.

Turn off outdoor lighting during the day.

Consider installing timer switches orphotoelectric controls to controloutdoor lighting.

For more light, use one large bulbinstead of several smaller ones. A 100-watt bulb produces more light with lessenergy than two 60-watt bulbs.

Put floor lamps and hanging lamps incorners. Reflections off the walls will giveyou more light.

And don't forget to turn off all lights,televisions, stereos, computers andradios when no one will be in the room.

LightingLighting

07

Central air conditioners and roomair conditioners are great for thehot summer months, but poorlymaintained units can increaseenergy and repair costs.

Service your air conditioner regularly.Improper maintenance can beresponsible for 80 percent of majorrepairs and result in high coolingcosts as well.

Service your air conditioner annuallybefore each cooling season.Some of the simple things you may beable to do yourself – like cleaning orreplacing the filter monthly duringthe cooling season – but you shouldhave a contractor conduct an annualcomprehensive maintenance checkthat includes:

• Washing condenser coils and checking fan condition

• Inspecting and cleaning the condenser fan blades

• Lubricating condenser andblower fan and motor bearings

• Checking refrigerant charge

• Inspecting and cleaning blowerfan blades and evaporator coils

• Cleaning the condensate drain pan.

• Checking and clearing thecondensor drain line

• Inspecting unit wiring andelectrical disconnect

• Checking temperature and pressures

• Calibrating the thermostat

Additional ways to cut your cooling bill:

Close windows and doors when theunit is running

Use portable and ceiling fans andraise your thermostat 2-3 degrees

Reduce kitchen heat in summer byusing a microwave, crockpot,or barbecue

If you are replacing an existingA/C, replace it with a high efficiencyENERGY STAR rated unit.

CHOOSE AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT UNIT

Efficiency and the ENERGY STARlogo are important factors. Look for theENERGY STAR logo and the unit’sSeasonal Energy Efficiency Rating(SEER). Over time, the investment in anenergy efficient unit will be paid backwith energy savings.

To get a list of ENERGY STARlabeled A/C’s and SEER ratings, checkthe EPA’s ENERGY STAR website at:http://www.epa.gov.appdstar/hvac/.

Air ConditionersAir Conditioners

08

Once you get the hang of it, you

will find all kinds of ways to cut

your power costs.

For instance:

1. b Clean the coils on your

refrigerator every three months.

The condenser will run better and

need less energy to keep the food

cold. Use a coil brush to avoid

damaging the coil with a vacuum.

2. Install an ENERGY

STAR refrigerator.

3. b Clean dryer lint filters

each load.

4. Try to wash your clothes

after 7pm in the evening.

5. b Use an evaporative cooler to

reduce air conditioner use.

6. Installing ENERGY STAR

windows can save up to 15

percent on your heating and

cooling costs.

7. b Planting shrubs and trees to

shade your home can keep inside

temperatures down and reduce air

conditioner usage.

8. Do the no-cost/low-cost

measures first.

Other Ways To SaveOther Ways To Save

09

For complete information on the Energy Star®

Energy Efficiency Program, please contact our

business office at (909) 866-4678, or go online to:

www.energystar.gov

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