Northern Wasco County PUD (NWCPUD) celebrates Public Power Week October 1 through 7, joining the American Public Power Association and 2,000 other community-owned, not-for-profit electric utilities that collectively provide electricity to 49 million Americans. This year, we are focusing on how public power utilities work to ensure reliable, affordable, sustainable, and customer-focused service to our community.
To mark Public Power Week, I would like to share a few tips on how to save energy and money in your home as we build for the future:
- According to the Alliance to Save Energy, the average U.S. home uses 70 lightbulbs. Even though modern bulbs are energy efficient, you should still turn them off when they aren’t in use.
- Swap out old incandescent bulbs for new LED bulbs. According to the Department of Energy, residential LEDs—especially Energy Star-rated products—use at least 75 percent less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent lighting.
- Heating and cooling your home uses a lot of energy. Set your thermostat lower in the winter and higher in the summer to save energy and money on your power bill.
- Unplug appliances when you aren’t using them. Even when they aren’t being used, they sometimes draw phantom power, which wastes energy.
- Your home’s water heater is a big energy user. Make sure to use cold water when you can, and turn off the hot water while you scrub your hands.
- Ask us about a home energy audit. Energy-efficiency experts can use special equipment to find things around your home—such as air leaks—that cost you unnecessary energy and money.
We know that using energy wisely to lower monthly electric bills is important to Oregonians. Even as NWCPUD builds for the future, we encourage our customers to do their part to help save energy. While we share these tips during Public Power Week, we hope our community will keep an eye on energy efficiency all year round as we work to provide a reliable, safe, affordable, and renewable power supply.
NWCPUD offers a variety of programs to help you use energy wisely. Visit the Northern Wasco County PUD's website for more information.
Manager
Roger Kline