How to Reduce Your Bill

The typical American household spends about $1,300 a year on energy bills, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Unfortunately, a large portion of that energy is wasted - through poorly insulated windows and doors and outdated and inefficient appliances, just to name a few. Review the sections below for ways we, as your local Touchstone Energy electric cooperative, can help you manage your energy use and save on your monthly electric bill.

Weatherization Assistance and Federal Tax Credits

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (stimulus) comes with many federal tax credits for energy efficient home improvements.

• For low-income families, there's the Weatherization Assistance Program. For more information, visit the U.S. Department of Energy's official Web site.
• For those not qualifying for weatherization assistance, there are Energy Efficiency Tax Credits available. For more information, visit EnergyStar.gov.
• States are offering rebates for the purchase of new ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances. Funding is limited and rules vary by state. Learn more on the official DOE-sponsored Web site.

Inexpensive Efficiency Measures You Can Take Now

By using a few inexpensive energy-efficient measures, you can reduce your energy bills by 10 to 50 percent, and, at the same time, help the environment. Try these common ways to reduce your energy usage:

• Turn down your thermostat. For every degree you lower your heat in the 60-degree to 70-degree range, you can save up to 5 percent on heating costs.
• Eliminate wasted energy. Turn off lights in empty rooms, and unplug appliances that you don't truly need. Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning.
• Reduce hot water temperatures. Set your water heater to the "normal" setting, or 120 degrees, unless your dishwasher requires a higher setting.
• Shorten showers. Showers account for 2/3 of your water heating costs. Cutting your showers in half can reduce your water heating costs by 33 percent.
• Use appliances efficiently. Only wash full loads of laundry and dishes, and use the cold water setting for your clothes when you can. Be sure to clean your clothes dryer's lint trap after each use.
• Let your computer and monitor sleep. Set your computer to "sleep" if you're away from the machine for several minutes. When you're done using your computer, turn it off - leaving it in sleep mode still draws electricity.
• Unplug your electronics. Even when turned off, many new TVs, VCRs and other electronics continue to use electricity. When possible, unplug these devices when they are not in use. For computer scanners, printers and other devices that are plugged into a power strip, simply switch off the power strip after shutting down your computer.

Free Resources to Help Reduce Energy Usage

Tri-County Electric has compiled these FREE resources to help you save on your energy bill.

• Estimate your operating costs for various appliances and reduce your usage of the ones using the most energy.
• Complete this room-by-room checklist to see where you can save energy.
• Complete this online energy audit to identify any other problem areas and see suggestions for the most effective measures for reducing energy costs. Commercial businesses can use the online business energy advisor.
• Implement a few of these 101 Low Cost / No Cost Home Energy Savings Measures.
• Review the Home Energy Savings Guide for other actions you can take to reduce your energy usage.
• Visit Touchstone Energy Cooperative's TogetherWeSave.com Web site and enter your zip code to add up your savings using a free room-by-room application.
• Check out more ways to save at the Home Energy Savers Answer Desk. You can also visit the U.S. Department of Energy's "Energy Savers" site.

Just for Kids

Kids Zone from Touchstone Energy offers a cool place where kids can learn about electricity, energy savings and electrical safety. Energy is part of our daily lives. Every time you watch television or turn on a light you are using electricity. Kids Zone has some fun games and activities that will help kids learn about energy and energy efficiency.

Energy Audits

To have an energy efficiency expert from Tri-County Electric visit your home and make energy-saving recommendations, call us at (800) 522-3315 and ask the member service representative for a free home energy audit. You may be asked to answer some questions similar to the ones found on on our High Bill Questionnaire. In fact, it may be helpful to fill this form out in advance of your call. If you would like to make your request via e-mail, contact us at . Be sure to include the following in your e-mail:

• Name
• Tri-County Account Number (if available)
• Preferred Contact Phone Number(s)
• Best Time to Reach You (Must be between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday - Friday)
• Description of Your Request