Washington, DC (PRWEB) November 21, 2007
High home and vehicle energy costs need not dim your holiday cheer this winter. Energy-efficiency holiday tips from the Alliance to Save Energy can help take the âchillâ out of the holiday season by lowering home and vehicle energy bills, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissionsâand even spark some gift ideas.
Lower operating costs and increase safety with LED holiday lights. LED technology (Light Emitting Diode) for holiday lighting is a smart choice. They use 10 times less energy than incandescent mini lights and 100 times less energy than standard bulbs, last more than 50,000 hours, are safer because theyâre virtually indestructible and coolâsafe to the touch and eliminate fire concerns. They are easily strung and donât overload a typical household electrical circuit. If the bulb does burn out, the other bulbs will stay lit, so you can easily replace the bad bulb.
To further maximize holiday lighting savings, use timers to limit light displays to no more than six evening hours a day. Leaving lights on 24 hours a day will quadruple your energy costsâand create four times the pollution. And be safeâuntended incandescent lights can cause fires, so always unplug your interior holiday lights before going to bed or leaving the house.
Be an âENERGY STARâ with energy-saving presents. Electronics, home office equipment, appliances and other products with the ENERGY STAR labelâthe federal governmentâs symbol of energy efficiencyânot only make great holiday gifts but can also cut related home energy bills up to 30 percent.
Make home improvements that keep your family toastyâand get a tax credit to boot. Add insulation, sealing, high efficiency windowsâand save up to $ 500 on your federal income taxes if improvements are made by December 31, 2007. Details at http://www.ase.org/taxcredits.
Over the River and through the snow to grandmotherâs house we go will cost more this year with higher gasoline prices, particularly high for this time of year. The Alliance to Save Energy offers many maintenance and driving tips to improve the fuel efficiency of your vehicles and lower your costs at the pumpâhttp://www.ase.org/consumers and http://www.ase.org/content/news/detail/3780
In the spirit of Kwanzaaâthe African-American spiritual week of remembering, reassessing, recommitting, and rejoicing -reassess your power consumption, recommit to energy-efficient practices, and rejoice in the savings.
Once youâve lit the Chanukah menorah, spin a dreidel by candlelight â it uses no energy! By the eighth night, you may not need any electric lights at all!
Unplug the video games and turn off the millionth broadcast of Itâs a Wonderful Life â and read your favorite holiday story instead. Your children may appreciate your attention and time, and you will be saving energy in the process.
Pay the local kids to shovel your driveway. Better to give them some extra spending money than to use it towards the purchase of a smog-producing, gas-guzzling snow blower.
No roasting chestnuts over an open halogen torchiere! It can burn hot enough to cause a fire, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Instead, give yourself the gift of an energy-efficient ENERGY STAR- certified torchiere lamp, for a brighter, thriftier, safer holiday.
Strap on those cross-country skies or roller blades or ride your bike to tour the neighborhood holiday decorations. Itâs a great way to work off those extra holiday calories, and it will cut down on your gasoline costs, too.
Instead of leaving your door open to carolers and losing all that precious heat, pull on your parka, turn off the TV and electronics, and join in the fun. Itâs a great way to meet your neighbors, too!
Additional year-round, energy-efficiency tips and resources can be found on the Allianceâs consumer web site, http://www.ase.org/consumers.
The Alliance to Save Energy is a coalition of prominent business, government, environmental, and consumer leaders who promote the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit consumers, the environment, economy, and national security.
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