Cuivre River Electric | Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: February 2013

After a snowstorm, have you ever noticed a house with no snow on the roof? Office Services Assistant Roman Schuette knows this may point to a severe lack of insulation. "The home's heat is going right through the ceiling and melting the snow on the roof," he says. "It can also cause the energy bill to skyrocket."

Even if snow remains on the roof, how do you know your own home has an optimal amount of insulation to keep your energy bill in check? Go into your attic and have a look. Generally, if you can see the joists, you may need to add more.

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: January 2013

Cuivre River Records Assistant Kay Dreher offers a basic but very powerful reminder to help everybody control their energy costs. “Turn off any unnecessary lighting or appliances when you’re not using them,” she says. “It’s easy to flip a switch when you leave a room.” Members who practice this wise energy use tip will definitely help keep more of their hard-earned money in their own pockets.

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: December 2012

Journeyman Lineman Shane Dunlap deals with the elements each day to keep your power flowing. At his atrium-style home, he enjoys the comfort of using ceiling fans year-round. He says, “During the heating season, I still use ceiling fans to bring heat down to the floor level.”

Many ceiling fans have a switch to change the rotation of the blades. During winter, make sure the blades rotate clockwise to help move trapped warm air at ceiling level down into the living area. Remember to change the switch during cooling season to make sure the blades rotate counterclockwise.

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: November 2012

Lake Saint Louis Facilities Attendant Steve Houk shares a tip to address something that’s usually out of sight and mind. If you have an electric water heater, “Drain some water from your water heater periodically to reduce sediment buildup,” says Steve. If not drained, sediment such as calcium and other minerals can build up over time and cause your water heater to operate less efficiently, or even shorten the life of the heating element.

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: October 2012

CREC Information Systems Assistant Mary Evans offers a recommendation that's easy to check. "Set your water heater temperature to 120 degrees F," she says.

Since water heating accounts for over 15% of household energy use, having your water heater temperature too high leads to wasted energy and unnecessary extra cost.

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: July 2012

Lake Saint Louis Warehouseman Dave Reading reminds us of a basic energy saving tip that can be practiced year-round.

He says, “Remember to regularly check your furnace air filter and change it or clean it as needed.” With more than 50% of an average home’s energy dollars going to heating and cooling, a dirty filter will cause your system to operate less efficiently and ultimately cost you money.

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: June 2012

This month's tip from Marketing Representative Tim Hooton is "an oldie but a goodie." Tim says, “During the cooling season, close blinds and drapes to cut down on solar gain.” This simple practice, especially for windows facing south and west, will help keep your home cooler. Your air conditioner will thank you for not having to work quite as hard.

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: May 2012

Manager of Finance & Accounting Susan Dollins knows it can take a lot of energy to heat and cool a two-story home with separate HVAC systems for each floor. What is her strategy? “We installed a programmable thermostat and use it religiously to control the temperature on each floor.” To get the most bang-for-the-buck, be sure to account for the time you’re home, away, sleeping, etc. and adjust the temperature* accordingly. She adds, “I know we save energy and money by using the thermostat the way it was intended to be used.”

*Adjusting heat pump temperatures more than 2° at a time may reduce efficiency.

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: April 2012

Right-of-Way Coordinator Eric Twellman hopes he’ll be able to reduce cooling costs this spring and fall by improving the air flow in his house. He recently installed a storm/screen door and plans to enjoy the extra air flow on days when the windows can be open. “I hope the added cross flow air movement will make the house feel cooler and save on air conditioning use," he says, "especially when it’s a borderline day for cooling.”

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: March 2012

Locator/Collector Greg Chamberlain is a talented guy when it comes to making his own home improvements.

Following a destructive hail storm he was faced with replacing siding and a broken window. It was the perfect time to make some wholesale changes, such as adding ¼ inch foam board under the siding, closing off some windows, and reducing the size of some large windows. “I know adding the foam board and having less glass helped make the house more energy efficient,” says Greg. “Our home is more comfortable and quite a bit more quiet too.”

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: February 2012

Locator/Collector Craig Schormann addressed a problem that’s common in homes with walk-out basements. The exposed concrete which is above ground can be a major source of heat loss. It's noticeably cool, even above the concrete.

Craig says, “I insulated my basement walls by attaching foam board to the cement.” There’s no doubt the added R-value will help keep a home comfortable on a cold day.

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: January 2012

Journeyman Lineman Pat Schroeder deals with the elements every day to help keep the power flowing. While at home, he enjoys the comfort of using ceiling fans year-round. He says, “During the heating season, I make sure to use ceiling fans in the bedrooms and living room to help bring heat down to floor level.”

Many ceiling fans have a switch to change the rotation of the blades. During winter, make sure the blades rotate clockwise to help move warm air trapped at ceiling level down into the living area. Remember to change the switch during cooling season to make the blades rotate counter-clockwise.

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: December 2011

Meterman/Collector Jason Meyer takes full advantage of the time he spends outdoors on a ladder to hang Christmas lights. He arms himself with a caulking gun. “I figure it's also a good time to caulk around the windows and seal any air leaks before winter arrives,” says Jason.

Caulking and sealing air leaks offers a quick payback and can make a difference in your heating use. Besides windows, check for air leaks around doors and where pipes and utility lines enter your home.

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: November 2011

Heating water can account for 14-25% of home energy use. You can save on electric bills by insulating hot water pipes and using hot water only when needed.

"I've lowered the temperature on my water heater, and take advantage of the bonus heat from my Ground Source Heat Pump," says System Engineer Stan Winkle. "This diverts heat that would otherwise be wasted into my water heater, and tank elements are used less often."

Note: If you have an electric water heater you may qualify for a $100 Energy Star Clothes Washer rebate or a $50 Energy Star Dishwasher rebate this year. Call 800.392.3709, ext. 272, for rebate details.

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: October 2011

Super Energy Saver CFL Charlie offers these tips to all members as well as the new friends he made at the Cuivre River Annual Meeting:

Turn off the lights when you leave the room.
Don't hold the refrigerator door open for long periods of time.
Change light bulbs to CFLs or other energy-saving light bulbs.
Shut down the computer when you finish using it.
Unplug electronics like cell phone chargers and video games when they are not being used.
Set your thermostat to 78°F in the summer and 68°F in the winter.
Check windows and doors for air leaks.

For more tips visit www.touchstoneenergykids.com.

Touchstone Energy® Tip of the Month: September 2011

Supervisor of Consumer Accounts Tammy Nolan has an interesting tip to help keep her home cool. She takes advantage of a naturally-cool basement and a uses a strategically-placed fan at the bottom of the stairs to blow cool air upstairs to the kitchen.

"The fan tilts and pushes cool air up the stairwell to make my kitchen feel cooler," she says. "You can feel the difference, plus I can keep my thermostat set at 78°F."

Touchstone Energy® Tip Of The Month: July 2011

Receptionist Christina Buchheit keeps her family’s home cool in the summer by visually checking the outdoor air conditioning unit for dirt and debris. Christina says, “I recently cleaned some leaves and grass clippings away from the unit, plus hosed dirt off it as well.” Minimizing dirt, debris and foliage around the unit will allow adequate air flow to help your air conditioner work more efficiently.

Easy Ways To Keep Your Cool

Summer's heat has arrived. To cool down without busting your electricity budget, follow these tips from www.freshome.com and other sources:

Cut the humidity. Missouri's humid climate makes temperatures a challenge outdoors, and home activities make comfort a challenge indoors. To reduce indoor humidity, avoid heat-producing activities during the day, such as drying clothes, using dishwashers, taking showers and cooking. Use ventilating fans to extract the humid air they create.
Add attic insulation and seal leaks. Weather-stripping and caulking around windows, doors and electrical outlets keeps heat out in summer, cold out in winter. Energy Star and the Environmental Protection Agency estimate you can save up to 20% on cooling and heating by sealing your home and adding insulation.
Reduce the amount of landscaping rock, cement and asphalt around your house. These materials, when unshaded and located on the south and west sides of your house, will radiate heat into it.
Pull down shades, drapes and blinds. Blocking sunlight from your house can reduce your cooling demand significantly. When purchasing these items, choose light colors to reflect heat away from windows.
Get a fan. Ceiling, table, floor and window fans can create a wind chill effect that will make you feel more comfortable. Even with air conditioning, a fan may allow you to raise the thermostat a few degrees.
Portable fans are affordable and energy-efficient. Air movement of just 1 mph can make you feel 3 or 4 degrees cooler.
Keep heat away from your thermostat. Make sure lamps, TVs and other heat-producing appliances aren't located near the thermostat. The heat they produce makes your air conditioner work harder because the thermostat thinks your house is warmer than it really is.
Exchange your incandescent bulbs for CFLs where possible. These bulbs produce the same amount of light with a fraction of the energy, and produce less heat.
Avoid lots of stove top cooking and oven use during the day. Microwave ovens, toaster ovens and slow cookers get the job done with less energy and heat.
Better yet, use the grill. Cook outdoors and keep the heat outside.

Source: Rural Missouri News Service