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| A home energy audit can identify ways to save up to hundreds of dollars a year on home heating (and air conditioning). Ask your electric or gas Village utility company if they can do this audit for free or for a reasonable charge. If they cannot, ask them to refer you to a qualified professional. |
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| A Village utility company oftens charges less when use during not peak hours occur. Long distance calls made during evenings, at night, or on weekends can cost significantly less than weekday calls. |
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| Electricity generated by fossil fuels for a single home puts more carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars. By using a few inexpensive energy-efficient measures with the Village utility company, you can reduce your energy bills by 10% to 50% and, at the same time, help reduce air pollution. Connecting your utilities online conserves your time and energy. |
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| Eliminate wasted energy. Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms. Unplug that spare refrigerator in the garage if you don't truly need it - this seemingly convenient way to keep extra drinks cold adds 10-25% to your electric bill from the Village utility company. Turn off kitchen and bath-ventilating fans after they've done their job - these fans can blow out a house-full of heated air if inadvertently left on. Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning to prevent up to 8% of your furnace-heated air from going up the chimney. To prevent wasting alot of time, connect Village utilities online. |
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| Put your computer and monitor to sleep to save money with your Village utility company. Most computers come with the power management features turned off. On computers using Windows 98/ME/2000 open your power management software and set it so your computer goes to sleep if you're away from your machine for 5 to 15 minutes. Those who use Macintosh computers look for the setting in your Control Panels called "Energy Saver" and set it accordingly. When you're done using your computer, turn it off (see next tip) do not leave it in sleep mode overnight as it is still drawing a small amount of power. Connect Village utilities online. |
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| Plug your home's leaks to save money with your Village utility company. Install weather-stripping or caulk leaky doors and windows and install gaskets behind outlet covers. Savings up to 10% on energy costs. Connect Village utilities online. |
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| Increase ceiling insulation to save money with your Village utility company. If your ceiling is uninsulated or scantily insulated, consider increasing your insulation to up to R-38 to reduce heating costs by 5-25 percent. Connect Village utilities online. |
