Lewis County encouraging greater energy efficiency

The Lewis County Economic Development Council has initiated an energy conservation campaign to help local homes and businesses contribute to a more energy-efficient economy.

With partners such as Centralia City Light, Lewis County Public Utility District #1 and Puget Sound Energy, the program is offering incentives for energy upgrades, as well as a number of tips for energy use reduction. So see a complete list of the tips below, as well as how to qualify for upgrade incentives, go to www.lewisedc.com.

Home Heating

Maintain your heating systems. Furnaces should have their filter replaced, ideally, once a month. Annual tune-ups can help reduce your heating costs by 5%.

Install a programmable thermostat. If you set back the temperature 10 degrees for eight hours every night, you’ll lower your heating bill by 10%.

If you have a Forced/Air furnace, do NOT close heat registers in unoccupied rooms. Your furnace is designed to heat a specific square footage of space and can’t sense if a register is closed – it will continue working at the same pace.

Water Heating

Keep your hot water tank thermostat at 120°F for efficiency and safety and insulate your water heater and pipes.

Fix leaky faucets – especially if they are leaking HOT water – one drop per second can add up to 165 gallons of water wasted a month, plus the electricity to heat the wasted water.

Lights & Appliances

The old adage "turn off the light when you leave the room" is still good advice.

Install energy-efficient, compact fluorescent lights (CFL’s) and or LED’s. They last 10x longer and cost 75% less energy than your typical incandescent bulbs.

Choose energy-efficient appliances (look for the Energy Star label). Check with your local utility provider for any Energy Star appliance rebates.

Don’t leave the refrigerator door open. Every time it’s opened, up to 30% of the cooled air can escape.

Clean the lint screen on the dryer every time you use the machine. A clogged lint screen can make your dryer up to 30% less efficient – and is a big fire hazard.

Is your main heating source a wood stove? Here are some helpful hints to burning wood efficiently and safe.

Check that your insulation levels are up to code. This will keep the heat in your house and prolong your winter wood supply.

Check the seal on the damper, replace if damaged or drafty. Keep dampers sealed tight when not in use and the doors closed

Burn only seasoned wood in your fireplace that has been drying for at least a year.

Check for burn bans and air quality levels before you light that cozy fire. Wet wood burns incompletely, releases more pollutants into the air and generates a lower-temperature fire.