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National Grid offers Efficiency Tips to Help Save You Money National Grid offers Efficiency Tips to Help Save You Money

August 24,2009

In today's tough economic climate, National Grid wants customers to know that saving energy means saving money. With autumn just around the corner, now is the time to think about making improvements to the energy efficiency of your home. It can be simpler than you might think, and the benefits of energy savings, lower costs and a cleaner environment, will pay dividends for many years to come.

National Grid has a 20-year track record of partnering with its customers to provide successful, award-winning efficiency programs in its U.S. service territory. These programs have helped save customers nearly 565 million therms of natural gas, representing approximately $876 million in savings on their heating bills. To find out more about the energy efficiency programs in your area, including details of new, potential incentives and forms for installing additional energy efficiency measures, visit National Grid’s energy efficiency Web site at www.thinksmartthinkgreen.com .

Tips for the Fall and Winter Months:

Properly insulating in your attic can reduce inefficient air leaks, keeping cold air out and heat in during the winter, and hot air out and air conditioning in during the summer. Attic insulation can also help your home to heat more evenly, eliminating “hot” or “cold” patches.

Picking up as few as five CFL bulbs to replace your non-fluorescents could save you as much as $60 per year.

To save on both water heating and water, install a low-flow showerhead in your bathroom(s). Easily installed with a wrench or pliers, a low-flow showerhead can cut water use by as much as 50 percent.

Wrap the hot water pipes coming out of your water heater with insulation. Wrap those pipes nearest the heater first for greatest savings.

Set the thermostat on your water heater to 120°F or less for normal use, and lower the setting whenever you will be away from home for extended periods. For every 10 degrees you set back your water heater temperature, you cut energy use 3 to 5 percent.

Lowering the temperature in unoccupied spaces is a common energy saving measure. As little as two to three degrees can make a big difference in savings.

If you often come home to a house with uncomfortably hot or cold temperatures, avoid turning up the heat or air conditioning to its highest setting. Doing so does not change the temperature any more quickly, and you will end up wasting energy and money.

Consider investing in new efficient appliances. ENERGY STAR® appliances are designed to run more efficiently and will help to save money on your long-term utility bills.

For additional tips and information on energy efficiency, visit National Grid’s energy efficiency Web site at www.thinksmartthinkgreen.com

National Grid is an international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers.