Energy Sense

Managing Home Energy Use How to save during a summer of social distancing

By Paul Wesslund

If you want to make the best use of your efforts to save money on your energy bill, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) can show you where to start.

Nearly half of the electricity Americans use in their homes, 43 percent, goes to heating and cooling air and water. Nearly a third of our electric use, 31 percent, goes to running our heating and air conditioning systems. Another 12 percent powers our water heaters.

In second place for residential electricity use is a grab bag of appliances and lighting. One-fifth of the electricity we use in our homes goes to refrigeration (6 percent), lighting (5 percent), clothes drying (4 percent), and TV and video games (4 percent).

That means if you want to get the quickest and biggest return on energy savings, focus on how you use your heating and cooling system, as well as your water heater. That’s according to Keith Dennis, VP of consumer member engagement for the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA).

“Turning off an LED light bulb may come to mind when you think about saving energy,” he says. “But in the grand scheme of things, looking at EIA’s numbers, it’s adjusting your thermostat that’s going to make the biggest difference.”

Other appliances and devices consume even smaller shares of our total energy use. Eight percent of residential electricity use comes from a combination of computers, freezers, washing machines, dishwashers and cooking appliances. Other home energy users include a range of devices like small appliances, exterior lights, outdoor grills and spa heaters.

COVID-19 and energy use Even with the recent disruptions to daily life during the pandemic, the advice to focus on heating and cooling to save energy holds up. EIA has started revising its energy use predictions for 2020, and because of business closures and social distancing, they project that electricity sales to commercial and industrial customers will decline 6.5 percent. With more people staying home, you might expect residential sales to increase, and they will, but not enough to overcome the weather. Even with more people staying home and using more heating and air conditioning, the weather is expected to be mild enough that EIA projects a 1.3 percent decline in residential electric sales this year.

However, those predictions could well be adjusted depending on how quickly businesses reopen, and whether they adopt new ways of operating.

EIA predicts that as a result of the actions to control the spread of COVID-19, use of household electronic equipment will increase, and other uses of electricity, such as cooking or water heating, may also increase. Residential air conditioning use during summer months is also likely to increase.

Small adjustments, significant savings During summer months, setting your thermostat a few degrees higher than normal can make a significant difference in energy use. The Department of Energy recommends setting your thermostat to 78 degrees or higher when possible. Consumers can achieve additional energy savings by investing in a smart or programmable thermostat.

In addition to monitoring your thermostat, lowering your water heater temperature to 120 degrees is an easy way to save energy, and for every 10 degrees reduced, consumers can save 3 to 5 percent on water heating costs.

For persistently high energy bills, contact your local electric co-op for a more thorough evaluation of your home and how you use energy. Consumers can also find a wide range of additional ways to save energy at energystar.gov.

Small changes to energy use habits, like turning off lights when you leave a room or unplugging devices when not in use, can help you save. But to make the biggest difference in energy use — even during a global health crisis — pay attention to how you heat and cool your home. That’s where the biggest potential for saving energy lies.

Paul Wesslund writes on consumer and cooperative affairs for NRECA, the national trade association representing more than 900 local electric cooperatives. For more ideas on energy efficiency, visit carolinacountry.com/your-energy.

I Remember Memories and photos from our readers

Childhood Days with Alice Some of my fondest memories are of my cousin Alice and me. We grew up in the 1940s and 1950s on farms in Sampson County, near Kitty Fork. There was a special bond between us from the beginning, but we did not always agree on everything. When we got mad, our parents would make us hug each other. We were soon happy playmates again.

We enjoyed getting in her daddy’s fishing pond on hot summer days. Alice’s mama made our bathing suits. We played with rag dolls and doll clothes Mama sewed for us. We also played with paper dolls and some storebought dolls too.

It was not all play for us though. When we were old enough, we worked at our daddy’s tobacco barns on tobacco barning days. Sometimes Daddy would take us to White Lake. That was a treat. He would also take us to the drive-in theater at Kitty Fork. We loved the Betty Grable movies and westerns.

Many years have passed, and though in later years we lived two hours apart, Alice was only a phone call away. In April 2019, Alice went to her heavenly home. She will always be in my heart and I remember her every day.

Fannie Williams, Clinton, a member of Four County Electric Summers Spent with Grandpa Oliver While swimming at night, the smell of cedar and the sound of water gently lapping the timbers that held the pier are one of many fond memories I have of growing up at White Lake. During the day, there were other adventures to discover.

Every weekend before Easter, my grandfather, Perry Oliver, would take me to the lake to prepare the go-carts for operation that upcoming summer. My earliest memory was using a paint brush and can of gas to clean the oil and grime away from the engines. Afterwards, I was allowed to paint a cart red, blue or yellow — all the while being warned by Grandpa of those “cowlicks”! (That was the name he had given the many Velvet ants crawling around enjoying the spring weather.)

During the season, I loved sitting in the ticket booth with Grandpa Oliver sipping on 10-ounce Pepsi or Mountain Dews watching the riders go round and round the track.

Among many adventures, I was with him at Spell Burger, the glass bottom boat, or just riding around the lake, or helping him around the cottage. It was a kid’s dream. If only it would have lasted forever.

Now as an adult, every time I smell cedar, I become emotional as all those memories come flooding back. Oh, how I miss my youth and those Perry Oliver White Lake days.

Ray Spell, Hope Mills, a member of South River EMC

Send Us Your Memories We love sharing photos and memories dear to our readers. Submit your photo, plus roughly 200 words that describe it, online or by mail with a self-addressed, stamped envelope if you want it returned (only one entry per household, per month). Include your name, mailing address, phone number or email address, and the name of your electric co-op. We retain reprint rights, and we’ll pay $50 for those we publish. Online: carolinacountry.com/contact U.S. Mail: I Remember, Carolina Country, 3400 Sumner Blvd., Raleigh, NC 27616

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