IDT Energy Savings

Even while doing your laundry, you can learn key ways to save on your energy use.  Believe it or not, 85-90% of the energy that you use while washing the clothes is for heating the water.  If you do cold water washes and rinses, however, you’ll save a tremendous amount of this electricity. Whether you’re using IDT Energy or another energy supplier, you’ll have real savings with these tips.

Use your washing machine after 8pm, when the electricity demand is lower and make sure to only use the water level that you really need for the load you are doing.  Only do the laundry when you have a full load and consider purchasing a smaller machine if you usually find that your laundry loads don’t fill the machine completely.

If you’re in the market for a new machine, look for one that is ENERGY STAR qualified, as it can reduce water use by almost 45% and energy use by about 65%.

Almost any energy company, like IDT Energy, would agree with the statement that using less energy can lower the monthly bill. It is relatively easy to conserve energy once you are aware of the appliances which consume the most power. One such appliance is the dryer- people often don’t realize how much electricity they use each day when they run it over and over again. Of course, using a clothesline during the summer months would conserve the most energy, however, many people don’t have a convenient location to use one, nor do they want to spend the extra time required to hang and remove the clothes.

The first way to conserve energy while using a dryer is to wring out the clothes in advance. This will help the drier work quickly and more efficiently. Sorting the clothes by weight will also increase the driers performance. Make sure not to overload it. The dryer uses more energy and works less efficiently when it is too full. If there are too many clothes that need to be dried, put one load in immediately after the other in order to take advantage of the energy that may still be lingering from the previous load.  Also, make sure to clean the lint filter often, and vacuum the exhaust hose at least once a year.

If you are looking to purchase a new dryer, some have moisture sensors and will shut down the moment the clothes are dry.

Lights left on in commercial buildings not only kill thousands of birds each year – they are also a primary source of energy waste. Nearly one-third of all the electricity in the U.S. is used to run those offices, a rate of use that is expected to rise 500% in the next decade. Business employees tend to be less concerned about saving energy in their offices because there is no selfishness component: If you’re not paying, you’re not worrying. But this en masse waste of non-renewable energy sources should be a concern to every American citizen. It’s important for businesses to look at their energy supplier and to see if they can save money by switching suppliers to IDT Energy or another source.  In addition, companies should promote energy saving plans by encouraging a few good habits that will help the office save money – and help our
nation save energy. A few easy tips:

1. Turn off the lights when you go out to lunch. You can go off on your break feeling that you’ve done something good for the environment – and it’ll take you less than one second.

2. Put your monitor to sleep. You need to be awake when you go off to a meeting (or at least pretend to be!) but your monitor can use this time to take a nap.

3. Reuse & Recycle. Don’t be a tree-eater! Don’t print what you don’t need, print double-sided, and recycle the paper you do use.

Saving energy with these easy suggestions will certainly cut down on costs to the office and help the environment.

Any boss knows that every dollar counts.  The more that you can save money on your energy bill, the more you’ll have for employee benefits, company functioning and more.  When evaluating your company’s energy use, consider switching suppliers to a company like IDT Energy if you live in a state with deregulated energy suppliers.

Do regular tuning of your heating and ventilation systems and regularly replace filters.  Install ceiling fans wherever possible to help with air circulation and temperature regulation.  If you are in the market to purchase new heating and ventilation units, choose ENERGY STAR ones and also use ENERGY STAR light bulbs and other equipment.

Make sure that water heater and supply pipes are insulated and install ceiling and wall insulation.

Many people throughout the United States now have the opportunity to choose their energy provider.  Companies like IDT Energy can offer them savings on their electricity bills and offer them choices that they’ve never had before.  But how does deregulation work and what does it mean?

The deregulation of electricity supply actually began in the late 1990’s with Pennsylvania and California as the first two states to offer consumers a choice with alternative electric suppliers.  Now, more than 16 states allow for electricity choice, including New York, New Jersey and many others.

This means that, within these states where there is deregulation, each customer has choices about who should be their electricity supplier.  Each supplier can offer alternative rates and energy products.  Certainly, one appealing advantage to this system is that there is more competitive pricing.  Citizens can feel that they have a choice in this area and can select the electricity supplier that they feel will best serve their needs.

Learn some specific ways to decrease your hot water use, and to save money each month on your electricity bill.  Whether you use IDT Energy or another company, these tips should help you to conserve hot water and to reduce your bill, even if only by a small amount.

Certainly, taking a shower takes less water than does taking a bath.  You can save even more hot water in the shower by using a low-flow shower head.  Make sure to turn your faucets all the way off when you finish using them and attach an aerator to the end of each faucet to reduce the flow rate of water by up to half.

Do your household cleaning with cold water – your floors do not need hot water to look clean!

Saving energy is on everyone’s minds these days. One of the more exciting areas where innovation and creativity is helping to save loads of energy is in housing design. The sun is the world’s ultimate source of all the energy which exists on earth. By harnessing the sun’s energy in new and creative ways we can save a lot on our energy bills.

One of the most promising areas with energy saving potential are solar powered homes which are designed by college students for what is known as the “Solar Decathlon.” The U.S. Department of Energy is the sponsor of this very special contest, which assesses the aesthetic appeal as well as the efficient use of the sun’s energy to create an unbeatable combination of beauty and function. Certainly, taking a look at these home designs, which are small but are 100% sun-powered, is a very interesting activity. Follow the link to Solar Decathlon Homes.

IDT Energy understands that in the summer it is possible to spend much more on electricity than at other times of the year. In New York especially there is a great need to run air conditioning units day and night, trying to keep as cool as possible during the humid and hot summers which New york is so famous for. IDT Energy presents here some tips to keeping things cool while still using less electricity.

1.    Come the evening it is often cool enough to turn of the a/c and turn on a fan. Let the cooler air blow on you to cool you down. Try both ceiling fans and floor based fans. They use a fraction of the electricity that air conditioners use, and may be just the thing to keep you comfortable.

2.    Banish hot air. Use exhaust fans in the kitchen to get that extra hot air out of the house. If there is no exhaust fan, just put a floor fan in the kitchen and let it blow while you are cooking. It will help keep the cook cool while blowing the hot air out of the kitchen.

Summertime is here and IDT Energy is making it possible for its customers to stay cool even on the hottest days by supplying the electricity that is needed to power the huge number of air conditioning units which are keeping people cool through-out New York City.

Because of the heat and humidity which characterizes a typical New York city summer, air conditioners have a hard time running efficiently, but here are a few steps people can take to get the best out of their air conditioners.

1.    Don’t meddle with the thermostat.  Set your thermostat to 78 degrees, and don’t be tempted to lower it in order to cool the house down faster. It won’t help. If anything, raise the thermostat a few degrees when you leave the house. Even better, get a programmable thermostat and only have the a/c turn on when you are about to come home.

2.    Draw the curtains during the day so the hot sun’s rays don’t enter the house. Especially if no one is home and there is no need for natural light to see by, closed curtains can help keep your home much cooler.

More tips next time.

Here’s an interesting piece about creating energy efficient neighborhoods and sustainable community spaces.  Certainly, not every neighborhood in America is going to quickly take up the challenge.  At the same time, by starting to think about going green with IDT Energy and Green Energy, or by finding ways to save on your electricity bill, you’ll be starting to do your part.