Every little bit of savings in heating season can help.
With electric bills on the rise, PPL Electric Utilities spokesman Don Stringfellow suggested simple tips to help save energy and reduce electric bills this winter.
"The cheapest energy is energy you don't use," said Stringfellow, regional community relations director. "But saving energy doesn't mean you have to sacrifice comfort and convenience. Sometimes simple steps can make the difference."
Such steps include better sealing of homes and apartments. Stringfellow said customers can save up to 20 percent on
heating costs by sealing and insulating wherever possible.
Customers can recaulk and weatherstrip around doors and windows, check attic insulation, seal easy-to-reach ductwork with mastic tape and use caulk or spray foam to seal air leaks where pipes, ductwork or wiring penetrate outside walls, floors or ceilings.
The air leaks can be like leaving a window open all winter long, he added.
Plugging them may be the most effective way to improve a home's efficiency.
Stringfellow also suggested switching to compact fluorescent lights. With less daylight, more time is spent indoors and that means higher costs for lighting.
Customers can shave costs significantly by replacing their traditional light bulbs with energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs. These light bulbs use about 75 percent less energy, last up to 10 times longer and produce less heat, he added.
