Electricity 101

Electricity 101: Energy efficiency and conservation

Welcome back to Electricity 101. In our last installment, we discussed the many ways electricity is used in your home. This month, our focus is on the tools and practices you can use to reduce your energy consumption and save money. 

You may have heard people refer to energy efficiency and energy conservation interchangeably, but that’s not quite right. They are two different ways to achieve the same result: reduced energy usage. 

Energy efficiency involves using technology to reduce your energy consumption. Examples include replacing incandescent light bulbs with LED bulbs or using a smart thermostat to adjust your home’s` temperature when no one is home. Other smart technology – like smart power strips, outlets, plugs and lights – can also help reduce your energy usage. 

Energy conservation involves behaviors that reduce your energy usage. Examples include turning the lights off in rooms that aren’t in use or putting on a sweater instead of turning your thermostat up a few degrees in the winter.  

Depending on your HVAC system, every degree you change your thermostat can increase or decrease your utility bills from 1% to 5% per degree.  

That’s why in the winter, instead setting your thermostat a few degrees higher, it makes sense to pull on a sweater or sweatshirt, or to use a space heater in smaller areas for short periods of time (always following safety guidelines), especially if you’re the only one home.  

And in the summer, using the windchill effect from a fan to help cool you off, instead of lowering the thermostat for your entire home, can help you stay comfortable while conserving energy. 

A deeper dive

To learn more about energy efficiency and conservation, and ways to reduce energy usage and save money, check out the video below. 

For a deeper dive into energy efficiency, conservation and smart technology, check out OPPD’s energy efficiency videos at oppd.com/EE. You can also find webinars on energy efficiency, smart technology and more on OPPD’s YouTube page.   

Be sure to come back next month, when we’ll explore how utilities balance the electrical grid and why being a part of the Southwest Power Pool is important for OPPD and its customer-owners.