By Rep. Peggy Pendleton (D-Scarborough)

House District 128

This time of year we are all thinking about the holidays and keeping
warm. With rising energy prices, I’m sure many of you are considering
what you can do to save on energy costs. There are numerous things we
can all change around the house to lower our monthly bills and help the
environment.

One of the simplest things to do is remember to always turn down your
heat at night or when you are headed out of the house. If you are like
me and sometimes forget to do this as you hurry out the door, consider
purchasing one of the new programmable thermostats. These thermostats
allow you to program time and temperature. The thermostat then
automatically lowers and raises your heat. Given how busy we all are,
this is one less thing to remember and will save you money.

Another way to lower your energy costs is to switch to the new compact
fluorescent light (CFLs) bulbs. The CFL bulbs use 60 to 75 percent less
energy than traditional incandescent bulbs. While CFLs have been around
for a few years, there are now many options within this line of bulbs,
such as outdoor, dimmable, and three-way bulbs. Since you need a lower
wattage CFL to replace an existing standard bulb, you can use the chart
below to convert your existing standard bulb to a CFL bulb.

Standard Bulb Watts        CFL Watt Range

40        10-11

60        13-16

75        18-23

100        24-29

150        30-42





If your electric bill is making you feel like the Grinch, you can also
save money by purchasing the new Light-Emitting Diode (LED) holiday
lights. An entire string of LED bulbs uses the same amount of energy as
just one conventional bulb. Since they don’t heat up like conventional
bulbs, they will last ten times longer. You can even save more money by
printing out a coupon for $1.50 from the state of Maine’s Efficiency
Maine Web site: www.efficiencymaine.com/Temp/EMLEDCoupon.pdf.

Another cost saver is to turn down the setting on your hot water
heater. Between 15 and 25 percent of your electric bill is probably
spent heating your water. For every 10 degrees that you reduce your
water temperature, you can save 3 to 5 percent in energy costs. You may
need to check whether your dishwasher has a booster heater, since
lowering the temperature could alter the effectiveness of your
dishwasher. You could also save almost 10 percent on your hot water
costs by using a water heater blanket. Wrapping up your hot water
heater is especially important if it is located in a cold part of the
house.

If you are considering replacing your hot water heater, there are new
“on-demand” water heaters that can significantly lower your energy
costs.  These hot water heaters don’t store water but instead heat
up water only when you need it, which will save you more money if you
are a less frequent user of hot water.  For example, if you are
doing several loads of laundry a day, a load of dishes, and have five
people taking showers a day, they will still save you money, but just
not as much as someone who is using less hot water (probably a savings
of 8 to 14 percent verses 24-34 percent).

If you are considering building a home or updating your energy systems,
you should look into Maine’s Solar Energy Rebate Program. In 2005, Gov.
John Baldacci introduced his Solar Initiative, which provides rebates
for solar air and hot water systems. There are two types of solar
systems supported by the program: photovoltaic and thermal.

The current rebate can cover up to 25 percent of the cost of the
system, or $1,250, whichever is less. The solar rebates, coupled with
federal tax incentives, may reduce the cost of purchasing and
installing solar energy systems by roughly 30 percent, according to
staff at the Maine Public Utilities Commission. While the funds for the
photovoltaic (PV) system have been reserved though the end of 2008,
there are ample funds for the thermal systems. There may be additional
rebate dollars available in 2008 for the PV systems. If you are
interested in learning more about “going solar,” visit the Efficiency
Maine web site above.

In January, the Legislature will consider a proposal, sponsored by Rep.
Timothy Carter, (D-Bethel), to create a new state rebate program for
geothermal heating systems. While Maine relies almost entirely on oil
and some natural gas for heat, nations like Iceland actively harness
geothermal energy for heat and electricity. The major obstacle keeping
geothermal energy systems out of the mainstream energy market is the
price of purchase and installation, which can cost many thousands of
dollars depending on the size and type. Yet once tapped, geothermal
energy costs very little to operate. It requires minimal electricity to
run the system’s heat pump, and the overall system is three times more
efficient than an electric space heating system.