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Energy efficiency at home has multiple advantages, from lowering electricity bills to decreasing air pollution. But what does that really mean?
Energy efficiency “is about using less energy to get the same job done,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency. For example, washing dishes with an energy-efficient dishwasher uses less power than a traditional model.
To save energy at home, you need to understand how much energy you’re using and discover ways to reduce it. Duquesne Light Company is here to help.
As part of their ongoing commitment to power the moments in the lives of over 600,000 customers in the Pittsburgh community, DLC offers several tools to evaluate and manage your home energy use. Check them out below.
Electric Usage Summary
Get a historical picture of your energy consumption with a quick and easy Electric Usage Summary report. All you have to do is log into your account to review when you used more or less electricity over a year.
Energy Insights Audit
Learn where you spend your home’s energy dollars in just a few keystrokes with DLC’s Online Energy Audit tool. Input your 10-digit DLC account number, then click “Detailed Home Analysis” to get your home energy report in less than three minutes.
Efficient Product Marketplace
Switching to energy-efficient appliances is one way to save energy. You can shop for and compare appliances, smart thermostats, and more by efficiency, features, reviews, and price in DLC’s convenient Online Marketplace.
‘Vampire’ Energy Calculator
Did you know your coffeemaker, laptop, flat-screen TV, and other electronic devices draw power if you leave them plugged in—even if you turn them off? Discover how much energy and money you’ll save in a year by unplugging these devices with DLC’s Vampire Calculator.
Appliance Calculator
Get a household energy total for common appliances throughout your home, from the fridge to your cozy electric blanket, with DLC’s Appliance Calculator. Input the number of each kind of appliance and the number of hours you use them during weekdays and the weekend to find the kWh they use and the annual cost for each item.
Light Savings Calculator
Swapping out incandescent light bulbs for energy-efficient LEDs is one of the simplest things you can do to save energy. Select wattage, number of bulbs, and number of hours they will burn each day to understand and update your home’s bulb usage with DLC’s Light Savings Calculator.
For example, if you replace three 75-watt incandescent bulbs that burn four hours daily with LEDs, you’ll save 262 kWh of energy, 361 lbs. CO2, and $26 per year.
Interactive Energy Home
Check out this nifty Interactive Energy Home guide if you want to get a handle on where home energy goes. Click on different residential categories—such as heating and cooling, indoor lighting, or water—to learn how much energy each area uses and get tips for boosting efficiency.
Residential Energy Library
There’s no better place to find loads of information about home energy use than DLC’s extensive Residential Energy Library. It includes fundamentals like Energy History and Energy Use in Homes to Power Quality. You’ll be an energy scholar before you know it when you read the extensive list of energy topics.
Fundamentals of Electricity
Suppose you’re curious about how circuits work, what generates electricity, or how it gets delivered. You can learn everything you need to know in Fundamentals of Electricity.
Kids Korner
Entertain your kids and help them learn what they can do to save energy at home with Kids Korner. Engaging articles with cute cartoon-style graphics and animation explain what energy is and why we need it, electrical safety information, and much more. Doing fun, adult-assisted home experiments like Charge Up Your Cheerios helps reinforce what they read.
PAPowerSwitch.com
Shopping for the best price from a power supplier can keep home energy dollars in your wallet. Just plug your zip code into Pennsylvania’s Public Utility Commission website PAPowerSwitch.com to browse a list of residential electric service suppliers and prices near you.
OCA Electric Shopping Guide
The Pennsylvania Office of Consumer Advocate (OCA) offers a helpful online Electric Shopping Guide. You can use it to compare prices between electric suppliers in your local area. Provider charts show prices per kWh and estimates for what you’ll pay if you use 500 kWh, 1,000 kWh, and 2,000 kWh each month.
ENERGY Star Product and Appliance Guide
ENERGY Star-certified products save energy, helping lower your power bill and the planet’s carbon footprint. Following easy tips, like using the microwave for cooking as much as possible and turning off lights and fans when you leave a room, makes a difference.
According to ENERGY Star, it costs almost $20 a year to leave one light on for eight hours a day. This quickly adds up if you leave lights on in multiple rooms.
Homeowners Energy Efficiency Loan Program (HEELP)
Making energy-efficient home improvements may be more affordable than you think if you qualify for the Pennsylvania Housing Agency’s Homeowners Energy Efficiency Loan Program (HEELP). Upon loan approval, you can borrow up to $10,000 at a 1% fixed interest rate for home updates like energy-efficient windows, doors, and roof replacements.
Third-Party Load Control Program
You can save money and energy if you work with a company that offers a Third Party Load Control Program. Participating companies provide financial incentives if you volunteer to reduce your electricity use. DLC requires you to complete a participation request form if you have a load control agreement with a third-party company.
In-Home Display
Use technology to your energy-saving advantage when you connect an in-home display to a smart meter via a Home Area Network (HAN). In doing so, you can monitor your home’s electricity use in near real-time and adjust high-energy activities and devices to conserve energy.
Ultimately, using Duquesne Light Company’s long list of energy-saving tools will boost your home’s energy efficiency while you power life’s essential moments.
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