As American families and businesses transition to remote work to slow the spread of COVID-19, many have seen a surge in home energy use—and in electric bills. Simple money-saving steps can help lower your bills without jeopardizing safety or comfort. These simple steps include:

• Program your thermostat to maximize energy savings. Setting your thermostat 1 degree lower when heating or 1 degree higher when cooling can reduce energy use by up to 5%. The best way to do this is using a smart or programable thermostat. Medina EC offers members a rebate for installing a programmable thermostat. Learn more at MedinaEC.org/Rebates.
• Do only full loads of laundry and wash with cold water. Using warm water instead of hot can cut a load’s energy use in half, and using cold water saves even more.
• Air-dry dishes. This can cut your dishwasher’s energy use by up to 50%.
• Replace incandescent lightbulbs with LEDs. Lighting can amount to up to 12% of monthly energy use. LEDs can cut lighting costs by 75%.
• Unplug appliances and electronics when not in use. Small appliances and electronics use energy even when not in use. When powered on, game consoles, TVs and similar electronics are responsible for up to 12% of a home’s energy use.

“Medina EC realizes that more of our members are working and learning from home than ever before, creating an increase in their electric use and electric bill. Education, Training and Information is one of our cooperative principles, and we think energy efficiency education, and as a result saving money, is important to all our members,” stated Medina EC’s CEO, Mark Rollans.

Small life-style changes can make a real difference in your energy consumption. For more energy-conservation tips, visit MedinaEC.org/EnergySavings.