Executive Ship News Bulletin

Guide To Home Energy Savings
Home Energy Checklist For Action Start Today!
	Once the water in the water heater is heated up, it may be used at later times in the day (depending on its capacity). It may not be necessary to switch on the heater every time before use.
	Switch off lights, fans, air-conditioners and other equipment when not required.
	Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. These "phantom" loads occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as VCRs, televisions, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. In the average home, 75% of the electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. This can be avoided by unplugging the appliance (if a switch is not provided at the outlet on the wall) or using a power strip and using the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance.
	Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use.
	Start using energy-saving settings on refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, and clothes dryers.
	Survey your incandescent lights for opportunities to replace them with compact fluorescents (CFLs). These lamps can save three-quarters of the electricity used by incandescents. The best targets are 60-100W bulbs used several hours a day. New CFLs come in many sizes and styles to fit in most standard fixtures.
	Use task lighting; instead of brightly lighting an entire room, focus the light where you need it.
	Check the age and condition of your major appliances, especially the refrigerator. Replace aging, inefficient appliances. Even if the appliance has a few useful years left, replacing it with a energy-efficient model is generally a good investment.
	Clean or replace air-conditioner filters regularly.
	Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing; when replacing exhaust fans, consider installing high-efficiency, low-noise models.
	Use solar energy where possible, eg: water heating, lighting, cooking, etc.
	Collect your utility bills. Target the biggest bill for energy conservation remedies.
	Use fans as far as possible to avoid higher power consuming air conditioner. When the air conditioner is used set the thermostat to the highest temperature setting you are comfortable with.
	Have your air conditioner serviced regularly.
	An ENERGY STAR computer uses 70% less electricity than computers without this designation. If left inactive, ENERGY STAR computers enter a low-power mode and use 15 watts or less. Spending a large portion of time in low-power mode not only saves energy, but helps equipment run cooler and last longer.
	ENERGY STAR computers and monitors save energy only when the power management features are activated, so make sure power management is activated on your computer.
	There is a common misconception that screen savers reduce energy use by monitors; they do not. Automatic switching to sleep mode or manually turning monitors off is always the better energy-saving strategy.
	Consider buying a laptop for your next computer upgrade; they use much less energy than desktop computers.
	Know that you are making a difference!