Through our Beat the Peak program, Sussex Rural Electric Cooperative offers ways that members can conserve energy and help keep rates low for all our members. Even if you don't feel that Beat the Peak is right for you, there are other ways that you can change your energy habits to help our membership Beat the Peak! Making these small changes during peak hours will help you conserve energy and will make an impact on your power bill. Below are a few examples of how to get started. You can also check out our #MondayMoneySavers archive to find 104 energy saving tips that you can use in your home to decrease your energy usage.

Winter Tips:

Best Bets for Winter Savings: Energy consumption spikes during winter months as we spend more time indoors and heating systems work overtime. You can help reduce demand and strain on the electric grid by conserving energy during peak energy times. Reducing energy use will also help lower your energy bills. Unplug when possible (Turn off unnecessary lights and electronics when you aren't using them). Maintain Heating Equipment (Maintain your heating system by replacing dirty, clogged filters and scheduling an annual inspection for necessary maintenance). Elminate Drafts And Air Leaks (Seal air leaks and drafts around windows and exterior doors). Use Appliances When Energy Demand Is Lower (Run large appliances like clothes washers, dryers, and dishwashers early in the morning or before you go to bed). Lower The Thermostat (Home heating accounts for a large portion of energy consumption. Adjust your thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting [68 degrees or lower].).
  • In the winter, lowering the thermostat by as little as 1 degree Farenheit can reduce a heating bill by 3% per degree. Heating costs are typically the biggest expense in powering a person's home.
  • Programmable thermostats allow you to set times that your heat can be turned down, or off, automatically. Take advantage of this for times during the day when no one will be home.
  • The Department of Energy recommends a thermostat setting of 68 degrees in winter months.
  • Caulk, seal, and weatherstrip all seams, cracks, and openings to reduce air leaks in your home. Culprit areas include spaces around doors, windows, or drop-down stairs such as ones used for attics. Also be sure to seal areas where plumbing, ducting, or wiring penetrate through exterior walls, floors, and ceilings.
  • Try using an area rug to increase insulation levels on your floors. Area rugs can keep cool air form entering your home through your floors, saving your toes from the chill and your home from additional heating cost.
  • Be sure to have your dryer exhaust vent inspected at least once per year to make sure it is running efficiently and is not kinked, clogged, or blocked.
  • If you have a secondary refrigerator that isn't getting much use, try to fit anything inside in your main fridge and unplug the empty back-up refrigerator.
  • Lower your water heater to 120 degrees F. This will keep your water heat at acceptable levels and will be more cost-effective than default settings. If your house only has one or two members, 115 degrees F will suffice.
  • Try to be mindful of your time spent in the shower to save money on water heating, especially if others have to use the shower after you. Experts recommend 5-7 minute showers.
  • Consider insulating your water heater tank, which could reduce standby heat losses by 25 to 45 percent and save you about 4 to 9 percent in water heating costs.
  • Be sure to replace furnace filters monthly or as recommended. If you heat your home with warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, or radiators, clean them regularly to improve efficiency.
  • When going away, be sure to unplug electronics that draw phantom energy load. Some gadgets, like TVs, gaming consoles, chargers, and DVD or Blu-Ray platers use energy when plugged into an outlet, even when they're not in use.
  • An electric space heater can cost more than $100 per month to operate. Minimize their use, except for limited or temporary spot heating. Be sure to turn space heaters off when leaving the room.
  • During cold days, make sure drapes and shades are left open to catch free solar heat. At night, close shades and drapes to store heat in your home.
  • Regularly defrost manual-defrost refrigerators and freezers. Frost buildup increases the amount of energy needed to keep the engine running. Never allow frost to build up more than one quarter of an inch.
  • Wash clothes in cold water, preferably using cold-water detergents. Unless your laundry has oily stains, cold or warm water will clean clothes with the same effectiveness. Even switching the water from hot to warm will cut a load's energy consumption in half.

Summer and Year-Round Tips:

Draw your shades and blinds on the sunny side of your home to reduce heat gain through windows

Set your thermostat 2 degrees or more warmer - the closer to outside's temperature, the more you save!

Save high energy-tasks like laundry for later in the day, after 7 pm if possible, to avoid peak hours

Make sure your AC runs at full capacity and has clean evaporator coils, ideally cleaned yearly

Keep your garage door closed whenever possible to keep cool air from escaping your home

Make sure to turn off any lights or ceiling fans that you have on when you leave the room

Replace disposable air filters or clean permanent ones every month to keep air flowing efficiently

Set your pool filter to run later in the evening, ideally after 7 pm, to have it run during off-peak hours

While cooking, small appliances like microwaves or toaster ovens give off less excess heat than ovens

Energy is wasted on heating water that won't reach the faucet, so set the temperature to cool

Plant deciduous trees to the south of your home to block heat while letting breezes through

A nearly-empty backup fridge wastes a lot of energy - consider emptying it and unplugging it

Take shorter showers, ideally under 10 minutes, to save energy on heating water

Consider drying clothes outside during peak hours rather than using a dryer

When not needed, unplug TVs, laptops, and other devices that draw energy even when not in use

Make sure your refrigerators coils stay clean so it runs efficiently and does not draw extra power

When cooking, covers pots and pans with lids to prevent heat from escaping and cook more efficiently

Only run your dishwasher when it's completely full and aim to run it after 7 pm if possible, during off-peak hours