Tips & Resources
Tips
- Set your thermostat to a higher temperature setting during peak hours of noon to 8 p.m. or while you are not home. Each degree setting above 72 reduces by three percent the amount of electricity used by your central air conditioning system.
- Keep doors and windows closed during the day while your air conditioner is running.
- Close blinds on those windows that directly face the sun. In the evening open windows and use Utah’s lower nighttime temperatures and canyon breezes to cool your home.
- Reduce the use of appliances that produce heat. Ovens, ranges, and clothes dryers all produce excess heat and require extra electricity to keep your home cool and comfortable.
- Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). Only 15 percent of the electricity used by a standard incandescent bulb produces light (the rest of the energy is wasted as heat). CFLs use 75 percent less electricity and are a cooler way to light your home.
- Use the “air dry” cycle on your dishwasher.
- Minimize the time your refrigerator door(s) remain open. Cold air lost from your refrigerator requires the compressor to run longer and produces more heat in your kitchen.
- Turn off lights, TV’s and electronic appliances when not in use. These appliances can waste electricity and create heat when they are on.
- As outside temperatures allow, use a fan to cool your home. Moving air provides a five degree cooling effect on your skin.
- Participate in energy conservation programs offered by your local electric utility company.
- If appropriate for your needs, use an evaporative cooler to cool your home or business. Evaporative coolers are very efficient and new technology and modern features make this cooling appliance convenient and easy on your wallet.
- Purchase a central air conditioner with the ENERGY STAR label or a model with a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) of 13 or greater. The higher the SEER, the greater the electricity and dollar savings you will see on your electricity bill. To maximize energy efficiency, make sure your central air conditioning system is installed by a licensed contractor and is sized to the exact needs of your home or business. All ducts should be properly sized, sealed, and insulated.
- Install and use an ENERGY STAR programmable thermostat. This device saves electricity and keeps your home comfortable during Utah’s hot summer days by allowing you to automatically adjust the time and temperature setting to ensure the proper amount of cooling is provided throughout the day.
- Purchase an ENERGY STAR-rated room air conditioner. ENERGY STAR models use at least 10 percent less electricity than 10-year old models. Make sure you buy a unit that is the right size for the room you are trying to cool.
Resources
Rocky Mountain Power - Residential Customers
Rocky Mountain Power - Commercial, Industrial, & Irrigation Customers
Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems
Rocky Mountain Power - Residential Customers
- Cool Cash Incentive – Residential customers can get cash incentives for the purchase and home installation of qualifying high-efficiency evaporative cooling and central air conditioning systems.
- Cool Keeper – Enroll in the Cool Keeper program to help play an important role in conserving energy and keeping everyone’s costs down. You'll also earn a $20 annual bill credit.
- Refrigerator Recycling – Say "See ya later, refrigerator" and earn a $40 cash incentive from Rocky Mountain Power.
- ENERGY STAR New Homes – In the market for a new home? One of our ENERGY STAR New Homes may be just what you're looking for. These homes offer improved comfort, higher re-sale value and lower energy bills.
- Home Energy Analysis – Learn more about your energy use by completing a self-survey about home. We'll send you back customized recommendations to help you become more efficient.
- Time of Day – This option gives you more control of how much you spend on electricity. Time of Day rewards customers who can move a substantial portion of their power usage away from summer “on-peak” hours – that’s when demand for electricity is at its highest and when it is most expensive to get the power to our customers.
Commercial, Industrial, and Irrigation Customers
- Energy FinAnswer - Get cash incentives to help you upgrade your commercial or industrial heating, cooling, refrigeration, compressed air, lighting, pumping or industrial processes.
- FinAnswer Express - Get pre-calculated incentives for high-efficiency lighting, premium efficiency motors and HVAC equipment. This program is for retrofits and new construction.
- Recommissioning - This program can help commercial buildings run more efficiently primarily using low-cost or no-cost measures. Participants can save up to 15 percent in energy costs.
- Self-Direction Credit - Receive credits to offset the Customer Efficiency Services charge for qualified "self-investments" in efficiency and related demand side management projects.
- Energy Exchange - A voluntary load curtailment program for customers with more than 1 megawatt of connected load.
- Seminars and Training - We provide our customers with low-cost seminars on topics to help businesses improve the efficiency of their operations. We also partner with other groups to provide efficiency information and training.
Utah Associated Municipal Power Systems
- UAMPS Conservation Tips – Conservation tips from UAMPS.
- St. George Power Conservation Tips – Learn more about energy conservation practices for southwestern Utah’s Dixie region.
- St. George Power Net Metering Program - Learn how to receive a rebate of $2,000 per installed kW of renewable energy with a limit of 3 kW residential and 10 kW commercial.
- UMPA Energy Saving Tips – Helpful conservation tips from UMPA.
- State of Utah Energy Policy – Visit the state’s energy web site for more information on energy efficiency and conservation in Utah.
- Department of Energy Online Home Audit – Take a few minutes to complete this online survey about your home and its energy usage. You'll find out how you currently use energy and get detailed instructions on how to reduce your energy consumption.
For more information on the PowerForward campaign and alert system, please contact:
Denise Brems at 801-536-4169 or dbeaudoin@utah.gov.
Media inquiries please contact:
Donna Spangler at 801-536-4484 or dspangler@utah.gov.