Salem Community Patriot December 10, 2010 - 7


National Grid Offers Energy and Money Saving Tips for a Safe and Bright Holiday Season National Grid customers don’t have to be


Scrooges to save money on lighting and festivities this holiday season. By following some simple energy efficiency and safety tips, customers can benefit from a more environmentally friendly, safe, and cost-effective season.


Save Big on Lighting Over the past few years, new lighting


alternatives have become available that may cost more initially, but cost much less to maintain and operate. Energy-efficient miniature or light- emitting diode (LED) lights use considerably less energy than traditional lighting technology. The list below provides customers with the potential costs associated with each type of lighting. • Traditional Lights: These lights use about 10 watts per bulb. A typical residential customer with a rate of 10 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh) will pay $37.50 a month to operate 10 strings of 25-bulb traditional bulbs.


• Miniature Lights: The average miniature light uses 0.4 watts per bulb. Operating 10 strings of the bulbs, at 100 bulbs per string, will cost the typical residential customer $6 per month.


• Icicle Lights: Icicle lights use the same amount of energy per miniature bulb as miniature light strands, but a string of icicle lights with 100 bulbs will cover a much shorter distance than a straight string of miniature lights. Adding additional strands of lights will increase the typical residential customer’s electricity usage.


• LED Lights: LED lights use only 0.04 watts per bulb, or 1/10 the amount of miniature bulbs. Due to their solid-state construction, these bulbs are safer and more durable. Ten sets of 100 of these LED bulbs will cost the typical residential customer 60 cents per month to operate.


• Regardless of the lights you choose, additional energy and cost can be saved by turning lights off and unplugging before going to bed or installing an automatic timer that can reduce power usage by turning the lights on at dusk and turning them off at a desired time. Also, consider using fewer lights and more decorations that do not use energy, such as wreaths or poinsettias.


Additional Energy


Saving Tips • Yard Inflatables: Yard inflatables range from simple blow-up cartoon characters to 8-foot-tall globes with rotating figures, blowing snow, and lights. Large globes consume about 150 watts per hour, while rotating carousels consume around 200 watts. At 16 hours per day, the total cost of electricity could be $10 per inflatable, per month.


• Holiday Cooking: Using the smallest appliance for the job while cooking during the holidays will always save energy. For example, microwave ovens use less than half the energy required by a conventional oven. Use the smallest pan and burner needed for the job. Cook with lids on your pans. For example, cooking pasta without a lid on the pot can use three times as much energy.


• Smart Baking: To improve oven efficiency, keep the doors closed as much as possible and bake several dishes at the same time and temperature. Every time the door is opened, heat escapes. If the oven self-cleans, turn it on just after taking out the holiday cookie cut-outs while the oven is still hot.


• Storing the Feast: Keep extra beverages and holiday leftovers cold by storing them in your garage or on the porch if temperatures permit. Unplugging that second refrigerator saves $23 per month on the electricity bill. Also, defrosting frozen food in the refrigerator helps keep the refrigerator cold.


Decorating Safely • Avoid Overhead Lines: Overhead power lines are not insulated and carry enough energy to cause serious injury or even death. Never use an


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9:30am - 7pm Sun


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• Approved Lighting: Make sure your lights have a safety listing from a nationally recognized testing laboratory, such as the Underwriters Laboratories (UL). A safety approval seal means the lights have been tested and are safe to use. Use lights only as intended. Always unplug your lights before going to bed or leaving home.


• Outdoor Connections: Plug outdoor lights into Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs), which are available at hardware and electrical supply stores. If there is an electrical fault with a light string, GFCIs will automatically shut off the electricity well before any electric shock could occur. Also, cover outdoor plugs and connector joints with a water-resistant layer of plastic wrap and electrical tape.


• Christmas Trees: If you have an artificial tree, make sure it’s been tested for flammability by the UL. To prevent electrical shock, never use electric decorations on artificial trees with metallic needles, leaves, or branches. Instead, place colored spotlights above or beside the tree—never attached to it. Keep your natural tree well-watered to prevent bulbs from igniting dry branches. Keep extension cords and light sets away from the tree stand.


• Don’t Overload: Don’t overload your electric circuits. Check your fuse or breaker panel to see how much your home can handle and stay well within limits.


• Avoid Shock: Make sure there’s a bulb in each socket. If a bulb has burned out, leave it in until you have a replacement. National Grid has a 20-year track record


of partnering with its customers to provide successful, award-winning efficiency programs in its U.S. service territory. These programs have helped save customers nearly 565 million therms of natural gas, representing approximately $876


Season’s Greetings Season’s Greetings


aluminum ladder within 10 feet of power lines, and keep yourself and holiday decorations at least 10 feet away from residential electric lines and equipment.


million in savings on their heating bills. To find out more about the energy efficiency programs in your area, including details of potential incentives and forms for installing additional energy efficiency measures, visit National Grid’s energy efficiency Website at www.powerofaction.com. In addition, now National Grid has issued


a specific energy efficiency challenge to its customers: Pledge to use three percent less energy every year for the next 10 years. The cornerstone of the three percent less campaign is www.powerofaction.com, where visitors can sign a pledge, participate in a free energy evaluation, and learn ways to reduce their energy consumption. National Grid is an


international energy delivery company. In the U.S., National Grid delivers electricity to approximately 3.3 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island, and manages the electricity network on Long Island under an agreement with the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). It is the largest


SAL EM, NEW HAMP SHIRE


distributor of natural gas in the northeastern U.S., serving approximately 3.4 million customers in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, and Rhode Island. National Grid also owns over 4,000 megawatts of contracted electricity generation that provides power to over one million LIPA customers.


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Centerpoint Community Church Christmas Celebrations


Dec. 17 & 18, 7 PM @ West Congregational Church, Haverhill MA Dec. 19, 7:00 PM @ Centerpoint


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Dec. 24, 7:00 PM Christmas Eve Candlelight Service All are welcome


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Dec.19, 10:00 AM Christmas Sunday Worship Christmas Musical Journey to the Manger


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