Did You Know?

• Energy use of the average home creates almost twice as much greenhouse gas emissions as the average car!
  
• Each year, Americans spend more money to power home audio and DVD products when turned off than when actually in use.
  
• Each 5 mph you drive over 60 is like paying an additional 20 cents per gallon for gas!
  
• Energy production and use account for more than 83% of greenhouse gas emissions and more environmental damage than any other human activity.
  
• If every U.S. household replaced five most-used incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR qualified CFLs, avoided greenhouse gases would be equivalent to the emissions savings from taking 8 million cars off the road for a year!
  
• The energy use of two families living in two homes that look exactly alike can vary by 100% -- meaning that how you use what's in your home can double (or halve) your energy bills.
  
• Using an energy-efficient dishwasher is less expensive than washing your dishes by hand. An ENERGY STAR-qualified dishwasher costs less to operate than the amount of a single postage stamp.
  
• CFLs use 2/3 less energy than incandescent light bulbs, generate 70 percent less heat, and last up to 10 times longer.
  
• Bigger isn't always better. Poorly-sized air conditioning units can inflate your energy costs and contribute to poor indoor air quality that worsens allergies.
  
• A programmable thermostat that "remembers for you" can cut your cooling costs by 10%.
  
• ENERGY STAR-labeled appliances, electronics, home office equipment, windows, and lighting can cut related energy bills by up to 30%.
  
• Average U.S. households will pay nearly $5,000 this year to power their homes and vehicles.
  
• If all of the nation's households used the most efficient refrigerators, electricity savings would eliminate the need for nearly 30 power plants.
  
• Tax credits of up to $500 are available this year for certain energy-efficiency improvements to your home -- reducing monthly energy bills and federal taxes simultaneously.
  
• Sealing air leaks in your home and adding appropriate insulation can cut your heating and cooling bills by up to 20%.
  
• Computer screensavers don't reduce energy use. Instead activate "sleep" features on computers and office equipment that power down when the equipment is not in use for a while.
  
• If every U.S. household replaced just ONE traditional incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent light bulb (CFL), we would save enough energy to light 7 million homes and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to removing 1 million cars from the road for a year.
  
• Using cold water for laundry can save up to $63 a year.