Can COMPACT FLUORESCENT lighting really make a difference in my home?

The answer is a resounding "YES".

If every American home replaced just one light bulb with a COMPACT FLUORESCENT bulb, we would save enough energy to light more than 3 million homes for a year, more than $600 million in annual energy costs, and prevent greenhouse gases equivalent to the emissions of more than 800,000 cars.

• COMPACT FLUORESCENT bulbs use nearly 75 percent less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer.
• COMPACT FLUORESCENT bulbs save about $30 or more in electricity costs over each bulb's lifetime.
• COMPACT FLUORESCENT bulbs produce about 75 percent less heat, so they're safer to operate and can cut energy costs associated with home cooling.
• COMPACT FLUORESCENT bulbs are available in different sizes and shapes to fit in almost any fixture, for indoors and outdoors. (Click on the blue link to go to energystar.gov.)

We ask Arnold what he thought about compact fluorescent lamps (CFL's) in homes. "Ask Arnold" is a regular feature of Gulf Coast Electric's quarterly news letter. Arnold said:

"The great thing about these relatively new lamps is the amazing difference in the cost of operation. I use these babies around my house because I can replace the 60 watt bulbs in my lamps a 14 watt fluorescent bulb and we get the same lumens or light output with the 14 watt compact fluorescent as we did with the 60 watt incandescent bulbs". (We have lamps all over our house and Mrs. Arnold insists on keeping them on all of the time.) The use of fluorescent lighting in recessed cans, table lamps, kitchen fixtures, bathrooms, and virtually all over the house can save you lots of money. And, the best part about compact fluorescent lamps these days is that you don't have to have that dingy light that fluorescent lighting used to produce. You can now get fluorescent lighting in the exact same color rendition (Kelvin Rating) that incandescent lighting can produce. So to put it in a nutshell, there really is no downside or sacrifice when using the new compact fluorescent lighting anymore. You can get flood lights, spot lights, and even candelabra style compact fluorescent bulbs now. So whether you replace your old incandescent lights slowly over a period of time or all at once, you are going to begin to realize a savings in energy cost immediately. In fact, the ones I use at home actually advertise about $46.00 per year in savings for just one compact fluorescent bulb. Their figures are based on only three hours usage per day at 10 cents per kilowatt hour. Luckily, we don't pay that much for electricity yet, so I did the calculations and found that we can save about $32.00 year for each CFL that we use instead of a 60 watt bulb.

Recycling information for CFLs may be found at www.epa.gov/bulbrecycling or www.earth911.org.

How do I know if my CFL is dying and how do I dispose of it if it's burned out?

Find out the difference between incandenscent and CFL bulb burn outs and how to properly dispose of each.

Hopefully by now many of us are using compact fluorescents (CFL) in lieu of incandescent bulbs in our fixtures and lamps at home and at the office. We all know what it’s like to see an incandescent bulb burn out. Usually there is a little pop and the inside of the bulb turns black.

It’s just a little different with a CFL. Not only do they operate a little differently, using as much as 75% less energy, but they also burn out a little differently. You can expect the CFL to go out when you notice the light being a little dimmer and you will likely hear a more pronounced pop than you would with an incandescent bulb. You might even notice a smell and maybe even a little smoke. No need for alarm, in fact the CFL bulbs actually have an end of life mechanism that causes this to happen. But, to make absolutely sure that you are using the correct CFL, check to see if it has an independent laboratory stamp on it somewhere, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL). That label means that the CFL has been tested repeatedly for safety. After the CFL burns out, don’t pitch it in the garbage can. Just put it in a plastic bag and take it back to the retail store for disposal. Most retailers will recycle the CFL’s for you. In any case, you don’t want to send any bulb containing mercury to an incinerator.

If you have any questions or concerns about CFL’s or energy conservation just give the guys at Gulf Coast Electric a call and they will be eager to help you.

Is it okay to leave my appliance chargers in the wall when I am not using them?

Most of us do it, especially with phone chargers, but is smart?

Another quick energy saving tip is to make sure that you have your lap top charger and any other chargers on a plug strip so that you can turn them off when not in use. Most chargers continue to use energy even when they are not charging anything. Even though they would use slightly less energy when they are not charging is can still add up considering the number of wall warts (chargers) we use these days.

If you have any questions or concerns about CFL’s or energy conservation just give the guys at Gulf Coast Electric a call and they will be eager to help you.

How can I save money on my energy bill this winter season?

Follow these five tips and you will have more money to save and/or spend this holiday season!

Here at Gulf Coast Electric we want to make certain you are saving as much money as possible. With the short cold winter season here in Destin, Fort Walton Beach, Navarre, Niceville, and the surrounding Emerald Coast area, keep some extra cash to spend on gifts or treat yourself by following these helpful tips:

1. Assuming that you have done everything you can possibly do to seal your windows, doors, and attic access, the next best thing you can do to conserve energy in the winter is to install a programmable thermostat. Here in Northwest Florida, it is sometimes cold in the morning and evening and yet warm in the middle of the day. With a programmable thermostat you can insure that your heat and air conditioner are not running when they don’t need to be running. You may want to turn your heat off completely when you go to bed but with a programmable thermostat you don’t have to worry about waking up in a frigid house when it is time to rise. And you won’t have to think about wasting energy heating your home when you are at work. Let the programmable thermostat take the worry and expense out of conditioning your home.

2. If your water heater is not in a conditioned space, buy a blanket for it. Blankets make a big difference in the performance of the water heater. And if you live in a home that has a split floor plan with the water heater on one side of the house and the bathrooms on the other, you may have noticed that it takes a long time to get hot water from one point to the other in the winter. Often it is best to put a circulation pump on your system so that you don’t waste a lot of water and energy. All of that water pipe that is in your slab has to be heated before you get the full benefit of your hot water system. In some cases it is actually better to install a water heater on each side of the house so that you don’t have to waste so much water and heat. If you calculate the cost of the wasted water and energy that it takes to heat those pipes it can sometimes be better to have two water heaters. Also, you can make your water heater even more efficient with a timer, especially if it is an older water heater with less insulation than the newer models have today.

3. This is a big one for those of you who have fire places. Fire places are nice during those few cold periods that we have here in the Destin and Ft. Walton Beach area. During the holidays a nice fire is something that everyone enjoys, but just remember that the flue of the fire place is also a large opening for heat to escape when it is not being used and it is also a large opening for large volumes of air to enter when the air conditioning system is on in the house. Always make sure the damper is fully closed when the fire place is not in operation. Your air conditioning system is capable of exchanging a large volume of air when there is an opening for it to do so.

4. Turn off the vents in any rooms that are unoccupied, bundle up, dress like it is winter, turn the thermostat down to 68 degrees and put on a nice sweater or throw on a comforter while you are watching TV. Enjoy your favorite warm drink and save money at the same time.

5. Lastly but very importantly, remember that when we start putting up Christmas decorations each year there are always articles about homeowners being injured or electrocuted by their Christmas lights. Let’s remember that the holidays are not a time to throw caution and safety to the wind. All outdoor Christmas lighting should be plugged into a Ground Fault Receptacle that is completely weatherproof when it is in use. Ground Fault Receptacles save thousands of lives every year, especially in our coastal area where we have so many docks, boats, jet ski lifts, and outdoor equipment. Make it a safe holiday season and test your GFI receptacles as recommended. Check old Christmas lighting wires before you put them up and make sure that they are not subject to damage by doors and windows being opened. Also, make sure that the Christmas lighting you are installing outside is rated for outdoor use. If you are not sure about the safety of your electrical outlets outside, call Gulf Coast Electric. We will check out your GFI receptacles and make sure that they are safe and working properly.