At North American Power, we offer so much more than just your energy supply rate. We’re working hard to bring you more perks as a North American Power customer! Just in time for National Cut Your Energy Costs Day! Here are 4 tips to help you save energy!

Most people don’t think too hard about where the electricity in their home is generated from. You flip a switch or plug in an appliance, and the lights and heat work – simple, right? However, different areas of the country have different sources for the majority of their energy, and this can affect your own energy costs. Let’s look at the seven main sources of power across the US.

Coal

With electricity powering most electronic devices that we use daily we now consume more energy from fossil fuels than ever before. We use electricity to power machines that appear in every aspect of our lives, including:

Did you know you have vampires in your house? No, not the sparkling, angst-ridden teenaged ones, or dark and sinister ancient ones – these frightening vampires feed off of the energy in your home, slowly draining away your dollars and cents without you noticing.

Garlic won’t help, and neither will a stake and mallet, but you can cut these vampires off at their path by identifying their haunts and ridding your home of access points. After all, a vampire denied entry has to vacate.

Turn off the Set-Top Boxes!

Even when certain appliances are off, they're using energy in “standby” mode. These “vampire" appliances can account for up to 5% or more of total energy usage in the home. Over the course of a year, according to the Department of Energy, vampire appliances use around 52 billion kWh, or the complete output of 26 average-size power plants.¹

Identifying Energy Vampires

Energy vampires commonly have one or more of the following features:

When you save on energy, you’re not only lowering your power costs, but you can earn incentives from the federal government. Currently, a large number of tax credits are available for purchases made of certified ENERGY STAR products, as well as, other efficiency upgrades made to residences.¹

$300 Tax Credit

Windows are an essential part of your home. By allowing light to enter it keeps your home from feeling like a closed up box. However, in some older homes they often have windows that cost the owners money. This is due to the construction of the windows, materials used, installation methods, and how much the home has settled/ shifted over time.

Replacing windows is a long term investment, but if done properly it can pay for itself with electricity savings, since older windows are often one of the most common ways for heat to escape your home.¹

Did you know that your thermostat could save you money? The settings on your thermostat can be one of the most important factors on how big your winter electric bill is each month. These nine tips can help you fight against high power bills.

Hundreds of gadgets are designed to promote energy efficiency and are launched every year. By making small investments and being aware of energy consumption you can increase your savings on monthly power usage and reduce the carbon footprint you make on the planet. Here are 7 energy efficient gadgets that will help you save!

Plugs and Switches