Applecross Informational Articles

The pending increase to power usage rate caps in the coming year is causing a surge of new power providers to come to light, offering cheaper rates to consumers who have previously been forced to use PECO Energy.

Please access the website below for more information regarding your power usage options here at Applecross.

PA Power Switch

Ways To Save Energy

Save money by conserving energy. The following are energy saving tips for your home and office:

Sealing Your Home

• Seal any air leaks in your home. Air leaks are commonly found around plumbing and wiring, windows and doors, and where walls meet ceilings. Remember, a one-quarter inch gap at the base of a three-foot wide exterior door leaks as much air as a three inch hole in the wall of your home.
• Weather-strip all doors and windows or install storm windows and doors to prevent drafts. Lack of adequate weather-stripping can cost you $50 or more per year in lost energy.

Heating and Cooling

• Lower the water temperature setting of your water heater to 120 degrees for significant savings.
• Wrap the hot water tank with jacket insulation. For safety reasons, wrap only the sides of a gas tank. Wrap the sides and top of an electric tank.
• Do not place furniture over heating and cooling vents. This can block or restrict air flow, making your heating and air conditioning systems work harder.
• Monitor your thermostat setting in the winter. At a setting of on 68 degrees, you can see a difference of up to 3 percent in energy costs for every degree you raise or lower the setting.
• Install a setback thermostat. This will lower the temperature while you sleep, and will raise it automatically just before you wake up. It takes far less energy to lower the thermostat and then raise it later than to keep it set at the same setting at all times.
• Regularly maintain your furnace to keep it safe and efficient.
• Run your air conditioner as little as possible to save money and conserve energy.

Appliances and Water Usage

• Use the automatic cycle on your clothes dryer. Drying more than needed wastes energy and wears out clothes.
• Check and clean your dryer exhaust vent regularly and remove lint after each load.
• Wash only full loads in washers and dishwashers to minimize hot water use. Your hot water tank is usually the second greatest energy user in your home.
• Wash clothes in cold water to reduce your energy bill and prevent shrinking and fading.
• Take showers instead of baths. A seven minute or less shower under a two gallon per minute low-flow shower head is more water and energy efficient than taking a bath in a bathtub full of water.