Decorate with LEDs and save

If you plan to decorate with lights this season, LED Christmas lights are the best option for saving on your electric bill. Here’s a comparison of Christmas lights.

Standard incandescent C7 lights – these run between 4 to 7 watts and can produce a lot of heat – enough to melt strands of tinsel. Lit for just six hours a day, one string can add $2 to your electric bill.

Incandescent minilights – these run on much less power, around 0.48 watts, and can help save on your bill. While they don’t get as hot as the C7 bulbs, they can still get quite warm.

Light Emitting Diode (LED) – the most efficient of the lights, requires only 0.08 watts per light. They have an extremely long lifespan and don’t get hot. Another advantage – no more broken bulbs.

Other Ideas:

The U.S. Department of Energy provides excellent money saving ideas in this 36 page booklet. (Format: PDF Size: 2.3MB)

Touchstone Energy provides a calculator to determine savings by replacing standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescents. (Format: Flash)

Disposal and mercury FAQ

 

Home$ense is Golden Valley's home electrical efficiency program. It is offered to all residential members for only $40.

Builder$ense is GVEA's energy efficiency residential rebate program for home builders who install electrical energy efficiency measures during construction.

Business$ense is our program designed to increase the efficiency with which energy is used on GVEA's system. It provides rebates to commercial members who reduce their lighting loads through energy efficient lighting.

 

Higher bill than expected? Here are some common causes of bill variations. Includes a month long chart for tracking electric usage. (Format: PDF Size: 218KB)

Phantom Appliances: Are phantoms driving up your bills? You may be suprised how much electricity a device uses, even when turned off.

Plug It In: Save money with energy saving devices. Save wear & tear on your vehicle's engine. GVEA and the Fairbanks North Star Borough recommend plugging in at 20° above zero.

Home Energy Usage: Curious about the average cost of common household appliances? View some of the costs, and learn how to calculate them. (Format: PDF Size: 250KB)

Take the Biggest Loser Challenge and start saving on your electric bill now! Use the Room-By-Room Energy Saving checklist to see where you can save energy.

Find information on home energy efficiency retrofits, training, loans and rebate programs at the Portal on Retrofits, Taining and Loans.