OCTOBER ENERGY TIPS

Change a Bulb for efficiency

Government and utilities across the country are encouraging everyone to take a small step for energy efficiency in October. If every American household replaced one traditional light with an Energy Star-qualified compact fluorescent bulb, it would save enough energy to light 7 million homes, save $600 million in utility bills, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to 1 million cars.

Energy Star is a national program providing energy efficiency ratings and labeling. More information is available at www.energystar.gov.

Up a Notch

Update your garage appliances so they don't waste energy

Those warm summer weekends are fading fast, but your garage-based refrigerator can still cause a sweat! Consider tossing out your out-of-date refrigerator or freezer box and replacing it with a more energy-efficient appliance.

Many appliance companies are offering larger, heavy-duty versions of their kitchen appliances made especially to meet the demands of a garage. The appliances are built to withstand the extreme temperature changes of the outdoors. And they're versatile. Besides being larger, most refrigerator/freezer combos come with temperature control options, which allow you to choose whether the top part is a refrigerator or a freezer, or to convert the top and bottom units so they're both freezers or refrigerators.

Choose an appliance that is certified by Underwriters Laboratories for safety and is on Energy Star's list of energy-efficient models.

And stop losing all that power from an old refrigerator that has to fight with the weather to stay cold. An up-to-date appliance can save you money on your energy bill.