SMUD offers customers incentives and no-cost, low-cost energy saving advice.

The Sacramento Municipal Utility District (SMUD) is encouraging customers who are considering electronics replacements or upgrades to save money and energy with energy efficient TVs, computers and monitors. SMUD is working with manufacturers and retailers to make it easy to find electronics that use up to 30 percent less electricity.

Saving energy reduces the need to generate electricity, resulting in less air pollution. Generating less electricity during peak load times, like hot summer days, helps SMUD to avoid buying more expensive power on the open market. This saves SMUD customers money on their electric bills, maintains reliable electric service and is beneficial to the entire community in potential carbon footprint reduction.

All customers need to do is look for ENERGY STAR electronics with the SMUD SAVE or SAVE MORE labels for greater energy savings at participating retailers. According to the Department of Energy (DOE), ENERGY STAR-labeled products and buildings can save Americans more than $6 billion in energy costs. Replacing all older products in the home with efficient ENERGY STAR-labeled products can reduce the typical household’s annual energy costs by one third, according to DOE.

Here’s some more information regarding ENERGY STAR, SMUD SAVE and SMUD SAVE MORE product labeling and some things customers can do for little or no cost at all to save energy. Visit smud.org for more details and click on the “Save Energy” tab. Electronics

• TVs with the ENERGY STAR – SMUD SAVE MORE label use about 30 percent less energy than standard models.
• Monitors with the ENERGY STAR – SMUD SAVE label use about 25 to 60 percent less
electricity than standard models.
• Desktops with the ENERGY STAR – SMUD SAVE label save up to 76 kilowatt hours per year.
• Most electronic equipment and chargers draw standby power even when turned "off." Unplug
these "energy vampires," or turn them off at the power strip when not in use.

ENERGY STAR Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs)
• CFLs use up to 75 percent less energy than an incandescent bulb.
• CFLs last about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb, requiring fewer bulb replacements.
• An ENERGY STAR CFL will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in six months.
• CFLs come in a variety of shapes and sizes to fit most applications.
• CFLs emit less heat, making them cooler to the touch and safer.
• Replacing a single incandescent bulb with a CFL will keep a half-ton of carbon dioxide out of the
atmosphere over the life of the bulb.
• CFLs must be disposed of properly. Visit smud.org for information on recycling CFLs and
recycling locations.

Appliances
• Refrigerators are one of the largest energy consumers in a home. Maintain its efficiency by
cleaning the coils at the back or bottom of the unit.
• Choose an ENERGY STAR model when shopping for a new fridge.
• An old, inefficient refrigerator or freezer could be costing you up to $125 a year in energy costs.
SMUD will pay you $35 to recycle it and will even pick it up.

Ceiling Fans
• Ceiling fans and other fans create air movement that makes you feel up to four degrees cooler,
allowing you to set the A/C thermostat higher and save energy.
• Turn off fans when you leave the room.
• Replace your ceiling fan's incandescent light bulbs with ENERGY STAR compact fluorescent
lights (CFLs) – they emit less heat and use a fraction of the electricity.

Equipment
• Set the thermostat on your heater at 68 degrees when you are at home and at 55 degrees at
night or when you are away from home.
• During the winter, open the drapes on sunny days to let in the sun’s heat. Close them at
night or on cloudy days.
• Check your air filters monthly. Dirty air filters can lower your cooling capacity and use more
energy.
• Have your heating and cooling system serviced every year or two to ensure long-lasting
performance.
• The average home loses 20 percent of its heating/cooling through cracked or leaky ducts. SMUD
contractors can diagnose the integrity of your home's central system.