Hudson Light & Power Department

CONSERVATION

  Help for Businesses

Tips on ...

Appliance Shopping

Cooling

Kitchen

Laundry

Lighting

Water Heating

Reduce Your Energy Bills!

Appliance Shopping

• Whenever you need to replace appliances, do comparative shopping for both price and energy efficiency. The Energy Guide label, a bright yellow and black sticker on appliances, lists the average operating cost. You can compare this with the price of the appliance to help save money.

Cooling

• Draw drapes, curtains, shades, blinds during the day to block the heat, especially on hot days.
• Turn off the air conditioner when you're not at home.
• Unless you're elderly or have special requirements, keep the thermostat setting on the air conditioner between 78-80° F.
• Cool your house at night with window fans, ceiling fans, and.or open windows.

Kitchen

• Run dishwashers only when full.
• Do not use the drying cycle of the dishwasher.
• Keep your refrigerator and freezer full. If necessary, use plastic containers filled with water.
• Use the "energy saver" switch on your refrigerator unless there is excess moisture.

Laundry

• Wash and rinse clothes in cold water.
• During the summer, dry clothes when it is cool at night to cut down on air conditioning use.
• Dry clothes in consecutive loads while the dryer is warm.
• Use a "solar-powered" clothesline.

Lighting

• Replace incandescent lighting with low-wattage energy-efficient lighting where appropriate. There are bulbs available for indoor and outdoor lighting and they last up to nine times longer than incandescent bulbs.
• Turn off incandescent lights whenever you leave the room. Turn off fluorescent lights when you are going to be gone for more than five minutes.
• Place table and floor lamps in corners, because the lights reflect off of the walls and ceilings, creating more brightness.
• Use four-watt night lights instead of lamps or a hall light at night.
• Use a timer for lights when you're away.
• Remember, lights can add to the heat on a hot day.

Water Heating

• Generally, a setting of 120°F for hot water is sufficient. If you have a dishwasher without an internal heating unit, try a setting of 140°F.
• Hot water is heated in the tank. Wrapping the hot water tank will improve its energy efficiency.
• Insulate the water heater pipes, wrapping at least the six feet of piping closest to the tank.

Conservation Hotline Program

We sponsor a residential energy conservation program that helps you conserve energy at your home or apartment. It is quick, convenient and, best of all, it is available to you at no additional cost. The toll-free Energy Hotline (1-888-772-4242) is available to residential customers Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Representatives will provide assistance for your questions on energy conservation, energy efficiency, conservation measures such as insulation, or information on specific end-uses of energy like appliances.

The goal of the Energy Hotline is to provide you with the tools and services necessary to help you make better informed decisions regarding energy usage and energy efficiency.

Among the tools available free of charge to residential customers through the Energy Hotline are:

Objective over-the-phone technical assistance;

Conservation booklets;

Literature and tips on energy conservation practices and measures;

Do-It-Yourself energy audit CD’s;

Energy Star appliance information;

Referral to energy conservation websites;

and In-home energy audit services.

As always, questions about your actual electric bill will be handled at our Main Office, 978-568-8736.

For more information on the Energy Hotline, call 1-888-772-4242.

For information on your account, call the Hudson Light and Power at 978-568-8736. Remember, “we’re here to serve you!’

Borrow our Appliance Test Meter!

Prefer to do it yourself? Stop by our Office at 49 Forest Avenue and pick up an appliance test meter. We lend these meters to customers free of charge to help them determine the electric usage of their appliances. As a bonus, we'll give each borrower an Appliance Wheel while supplies last to help them calculate the energy dollars spent on each appliance.

Try these conservation links:

A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z

ACEE Consumer Guide - From refrigerators to furnaces, air conditioners to washing machines, the Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings can help you find energy-saving products, in order to maximize energy and dollar savings in your home.

 

Air Conditioning & Refrigeration Institute

 

Alliance to Save Energy - promotes the efficient and clean use of energy worldwide to benefit the environment, economy, and national security.

 

American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) - promotes policies 

 

American Solar Energy Society

 

Efficient Window Collaborative - Information on energy efficient windows.

 

Energy Efficient Building Association, Inc. (EEBA) - EEBA promotes the awareness, education and development of energy efficient, environmentally responsible buildings and communities.

 

Energy Federation Inc. - EFI works to stimulate increased use of products that can offer broad economic and environmental benefits. EFI offers products directly to consumers, is a wholesale distributor to builders and weatherization agencies, operates energy conservation programs for utility companies and other companies, is an ENERGY STAR partner, and we facilitate the greenhouse gas reduction efforts of organizations such as the World Bank.

Energy Information Source

Energy Star Products and Programs - The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and US DOE promote energy-efficient appliances and equipment by awarding the Energy Star label.  Their site includes program descriptions, lists of qualifying products and manufactures, news and updates.

 

Free Business Assistance:

• Large plants (annual energy bills of approximately $3M) may be eligible to apply for a free, three-day, on-site Energy Savings Assessment by DOE experts.
• Small- and medium-sized plants (annual gross sales below $100M and annual energy bills between $100K and $2M) may be eligible for a free, one-day energy assessment by the Industrial Assessment Center (IAC), a federally sponsored program administered by the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. If your plant is eligible, contact the Massachusetts Energy Efficiency Partnership (MAEEP) for assistance, which works with the IAC to support plants including technical assistance to implement efficiency measures.
• The MA Office of Technical Assistance provides site visits for manufacturing companies. For questions on OTA's energy services please contact: John Raschko at 617-626-1093 or Jim Cain at 617-626-1081.

 - Guide on how to improve building performance. 

 

Home Energy Magazine - Guide on how to improve building performance. 

 

Home Improvement Contractor Program - This website provides information for both homeowners and contractors.

 

Massachusetts Department of Energy Resources (DOER) - Consumer tips, energy programs and more.

 

Massachusetts DOER Renewable Energy Programs - A link to information on the Massachusetts renewable energy tax credit.

 

National Center for Appropriate Technology- Serving economically disadvantaged people by providing information and access to appropriate technologies that can help improve their lives.

 

National Insulation Association

 

New Construction Insulation Requirements - The section of the state building code that explains energy conservation requirements in new construction.

 

North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) - The fiberglass insulation industry website.

 

Rocky Mountain Institute - Rocky Mountain Institute is an entrepreneurial, nonprofit organization that fosters the efficient and restorative use of resources Solar Energies Industry Association

 

Tips/Articles on Saving Energy

 

US Department of Energy - Energy Savers - Tips on saving energy at home.

 

US (DOE) Office of Building Technology - State and community programs for builders, homeowners, etc.

 

US DOE Home Energy Saver Audit - US Dept. of Energy on-line home energy audit.

 

US Department of Environmental Protection Green Lights Program - The US EPA Green Lights Program encourages use of energy-efficient lighting. Site includes a list of Green Lights participants, support services, and on-line manuals and publications.