Green Living: Energy Saving Tips from Santee Cooper Green
August 9, 2008
MONCKS CORNER, SC — August 6, 2008 – As soaring summer temperatures test the limits of your home’s cooling system, saving energy without sacrificing comfort can be a breeze.
According to the Department of Energy, using a ceiling fan allows you to raise your thermostat setting about 4 degrees with no reduction in comfort.
“You can expect to save about 5 percent on your cooling bill for each degree you raise your thermostat above the recommended 78 to 80 degrees,” says Jill Watts, director of customer communications. “The airflow from the fans creates a wind-chill effect that helps you feel cooler and can even lower temperatures by as much as 7 degrees. Of course, there are no real energy savings if you don’t raise the thermostat in tandem with the ceiling fan.”
The DOE says fans are only appropriate in rooms with ceilings at least eight feet high, and they work best when their blades are between seven and nine feet above the floor and between 10 and 12 inches below the ceiling. Furthermore, fans should be installed so their blades are no closer than 8 inches from the ceiling and 18 inches from the walls.
Ceiling fan performance and energy savings depend on proper installation and use. For tips on purchasing and installing ceiling fans visit www.americanlightingassoc.com or www.energystar.gov.
Santee Cooper is South Carolina’s state-owned electric and water utility and the state’s largest power producer, supplying electricity to more than 162,000 retail customers in Berkeley, Georgetown and Horry counties, as well as to 29 large industrial facilities, the cities of Bamberg and Georgetown, and the Charleston Air Force Base. Santee Cooper also generates the power distributed by the state’s 20 electric cooperatives to more than 685,000 customers in all 46 counties. Approximately 2 million South Carolinians receive their power directly or indirectly from Santee Cooper. The utility also provides water to 137,000 consumers in Berkeley and Dorchester counties, and the town of Santee. For more information, visit www.SanteeCooper.com. For information on how Santee Cooper lives green and how you can go green, visit www.SanteeCooperGreen.com.
