David Latona: Welcome to Co-op Conversations with DEMCO, where we talk about the topics that impact your power, your co-op and your community. I'm your host, David Latona. As temperatures rise, so can your energy use, and that often leads to higher bills. But here's the good news. Saving energy doesn't mean giving up comfort or control.
In this episode, we'll talk about some small changes you can make that can lead to big savings on your electric bill, and you won't have to sacrifice your comfort or convenience. Joining me is Ashley Carradine, DEMCO's energy services coordinator. Ashley works directly with our members to help them understand their energy use and find simple, effective ways to improve efficiency. Ashley, welcome.
Ashley Carradine: Thanks, David. I'm excited to be here and to be able to share some ideas that can really help our members stay cool and save money. David Latona: I'm so excited to have Ashley here. She does such a great job working with our members that may have questions about their bills or just their usage, and I know we want to dive right in because this is one of the most important topics to our members. Let's kick things off with basics. Is that okay? Ashley, can we do that?
Ashley Carradine: Absolutely. David Latona: Okay. What are the top energy users inside a typical member's home? Ashley Carradine: Well, did you know that heating and cooling can make up 47% of a home's energy use? David Latona: 47? Ashley Carradine: Yes, water heating uses about 14%, and the rest comes from lighting,
laundry, and appliances. A good way to think about this is if the average electricity bill for a 1,500 square foot home is around $150 per month during the summer, nearly half of that about $75, goes to cooling alone. David Latona: So that seems like a lot to me. But I've lived here in South Louisiana long enough to know that that is very true. So nearly half your bill goes to staying cool. That's impressive.
Ashley Carradine: Exactly. And that's why those systems are the best place to focus. If you want to lower your bill without giving up your comfort. David Latona: That's good info. I know not everybody thinks about that when they're thinking about a high usage bill. So let's talk about some of those smart changes. Ashley, can you share a few tips that help members save energy without giving up comfort? Ashley Carradine: Absolutely. One of my favorite tips is a laundry tip.
Run the spin cycle twice on your washing machine because it actually removes more moisture from your clothes, which means your dryer won't have to work as hard or as long. David Latona: I have never heard that before, but it makes sense. Ashley Carradine: It does. David Latona: Oh my goodness, what a great tip because our dryers take more energy than do our washers, right because of that heating element. Okay. Great tip right Ashley.
Ashley Carradine: And speaking of washing machines, don't fill your washer machine up all the way because the more clothes you have — number one, you're not going to wash your clothes fully. And then you're going to put those into the dryer, and it's going to take extra long to be able to dry those clothes. And if you're not running it on a second spin cycle, then it's going to take double the time, if that makes any sense. David Latona: That does. Great tip.
Ashley Carradine: Another easy one is using ceiling fans. They help circulate the air and make rooms feel cooler so you can raise the thermostat a few degrees. Just make sure to turn them off when you leave the room. And speaking of thermostats, try setting it at 78 degrees when you're home and even higher when you're away, because that alone can make a noticeable difference. One awesome thing is to avoid using your oven on really hot days. David Latona: Oh, tell me about it.
Ashley Carradine: Yes. Me last night, trying to cook. It heats up your kitchen and makes your air conditioner work extra hard. Instead, get your grill or use a microwave. And one thing, do not forget electronics. Many devices draw power even when they're off. Plug them into a smart power strip or unplug them when it's not in use. David Latona: Oh great idea. Ashley Carradine: Yes. David Latona: I love that about the washer. I really like that about the fans.
And you know, another thing I've heard is that the fan only cools you off when you're in the room. So, like you're saying, when you leave. Turn that fan off because it's not doing – it's not cooling anyone off, or it's not cooling off the home. Ashley Carradine: That is correct. David Latona: Those are great tips. And what about outdoor features like pools and fountains? I know it's the summer and we've got a lot of use in our swimming pools.
If you own a swimming pool, what's some good advice there? Ashley Carradine: Yeah, and a lot of people don't think about the outdoor water features like the pool pumps, because that can be a big contributor to your energy bill, especially if they run 24/7. Those that have pools truly don't need the pump running all day. You can usually reduce the runtime 6 to 8 hours a day and still keep that water clean.
It helps to run your pump before 8 a.m. or after 8 p.m., when fewer people are at home or using appliances and their air conditioners. That actually helps manage overall demand, and it can reduce cost. David Latona: Excellent tips. Those are so great, especially considering indoors, outdoors. And DEMCO has great resources on our website that walk you through all of this. Is that correct?
Ashley Carradine: Yes, absolutely. We have power smart energy efficiency resources with lots of helpful information, including a brochure that you can download a DIY home energy audit checklist. All of this helps you assess your energy usage room by room, and it gives you suggestions for improving efficiency throughout your home. And you can download all of this at demco.org/powersmart.
David Latona: It's a great tool for identifying where your energy is going and what you can do to reduce it. Ashley Carradine: Exactly. You only pay for the power you use. So the more efficient your home is, the less you spend. The checklist can help you take control of your usage and manage your budget more effectively. There are tons of useful ideas packed into that one resource. David Latona: That's great. You can find the checklist and other energy saving resources at demco.org.
And if you want to explore even more, check out energy.gov energy saver page for step by step DIY projects. We also want to mention something that could be helpful to members looking to avoid seasonal bill spikes. DEMCO's levelized bill program. Would you talk a little bit about that, Ashley? Ashley Carradine: Yes, I would love to. I am actually on this myself, my husband and I for our home.
Levelized billing is a great option to members who've been at their current residence for at least 12 months. It doesn't reduce your overall energy use, but it does make your bill more predictable. Instead of big swings during peak heating and cooling months, your bill stays about the same month to month because it's based on a rolling 12 month average.
David Latona: That's great. I know that can be really helpful, even for folks that are, they're on a fixed income, and they need to budget a little more accurately month to month. So it's helpful in that way. Ashley Carradine: Yes, most certainly. You still pay for the energy you use, but the charges are spread out to avoid extreme highs or lows. To qualify, you need to have a zero balance and payments must be made on time to stay enrolled.
If you're interested, you can sign up through your MyDEMCO portal. David Latona: That's great. I'm going to go do that myself because that sounds like a very beneficial member offering. Ashley Carradine: It definitely is. Like I said, my husband and I have been on it for about three years now, so it definitely helps me because I'm the one who pays MyDEMCO bill. David Latona: Excellent. Let's move into some frequently asked questions. This is when we dip into the mailbag.
I hope that's all right. Ashley. Ashley Carradine: Yes, of course. David Latona: Here's one we hear a lot. Should I turn off my AC completely when I leave the house? Ashley Carradine: It's better to raise the thermostat a few degrees rather than turning it off. That way, your system doesn't have to work overtime to cool everything back down when you return. David Latona: That's good. That's good. Because I know that's a popular question. Great to hear from the expert on that.
Ashley Carradine: It is a very popular question. David Latona: Another one we see here is do closing vents in unused rooms help save on my electric bill? Ashley Carradine: No, it can actually backfire. It creates pressure in your system that reduces efficiency. It's best to leave them open and keep airflow balanced.
David Latona: That was a shocker. It was like I expected some creepy music in the background when you said that, because I thought turning off one vent in a room would help out, but maybe it'd be detrimental to the unit itself? Ashley Carradine: Yes, it definitely is. That's often a sign that your air conditioner is short cycling. If it's turning on and off too frequently, it may be running long enough to pull moisture out of the air.
So a properly sized system and smart thermostat can help manage that. David Latona: Excellent. Here's another one. Is it better to leave lights on or turn them off if you're stepping away for just a few minutes? Ashley Carradine: Turn them off. David Latona: Turn them off? Ashley Carradine: Yes. Modern lighting, especially LEDs, use very little energy to turn back on. Leaving them on waste energy, even for short periods. David Latona: That's great advice. I'm so glad we have you on the show.
Ashley Carradine: Thank you. I actually have LED lights in my home. David Latona: Okay, excellent. So here's one that my wife and I argue about. What about the dishes? Should I use the dishwasher, or if there's only a few, should I wash them by hand? What's the best bet with my energy consumption? Ashley Carradine: So I had to learn this myself because I am one that likes to wash dishes by hand.
I prefer not to use the dishwasher, but a full dishwasher is actually more efficient than washing by hand. Just skip the heat dry setting and let your dishes air dry instead. David Latona: I'm so glad you said that so I can tell my wife. Okay, finally, we're gonna give you a break so. Does using cold water really make a difference when doing laundry? Ashley Carradine: It does. Heating water takes a lot of energy, so using cold water whenever possible is one of the easiest ways to save.
David Latona: Okay, so I lost that one, but that's okay. Ashley, thanks so much for joining us and sharing these super helpful tips for our members to save on their electric bills. Ashley Carradine: Thank you David. It's all about making small, smart choices that add up and help our members stay comfortable while managing their bills. For more energy saving tips and resources, visit demco.org. Remember to download the DIY home energy audit checklist to start saving today.
And if you're interested in spreading out your energy costs more evenly. See if you qualify for the levelized billing. You can sign in to your MyDECMO account portal or call 1-844-my-DEMCO. Select option three and a member services representative can assist you. David Latona: This has been such great information. We appreciate you for being here. Thank you all for listening to Co-op Conversations with DEMCO. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode.
If you liked what you heard, leave us a review. Like and share the episode with a friend. For Ashley Carradine, I'm David Latona. Let's keep the conversation going.