Energy Use and Savings Guide For Residential Customers Table of Contents Typical Energy Use in Your Home / Managing Your Energy Budget . 4 Understanding This Guide . .. 5 Benefits of Natural Gas . 6 Direct Use of Natural Gas . 7 Heating and Cooling . 8 Water Heating . 11 Lighting . 14 Major Appliances – Refrigerator . 17 Major Appliances – Range / Oven . 20 Major Appliances – Dishwasher . 23 Major Appliances – Laundry . 25 Electronics – Kitchen . 28 Electronics – Family Room . 30 Electronics – Office / Den . 34 Electronics – Bathroom . 37 General Outdoor . 38 Seasonal Outdoor . 40 Electric Vehicle . 43 Phantom Loads . 45 Page 3 Typical Energy Use in Your Home The energy bill for a typical U.S. single family home averages $2,200 per year . Where does all this money go? The cost of heating and cooling your home can represent 40% to 60% of your total energy bill . The chart to the right shows the breakdown of energy use by category and starts to give you a sense of where savings can be found . Reducing energy consumption by just 15% could save you over $300 a year in energy costs . Managing Your Energy Budget Having a budget is always a good Individual lifestyle and energy use habits, idea . Developing a budget starts with number and age of occupants, as well understanding your resource needs . as the size, design, levels of insulation Each month, you need food, clothing, and heating system in your home, transportation and energy to run your all combine to determine how much home . Understanding your energy usage energy you will use for heating . is the first step to creating that portion of your budget . Inside this booklet, The statistics in this booklet are based on you’ll find many energy saving tips to national averages . The wattage or energy help you manage your resources . usage and efficiencies of your appliances, your own use habits, as well as the size of This booklet contains ideas and suggestions your family will vary . Keep this in mind when on how you can monitor— and better you’re reviewing your own energy use . control—your energy consumption . You may already be familiar with some of our energy savings suggestions, though some may surprise you . Page 4 Energy Use and Savings Guide Heating & Cooling – 46% 11% 4% Water Heating – 14% Lighting – 12% 13% Appliances – 13% (Includes refrigerator, dishwasher, clothes washer 46% and dryer) 12% Electronics – 4% (Includes computer, monitor, TV and DVD player) Other – 11% 14% (Includes external power adapters, set-top boxes, ceiling fans, vent fans and home audio) Understanding This Guide Listed below are terms and definitions that will be used throughout this guide . All numbers and costs included are a representation based on national average use with average Avista rates . Kilowatt Hours (kWh): We measure Approximate Watts: The wattage is electrical energy in watt hours . One kilowatt the consumption rate of electricity a hour equals 1,000 watt hours . The kilowatt device exhibits while operating . This hours on your bill equals the rate or speed of energy consumption may occur when a use (kilowatts) x the length of time electricity computer is turned on, when a kitchen was used . Running a 5,000-watt (5 kilowatt) mixer is in use or when light bulbs clothes dryer for 1 hour uses 5 kilowatt are turned on in a light fixture . hours of electricity . Burning a 100-watt light bulb for 10 hours uses 1 kilowatt hour . Monthly kWh Usage: The monthly kWh usage for each device is based on Therms: Your gas energy use is measured an assumed typical month of operation, in a unit called therms . Therms identify the estimating the hours the device is heating value provided by gas . One therm operating in conjunction with its power equals the heating capacity of approximately consumption as noted in the watt rating . 100,000 wooden kitchen matches . Estimated Monthly Cost: The estimated monthly cost is based on the energy consumption at $0 .10 per kilowatt hour for electricity or $0 .80 per natural gas therm which are typical for Avista residential customers . Page 5 Benefits of Natural Gas 1. Affordability: Natural gas costs less 5. Energy Efficiency: Natural gas is highly to use in your home than electricity . On efficient . About 90% of the natural gas average, electricity costs more than twice as produced is delivered to customers as useful much as natural gas . energy . In contrast, only about 40% of the energy converted to electricity from natural 2. Convenience and Reliability: In contrast gas reaches consumers . to other heating fuels, natural gas is piped directly into your home . It’s there when you Where available, natural gas is increasingly need it . the fuel of choice in today’s homes . Natural gas compares very favorably to other fuels . 3. Comfort: Natural gas heat will warm your Below is a current snapshot of how natural home quickly with supply air temperatures gas compares to other fuels and some around 140º F . In comparison an electric heat benefits to consider when choosing how to pump has supply air temperatures around heat your home . 90º F, this lower temperature air may cause a drafty feeling in the home . BTU: The British thermal unit (BTU) is a measure of heat . One BTU is the amount of 4. Domestic Supply: Nearly 100% of the energy needed to raise one pound of water natural gas consumed in Avista’s service 1º F . territory is produced in North America . Heating cost per million BTU in Washington Efficiency Heating Cost per Month and Idaho (April 2016) Natural gas furnace 80% $60 .00 Natural gas furnace 94% $51 .06 Electric resistance furnace or baseboard 100% $175 .80 Electric heat pump 175% $100 .46 Electric heat pump 225% $78 .13 Propane furnace 80% $177 .63 Propane furnace 94% $151 .18 Electric resistance costs 2 .9 times more than natural gas, propane 3 times more than natural gas, a heat pump backed by electric resistance heat is 1 .7 times more than gas . Try our online Fuel Cost Comparison Calculator to estimate your annual space or water heating costs compared to alternative energy sources . Go to myavista .com/fuelcalc . Page 6 Energy Use and Savings Guide Direct Use of Natural Gas You probably know about the comforts of natural gas—warm, even heat; precise temperature control when cooking; consistent hot water; and the cozy ambience of a natural gas fi replace . But did you know natural gas is the cleanest burning fossil fuel? As such, it plays a central role in emerging initiatives to help protect our environment . And while natural gas can be burned in turbines to produce electricity for our region, delivering it directly to your home for heating and cooking is the most effi cient use of this resource . Electricity Source Energy Extraction, Processing Generation Distribution Delivered & Transportation to Customer 100M 5% Energy Loss 64% Energy Loss 6% Energy Loss BTU 32M 95M BTU 34M BTU 32M BTU BTU *Based on 2007 actual generation mix of all energy sources Natural Gas Source Energy Extraction, Processing Generation Distribution Delivered & Transportation to Customer 100M 3% Energy Loss 1% Energy Loss BTU 92M BTU 93M BTU No energy coversion 92M BTU necessary, therefore no energy is lost Information is based on national numbers and fi gures. Data source: Gas Technology Institute BTU: A common term for natural gas usage is the therm, the unit used in residential billing . For a typical home that uses natural gas for space and water heat, about 50 to 70 therms of natural gas would be consumed in one average month . This value for heat usage would be higher in the winter and lower in the summer for an average use of 50 to 70 therms each month of the year . Page 7 17.0 Heating and Cooling 17.0 Heating and Cooling Energy Saving Tips 17.0 On sunny winter days, open your draperies to get full benefi t of sun shining through the windows . In summer, close the draperies to help 17.0 keep out unwanted heat . Fireplace dampers should be kept closed when you’re not using the fi replace . A chimney can draw off as much as 25% of the heated air in your house if the 8.5 damper is left open . Safely block off unused fi replaces when possible . Turn down the heat in winter . Keep your thermostat at or below 68° F; setting your thermostat three degrees lower in the winter 17.0 can reduce your bill by about 10% . 8.5 When selecting an air conditioning 8.5 unit, both room or central, check its Seasonal Energy Effi ciency Ratio (SEER) . The SEER indicates a unit’s relative energy When selecting a heat pump, check its effi ciency . Most units are tagged with Heating Seasonal Performance Factor this information, or your dealer can help (HSPF) . The HSPF indicates a heat pump’s you determine the SEER . The higher the relative annual heating effi ciency . A SEER, the better . A SEER of 13 or above is HSPF of 8 .5 and above will provide lower preferred, 18 or above is exceptional . operating costs for heating . 8.5 Page 8 Energy Use and Savings Guide 8.5 Heating and Cooling Energy Saving Checklist Block drafts. Check caulking and Use fans in the summer. Try using fans weather stripping around windows and in the summer before switching on the doors . If you see cracks, light, or feel a air conditioning . Old A/C equipment can draft, make repairs where needed . be equivalent to using 30 or more fans . If you must use your air conditioner, set Seal leaks. Ductwork exposed to outside it at 78° F; each degree over 78° in the air or in unconditioned spaces should be summer will save you approximately 3% sealed using mastic paste and wrapped on your cooling bill .