Month: June 2015

A smart way to cut down electric bills is to maintain efficient appliances, especially those that use a great deal of energy. Since your refrigerator generally accounts for about 20 percent of the electric bill, this appliance is a great place to start. While people generally know not to dawdle with the door open, there are many other ways to make a refrigerator run more efficiently:

• Make sure your refrigerator is not in direct sunlight or next to a heat source such as the oven or the dishwasher.
• Be sure that air can circulate freely around condenser coils by leaving a space between the back of the refrigerator and the wall or cabinets and keeping the fridge top uncluttered.
• Check that your refrigerator’s temperature is between 36 degrees F and 40 degrees F and your freezer is between 0 degrees F and 5 degrees F. Your unit can use up to 25 percent more energy than necessary if it is set to 10 degrees colder than recommended levels.
• Unplug the unit at least once a year to brush off or vacuum the condenser coils.
• Clean or replace door seals if they can’t hold a dollar bill firmly in place.
• Ensure that the “power-saver” switch is on if you have the option to do so, and make sure you don’t see any condensation on the outside of the fridge.
• Defrost the unit regularly if you have a manual defrost or partial automatic defrost.
• Keep the refrigerator full, but not overcrowded; this will help keep the temperature at the right level and make sure there is proper air flow inside.

If your refrigerator is nearing the end of its life-cycle – about 15 years – it may be most efficient to purchase a new one. Advances in technology have cut refrigerator energy use by over 60 percent in the past twenty years. Models predating 1993 could be costing you up to $140 per year in electricity alone. If you have a model purchased between 1993 and 2001, it is probably still inefficient and could cost $60 extra per year to run. While the initial cost of a new refrigerator might seem steep, the price to run it each year will be much lower than maintaining a older model.

Remember, the biggest money gulper is that old refrigerator you barely use – you know, the one in the garage keeping your soda pop cold. Retire it from use.

Source: Energy Education Council @http://efficiencyresource.org/

Written by Marc Rivers, communications intern at Touchstone Energy. Marc is a rising senior studying Film and English at Howard University in Washington, D.C.

The official start of summer was June 21, and we are all certainly feeling the heat! Here in the Washington, D.C. area, the mercury is traveling to the highest levels seen so far this season. When you’re not feeling brave enough to tackle the hot and sticky weather outside, you want to make sure you feel nice and cool indoors.

Having a working Window Air Conditioner (A/C), helps significantly in this regard. Designed to cool a single room, a window air conditioner is an efficient and surprisingly versatile tool to have in the house.

Depending on the model, a window air conditioner can operate in different modes: cooling, fan-only and heating. The cooling mode takes in room air, cools it and directs it back into the room. Different models feature pre-set cooling levels while others let you set your preferred temperature for the unit to maintain. Fan-only uses less energy and simply circulates and filters the room air. The heating mode allows you to set the desired temperature and the heating system cycles on and off to maintain it.

As with any piece of equipment, there are various factors to consider when making your purchase. The square footage of the room you want to cool should dictate the size of the A/C unit. You will also want to know the conditioner’s BTU (British thermal unit) rating, which indicates the amount of heat it can remove from a room—The higher the number, the greater the cooling power.

Also consider: how much sunlight does a room receive? Is the room always shaded? What is the average number of occupants of the room? These seemingly minor factors will serve you greatly in buying the proper unit.

When you’re installing your A/C unit, don’t be a hero; get help from a neighbor, professional or family member. You don’t want that heavy thing falling on your foot. Also keep in mind that installing the unit in a shaded window increases its efficiency. Make sure a working power outlet is nearby.

An A/C unit has a number of dynamic features to help guarantee you get the most out of your purchase.

A  programmable timer lets you set a time your unit will turn on and off. Mechanical controls allow you to adjust fan speed and cooling levels. There’s also a sleep setting, which increases the specified temperature over a period of time before returning to the original setting several hours later. This feature reduces the unit’s noise, which should help you binge watch that Netflix show without any distractions. An electronic ionizer helps the unit remove impurities like pollen in the air, remote controls allow you to control the unit without leaving the couch, and filter alerts let you know when the air filter needs cleaning.

Other steps to take to ensure your unit is working at the highest efficiency level include keeping it clear of obstructions outside and inside, reducing the workload of the unit by using appliances such as dishwashers, ranges and dryers during the cool hours of the day, keeping the exterior of the cooling room shaded, and closing window treatments when it’s sunny outside.

Summers are long enough that you want to keep you’re A/C unit in the best possible working condition. To do so, make sure you check and clean the air filter regularly, wipe down the cabinet with a damp cloth and mild detergent, and prepare the unit for storage for that long hibernation during the winter.

If you follow these guidelines – and make sure to read the instruction manual of course – you should feel confident that your home will provide a cool reprieve from the heat waves summer brings.

On Monday, the North Conway, Downtown Conway and 4th Avenue (Main Branch) locations of Conway National Bank started accepting Horry Electric bill payments.

“We’re excited to have all fourteen of Conway National Bank’s locations in Horry County accepting payments from our members,” says Jodi Jordan, office manager for Horry Electric.

Conway National Bank has been working with Horry Electric to provide a convenient payment option to members since 2006. “It started with their Aynor branch in 2006,” says Jordan. “Their Red Hill branch was added as an option for members in 2010,” she continues. “In 2010, the Little River branch location was added to the list of branches accepting payments.”

“It’s a popular option for our members,” says Jordan. “We have a lot of members who would rather pay their electric bill in person than drop it in the mail; have it automatically drafted; pay it online or by phone and getting to our Conway and Socastee offices is not always easy.” Credit is applied to the accounts of members making payments in real time.

“We appreciate the willingness of Conway National Bank to make all 14 of their branch locations available to our members,” says Jordan.  Anderson Brothers Bank provides 7 locations for members to make payments and Horry County State Bank has 4 locations on this list of conveniently located pay stations listed on the Bill Payment Options page of HorryElectric.com