Conservation and Efficiency—Kissing Cousins "We Need Your Help"

Turn on the lights and TV, boot up the computer, and head to the kitchen to start dinner. Arriving home after a full day at work, most of us walk through a familiar routine.
We hardly take a step that does not involve the reliable flow of electricity. And every light switch or appliance we turn on sends the electric meter outside spinning a little faster and the monthly bill a little higher.
Meanwhile, it’s hard to escape the media coverage surrounding climate change as evening news reporters drone on about global warming.
We watch with concern and ask, “Is there anything one person can do to make a difference?” The answer is an emphatic, “Yes.” It starts with learning all we can about energy conservation and efficiency. While they are not the same thing, they are close relatives.
Conservation occurs when we reduce total consumption of electricity, often achieved by simply turning off anything that consumes electricity when not needed.
Energy efficiency occurs when we replace or upgrade the essentials in our lives (e.g., appliances, lighting, insulation), allowing us to realize the same benefit with less electricity.
If you want to help, call the Member Services Department at Pointe Coupee Electric Membership Corporation and ask for a complete energy audit to assess how much energy your home consumes and evaluate what measures you can take to make your residence more energy efficient.
Then, with audit results in hand, take action. The cumulative effect of such small steps in homes and businesses will have a direct impact on our nation’s entire electric grid–reducing demand during peak periods, cutting emissions of greenhouse gases, and lowering overall costs to co-ops and consumer-members. Not to mention energy efficiency helps manage load growth and delays the need to build new electric generation facilities.
America’s electric co-ops are working with public officials at all levels to identify and adopt achievable and balanced solutions to climate change. One of the quickest remedies involves embracing those “kissing cousins”–conservation and efficiency–and making them part of our daily routine. Although energy consumption will continue to increase, by using electricity more efficiently, we can slow the overall growth for more power.
Source: National Rural Electric Cooperative Association (NRECA)