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Key

 

YOU hold the energy key

No matter the age of your appliances, HOW you use your appliances determines whether you are making the most efficient use of energy. When you use energy efficiently, your appliances can do their jobs better, with less energy.

For example, covering a pot while cooking keeps the heat energy from the burner in the pot and cooks the food rather than escaping into the air. This cooks the food more efficiently and saves energy. And when you keep doors and windows closed on hot days, your air conditioner can do its job more efficiently because warm outside air isn't being let into the room.

In these cases, people hold the key to making appliances work most efficiently. The other pages in this section give examples of ways you can use energy more efficiently.

Conservation vs. energy efficiency

Conservation means using less energy. Turning out lights and taking shorter showers are examples of energy conservation.

Energy efficiency means using less energy while getting more service from your appliances and equipment. You can do this in two ways:

  • Practice energy-efficient behaviors such as covering pots while cooking.
  • Use energy-efficient products such as compact fluorescent or LED lights, which give the same amount of light for less energy, and energy-efficient showerheads, which give you a comfortable shower while using less water.

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