03/05/2012

Celebrate National Procrastination Week; save on your power bill

Celebrate National Procrastination Week; save on your power bill

Procrastinators can cut energy consumption and save money

ST. PETERSBURG, Fl. (March 5, 2012) - American science fiction author writer Robert A. Heinlein once wrote, "Progress is made by lazy men looking for easier ways to do things." And in the case of saving money on your power bill, he may have had a point.  March 4-10 is National Procrastination Week, and it could be the perfect time to put off chores and save. 


Did you wear a pair of jeans when you laid on the couch watching college basketball on Saturday? Don't wash those jeans yet.  There's pro basketball on Sunday!  Wear them again! Running your washer when full (not overloaded) will maximize the efficiency of your machine. Jeans, sweaters and towels can often skip a wash or two, cutting down on the overall amount of laundry.


Make sure your refrigerator is stocked full of your favorite beverages for the game. Full refrigerators run more efficiently and you can put off running back and forth to the store.


And heat up that plate of nachos and game time snacks in the microwave rather than having to plan ahead for the oven to heat up. The microwave has a glass door, so you don't have to open the oven to check to see if the cheese is melted. Opening an oven door while cooking drops the temperature 25-30 degrees, wasting electricity.  In addition, using the microwave can save up to 30 percent of the energy required to cook in a conventional oven.


Skip hand washing dishes and opt for the dishwasher, but don't run that dishwasher after each meal.  Why do it right away when you can wait until you have a full machine and run it only when needed? And then let the dishes air dry.  You have time.


"Procrastinating on certain things can absolutely cut down on your power bill," jokes Malcolm Barnes, energy efficiency manger for Progress Energy Florida.  "For those with a bit more gumption, the next easiest way save electricity is to have Progress Energy do an energy audit."


Even procrastinators will find contacting Progress Energy Florida for a no-hassle, no-cost Home Energy Check easy. Through the Progress Energy service - which can be performed online, over the phone or in person - a highly-trained Energy Advisor will do all the work for you and provide customized, energy-saving advice and determine your eligibility for company rebates toward energy-efficient home improvements. A Home Energy Check is a prerequisite to all Progress Energy rebates for energy-efficient home improvements.


To sign up for a no-cost Home Energy Check or to learn more than 100 energy-saving tips, visit progress-energy.com/save or call 1.877.364.9003.


Progress Energy Florida, a subsidiary of Progress Energy (NYSE: PGN), provides electricity and related services to more than 1.6 million customers in Florida. The company is headquartered in St. Petersburg, Fla., and serves a territory encompassing more than 20,000 square miles including the cities of St. Petersburg and Clearwater, as well as the Central Florida area surrounding Orlando. Progress Energy Florida is pursuing a balanced approach to meeting the future energy needs of the region. That balance includes increased energy-efficiency programs, investments in renewable energy technologies and a state-of-the-art electricity system.http://www.progress-energy.com/.