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Energy Audits & Energy Star Homes
Home Energy
Audit
Most local utility
companies conduct home energy audits for free, and give suggestions
about reducing your energy use.
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For the City of Tallahassee Utilities, Residential Conservation
Program, (850) 891-0020
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For Talquin Electric, call (850) 893-6853
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Steven Service, Home inspector, state certified energy rater and
energy efficiency consultant, (850) 656-1710
Energy Star
homes
The Energy Star
programs certifies homes that use at least 30% less energy than
the standards set by the current energy code.
http://www.energystar.gov/
Olin Grantham,
Tallahassee builder of energy efficient homes, including the first
certified under the Energy Star program, (850) 562-6906
Cars
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The Toyota Prius also has a hybrid gasoline engine and electric
motor system. Because both the brakes and the gasoline engine recharge
the battery, it gets 52 MPG in city driving, and 45 on the highway.
It accommodates five people.
They account
for about 25% of the average electric bill
Environmental
regulations passed in 1989 required all new refrigerators to be
25% more efficient by 1993. Refrigerators manufactured after July
1, 2001 must be 30% more efficient than the 1989 standard.
The average
new refrigerator after July 1 will use only as much electricity
as a single 40-watt bulb left on all the time. Its lifetime electric
bill will be about $400, compared to over $2,300 for refrigerators
manufactured in 1973.
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If you buy an new refrigerator, don't use the old one for food storage,
especially not in the garage.
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Buy the most energy-efficient model for the size you need.
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Web
sites for more information
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