Save energy with awareness

  • Published
  • By Senior Airman David Owsianka
  • 374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs
374th Airlift Wing Public Affairs --  Seconds turn into minutes, minutes turn into hours and hours turn into days. As lights are left on, monitors stay lit and coffee pots are left plugged in, money falls out of our pockets into an energy wasteland.

Members of the 374th Civil Engineer Squadron energy program provide information to help Yokota members become more energy efficient throughout the year.

"Energy saving is important because utilities are classified as 'must pay' bills," said Michael Haka, 374 CES energy and utilities manager. "If we use too much energy and spend too much of the budget, the bills will still get paid by cutting the budgets from non-essential parts of the base."

Energy use varies greatly depending on the season. In summer the base generally uses approximately 15 billion kilowatt-hours, while the winter average of approximately 11 billion kWh.

Every bit of energy conservation helps the base financially and is a collective effort benefitting everyone. Below are general energy saving tips that can help save money:

· Turn off unnecessary lights, equipment and appliances, such as: coffee pots, monitors, task lightings, lamps, overhead and conference room lighting, restroom lighting and exhaust fans.
· Shortening your showers by simply reducing that lingering time by a few minutes can save hundreds of gallons of water per month for a family of four. Cutting your showers in half can also reduce your water heating costs by 33 percent
· Replace air handler filters once a month, dirty filters restrict airflow and increase energy use.
· Do full loads when using your dishwasher and clothes washer, and use the cold water setting on your clothes washer when you can. Using cold water reduces your washer's energy use by 75 percent.

As winter and Christmas approach, here are a few tips to help people reduce energy consumption:

· When purchasing holiday decorations, it's a perfect opportunity to upgrade to light emitting diode Christmas lights. These lights are brighter, last longer and use less energy.
· Install automatic timers on your holiday display. Having the display on overnight will raise the electric bill.
· Turn the thermostat down. A festive sweater and some slippers can save a person hundreds of dollars per year on a heating bill.
· Open your window shades. Not only is sunlight a great alternative to the lightbulb, if you open your shades the sunlight will help heat your home for free.

"It is absolutely fantastic to see all the base lights and decorations during this holiday season," said Col. Scott P. Maskery, 374th Mission Support Group commander. "As a friendly reminder though and to help promote good stewardship, I do ask our community to ensure holiday lights are only on from the hours of 5pm to 10pm. Responsibly turning them off beyond these hours will help us conserve our energy and utility bill."

During the 'defeat the peak' campaign in August, Yokota reduced the electric bill costs by approximately $2,000 a month for the upcoming year.

"Yokota residents have done a great job of living energy smart over the past several years," Haka said. "When people are aware of energy usage, they learn to recognize the small things they can do in life to save money."

According to Haka, reducing the amount of used energy throughout Yokota, allows more money to be used throughout the base.

"Saving energy may not put extra cash directly into your pocket if you live on base, but wasting energy can definitely cost you," Haka said.