Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, February 14, 1995 TAG: 9502150028
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DAVID BUTLER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A: Even with your existing electric rate, a bit of automation here and there can help save money by cutting energy consumption. For example, many people have lamp timers and motion-activated floodlights. Although lighting controls are normally purchased for their security and convenience benefits, they can reduce wasted energy if the lights might otherwise have been left on.
If you want to make a big dent in your energy bill, you'll need to adopt a more aggressive strategy, and that usually means sacrifice. Sure, you can save lots of money by keeping the 'stat set at 60, but you'd be giving up your comfort (along with most of your friends!). That's where "time-of-use" (TOU) and other innovative electric rates can really make a difference.
TOU rewards you for shifting electrical usage to off-peak hours: You pay a premium for electricity consumed during peak hours, but you get a big discount for off-peak consumption (like long-distance rates). If enough customers participate, the electric company can lower its operating costs and possibly avoid having to build a costly new generating plant.
Depending on your lifestyle and your schedule, you may be able to save big with TOU by making a few changes. For example, doing your laundry or running the dishwasher off-peak is a relatively painless way to shift consumption. However, if you're like most people, you don't want to become a slave to your electric meter. This is where automation can really make a difference.
A programmable thermostat is the most obvious way to manage energy consumption. However, other large loads can be operated on a schedule to take advantage of TOU. A variety of heavy-duty timers are available for controlling an electric water heater or swimming pool pump.
If you have several loads to control, a power line carrier (PLC) home control system is both economical and easy to install. A single timer transmits on and off signals over your home's electrical wiring to special plug-in or wired-in switch modules. An inexpensive timer ($20) can handle up to four schedules. Modules start at about $10.
If you're a hands-on kind of person and you'd like to see just where your energy dollars are going, you might ask your electric company's marketing department about an appliance monitor. There are two types of monitors: appliance and whole-house. Some utilities have established loaner programs as a customer service. Otherwise, you can purchase a monitor directly from the manufacturer.
The appliance monitor consists of a console and a sensor plug. It shows how much electricity (converted to dollars) the connected appliance is using. The whole-house monitor uses an optical sensor to "read" your electric meter. You can check period-to-date usage as well as instantaneous demand in both kilowatts and dollars. The unit also projects the amount of your next bill.
The latest innovation in energy management is the whole-house load management system. By integrating all of your home's energy controls in one system, you can optimize savings without sacrificing much in comfort and convenience. By setting some priorities, the system can make informed decisions about how to control your house rather than simply turning everything off during peak hours.
To receive a list of companies that manufacture heavy-duty timers, heavy-duty PLC switches, energy monitors and load management systems, please send $1.50 and a self-addressed envelope to David Butler, F-449, Department TWN, 14713 Pleasant Hill Road, Charlotte, N.C. 28278-7927. The list includes toll-free telephone numbers and a summary of each company's products. You'll also receive several excellent sources for articles and reports on energy conservation.
Q: Now that most television shows are closed-captioned, I'd like to find a way to capture them on my computer's hard drive. Any suggestions?
A. There's a new device called the TextGrabber that does exactly what you described. For example, you could capture the text for several news shows and then use a word processor to search for keywords. The TextGrabber can also send captions to a printer. (SunBelt Industries, 1254 Fish Hook Way, Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. 32082.)
by CNB