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ELECTRIC NOTES
FOR A BRIGHTER TOMORROW
Improve Back-to-School Homework Habits
Your homework habits might be affecting your grades. Are you feeling tired, achy or bored when it comes to homework time? You can change your grades by practicing these healthy homework habits. Change the way you feel by taking better care of your mind and body.
Get the Sleep You Need
Studies show that teens’ natural sleep patterns are different than those of adults. This often causes sleep deprivation among teens, since they tend to have trouble going to sleep at night and waking in the morning. You can avoid some of the problems that come with sleep deprivation by changing some of your nighttime habits.
• Turn off the TV at night. Some teens fall asleep with the TV on, and some are so used to the noise they think they can’t sleep without it. Not true! The TV noises and flashing lights will only keep you from getting a sound sleep. If you can remember things you heard during your sleep, you’re not sleeping well.
• Try caffeine-free drinks. Reduce caffeine intake by switching to something healthier, such as water. OK, OK ... if that’s too much to ask, at least try a caffeine-free version of your favorite drink.
• Limit nighttime video games. Video games may cause your brain to enter overdrive. If you play them, don’t do it just before you go to bed.
• Turn off the cell phone. What’s so important that it can’t wait until morning? Unless you have a really good reason—like your parent works at night and might need to reach you, turn it off and get some rest.
• Play music if you want, but not too loud. Many people play music at night. If it doesn’t bother you, go ahead. Keep the volume down, though, or it will disrupt your sleep.
Fight the Urge To Procrastinate
Do you get the sudden urge to feed the dog at homework time? Don’t fall for it! Procrastination is like a little white lie we tell ourselves. We often think we’ll feel better about studying later if we do something else now, like playing with a pet, watching a TV show or even cleaning our room. It’s not true.
Avoiding Procrastination
How can you battle the urge to put things off? Try the following tips.
• Recognize that a feisty little voice lives inside every one of us, telling us it would be rewarding to play a game, eat or watch TV when we know better. Don’t listen to it.
• Think about the rewards of accomplishment and put reminders around your study room. Is there a specific college you want to attend? Put its poster right over your desk.
• Work out a reward system with your parents. There might be a concert you’re dying to go to. Make a deal way ahead of time—you can go, but only if you reach your goals. And stick with the deal!
• Start with small goals if you’re facing a big assignment. Don’t get overwhelmed by the big picture. Accomplishment feels great, so set small goals first, and take it day by day. Set new goals as you go.
• Finally, give yourself time to play! Set aside a special time to do whatever you want. Afterward, you’ll be ready to get to work!
IS YOUR WATER HEATER A HIDDEN ENERGY WASTER?
One of the biggest energy guzzlers in your home is the water heater. Even if yours seems to work fine, it might be worth your while to replace it with a model built after 2004, when the federal government released new efficiency standards for water heaters.
To get the most energy-efficient performance out of your water heater:
• Drain a bucket of water out of the bottom of the heater twice a year. The bottom can fill with sediment, which separates water from the heating element.
• Invest in an inexpensive water heater blanket or insulation kit, especially for older heaters. Do not insulate over doors or vents.
• Before buying a new water heater, estimate your family’s needs. A family of up to four should buy a 30- to 50-gallon tank, while up to seven people might require 50 to 80 gallons. Consider appliances such as hot tubs when calculating how much hot water you use, and consult a plumber for help.
• If your house has more than two levels or if the bathrooms, kitchen and laundry room are spaced far apart, it might be more efficient to invest in a smaller water heater for each level.
• Set the water heater’s temperature at 120 degrees or lower. This prevents scalding and standby heat loss, and can lower your water-heating bill by 10 percent.
• Insulate hot water supply pipes to reduce heat loss.
BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR PHANTOM LOADS
We all know to turn our thermostats up and our lights off to conserve energy, but many of us forget about all those household devices that quietly draw energy all day long, even when turned off. Electric co-ops refer to this electricity loss as phantom load, and the average home is full of it.
By themselves, these devices don’t use much energy, but when combined, they can make up a significant amount of a home’s electricity usage. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that in an average home, 75 percent of the electricity used to power electronics
is consumed while the units are switched off.
The most common offenders include any appliances that have digital clocks that remain on constantly, such as microwaves or coffeemakers. Devices that can be powered up by remote controls must constantly draw power to be ready for remote signals. Electronics that use square plug transformers, such as DVD players and video game consoles, also contribute to electricity loss.
The best way to rid your home of these phantom freeloaders is to be aware of them. If you’re not sure which devices qualify, try turning off all lights in your house at night and looking for any LED lights or other glowing appliances. Unplug, rather than switch off, any of these devices when you aren’t using them. Or use power strips with on/off switches to combine multiple plugs from household items and switch the entire power strip off when you are done with those items for the day.
You can find a list of popular home electronics and how much phantom load they create on the Federal Energy Management Program’s website at http://oahu.lbl.gov.
How many of these electricity-wasting phantoms are haunting your home?
Laptop plug
Power-tool charger
Stereo
Xbox
Cell phone charger
Some thermostats
Some hairdryers
Computer speakers
Microwave
DVD player
Motion detector
Lighting dimmers
Washer
Dryer
Printer
Cordless phone
VCR
TV
Computer
Monitor
Garage-door opener
Doorbell
Electric toothbrush charger
Coffeemaker
Electric razor
ELECTRICITY HAZARDS AFTER STORMS
Hurricane season is back. Storms not only damage property, they can also cause health and safety hazards. Your reaction when a storm blows your way can head off a disaster. Some tips:
Unplug all major electrical appliances as soon as the power goes out. This could prevent an electrical surge from damaging the motors of those appliances when the power is restored.
If parts of the house are flooded, turn off electricity to those areas before going near. Stepping in water—even shallow water—that is touching plugged-in appliances can cause electrocution.
Have an electrician inspect flooded appliances before turning them back on.
Keep the refrigerator door closed during power outages. Food will stay good for four to six hours in an unopened refrigerator.
Keep a refrigerator thermometer on hand to check the temperature when power is restored. If food is below 40 degrees, it’s safe to eat.
Know where you can get dry ice if the power is off for more than four hours. Keep ready-to-eat, nonperishable food on hand.
If someone in the house is on life-support or relies on any electric medical device, make a plan for where to take the person in case of a power outage. Your local hospital can help you with the plan.
LOOK UP! WATCH FOR OVERHEAD POWER LINES
When using ladders around the house to clean windows and gutters or paint, or when trimming trees, be mindful of overhead power lines.
• Never touch or allow anything you are holding to touch any power line. Power lines are not insulated to protect people from injury. Birds on wires aren’t in danger because they don’t provide a path to the ground. You and a ladder, pole or kite string do.
• You don’t need to be in contact with a power line to get hurt. Electricity can jump and often does when a potential conductor such as a ladder comes within a certain proximity. Be safe and keep well away—at least 10 feet—from overhead power lines.
• Any ladder—not just a metal one—is dangerous around power lines. No matter what the ladder is made of, it represents a potential hazard.
• Call your electric cooperative to report power lines that pass through tree limbs.
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