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Take little steps, such as upgrading your lighting to ENERGY STAR^® compact fluorescents (CFLs), using power strips and other power management tools on seldom used electronics products and upgrading holiday lighting to ENERGY STAR qualified light emitting diode (LED) lights, and generate big savings.

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Pledge to make these energy saving actions a habit in your home and help to save energy, the environment, and the world!

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Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs)

Switching to energy-efficient lighting is one little step that leads to big savings. ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) are available in different sizes and shapes including mini-spiral, spiral and A-line, globe, vanity, and flood. They use 75 percent less energy, last up to 10 times longer, and can be used almost any fixture.

If all the households in New York took the Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR^® Pledge and changed just one light bulb to an ENERGY STAR CFL, New York could prevent nearly 562 million pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, save up to 365 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and reduce household electrical bills by approximately $56 million annually!

Change the World, Start with ENERGY STAR is a national campaign sponsored by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) encouraging Americans to join with millions of others in taking small, individual steps that make a big difference in the fight against global warming.

The ENERGY STAR Pledge is a way for individuals to commit to being more energy efficient by switching at least one light in their homes to an ENERGY STAR qualified one.

Whether it is committing to purchase ENERGY STAR qualified appliances or committing to using ENERGY STAR LED holiday lights, Pledge Plus is a way for New Yorkers to take additional steps at home that add up to greater energy and environmental savings.

Becoming a Pledge Driver means you are making a public commitment to invite your community or organization to take the pledge. You can commit to driving people to our web site to take the pledge by posting information along with a link to the pledge on your web site. Your group can be an important part of this show of strength and commitment by completing the Pledge Driver commitment form.

An ENERGY STAR qualified light bulb or fixture can save about $30 or more in electricity costs and prevent more than 400 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions over its lifetime, an equivalent of keeping nearly 200 pounds of coal from being burned.

Replace bulbs or fixtures where lights are typically left on the longest, such as the family room and living room, kitchen, dining room, and porch. Place bulbs in open fixtures that allow air flow and, if replacing a bulb operating on a dimmer switch, look for bulbs specifically designed for this use.

Power Management

Effectively managing your power consumption is another little step that leads to big savings. Did you know that 75% of all electricity used to power home electronics is consumed while the products are turned off? This waste energy is commonly referred to as “Vampire, Ghost, Phantom, and/or Pirate” load and in most cases, this waste of energy is avoidable.

Effective power management requires you develop some simple habits or acquire a taste for new innovative technology that will help you save energy with ease. New Yorkers can combat waste energy by using smart power strips, unplugging electronic device chargers, and using the power or energy saving mode of electronics when available.

Power management is the practice of effectively managing the power in your home by using specific tools and implementing simple energy saving actions.

Power management is a way to effectively combat home electronics products, among others, that use the majority of their power when they are actually turned off. By using advanced power strips, whole-house switches, home automation systems, programmable thermostats, and timers, you can manage your home’s power consumption. Also, many people don’t realize that they can save energy by unplugging TVs, CD players, computers, DVD players, cell phone chargers, and other products that aren’t used every day.

Yes. ENERGY STAR^® qualified home electronics can use up to 50 percent less power than those that do not have the ENERGY STAR and they are environmentally friendly because they cut down on the amount of fossil fuels used to provide electricity, resulting in a reduction of greenhouse gases.

Energy Efficient Holiday Lighting

Upgrading your holiday lighting to ENERGY STAR^® qualified Light Emitting Diode (LED) holiday lighting is another little step that leads to big savings. Did you know that energy efficient LED holiday lighting uses 90% less energy than standard holiday lighting strands? LED holiday lighting is durable and produces almost no heat greatly reducing the risk of fire.

Imagine the energy savings when using ENERGY STAR LED holiday lighting not only in your home, but on decorations in your towns and meeting places. The average home decorated with ENERGY STAR LED holiday lighting strands will save up to $100 over the course of the holiday season. Imagine how much energy your town can save? Urge your town representatives to use ENERGY STAR LED holiday lighting in decorations and displays when applicable.

Try energy efficient holiday lighting that comes in a variety of festive styles and colors. ENERGY STAR Light emitting diodes (LEDs), fiber optic lights, candelabra compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) and rope lights use substantially less energy than standard holiday lighting.

ENERGY STAR LED holiday lights are constructed from solid-state chips that convert electricity into light without using a filament or glass bulb.

Fiber optic lighting is extremely economical and energy efficient. These lights are cool to the touch since light is transmitted from the fiber, not heat. Fiber optic cabling allows lighting access to locations that may otherwise be difficult to light such as paths, trees, decks, patios and vaulted ceilings.

Candelabra CFLs are a great energy-saving option for candlesticks and menorahs, using about 80 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs while producing the same lumens. With a typical 8,000-hour life, candelabras generally last 10 times longer than the average incandescent bulb and come in a variety of styles and wattages.

Rope lighting is composed of miniature incandescent lights spaced about an inch apart and enclosed in a half-inch diameter flexible plastic tubing. The tiny bulbs use approximately 0.5 watts of power per foot, and are rated to last more than 20,000 hours. Available in multiple colors, rope lights are suitable for indoor and outdoor use and are ideal for decorating trees or for outlining doors and windows.