ALBANY, N.Y., May 14 /PRNewswire/ -- To lighten the power load on the electricity system grid and avoid a California-like situation involving power shortages, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) offers consumers home energy tips that will help reduce their energy costs-- plus an opportunity to receive a $75 room air conditioner bounty when they trade in their inefficient room air conditioner and purchase an Energy StarŪ air conditioner.

 *  Look for the Energy Star® label, the symbol for energy efficiency,
    when replacing or shopping for room air conditioners, major appliances,
    lighting, windows, and home electronics.  Find participating retailers
    near you at http://www.GetEnergySmart.org.  For central air
    conditioning systems, make sure the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio
    (SEER) is 12 or higher -- http://www.epa.gov/appdstar/hvac/prodac.html.
    Rick Gerardi, Director for Residential Energy Affordability Programs at
    NYSERDA, indicates that this is the single most important thing
    consumers can do to cut energy waste and utility bills. 
	   
 *  Shift energy-intensive tasks -- laundry and dishwashing -- to off-peak
    energy demand hours, nights and weekends.  Operate washers and dryers
    with full loads to get the most for your energy dollars.

 *  Install a setback timer on your room air conditioner so it does not run
    when you are not home.  Timers designed especially for room air
    conditioners, which can be programmed to turn on and off, will reduce
    use during times that the power demand on your utility system is the
    highest.

 *  Bounty for your air conditioner.  Purchase a new Energy Star room air
    conditioner and turn in your old inefficient unit to receive a $75
    turn-in bounty.  Call 1-877-NY-SMART hotline or visit
    www.GetEnergySmart.org for more details on this offer.

 *  Cooling and heating are half of the average family's energy bill.
    Maintain your air conditioning equipment with a professional "tune-up"
    to save you the cost and inconvenience of a breakdown during the
    hottest days!  Clean or replace filters monthly.  Consider increasing
    the temperature by just three degrees to decrease your energy bills.
    Window units should be sized properly for optimum performance.

 *  If you are taking advantage of lower interest rates to refinance your
    home, consider wrapping into the package energy-efficiency home
    improvements that would reduce your monthly energy bills.  Interest
    would also be tax deductible.

 *  Take the guesswork out of energy-efficient improvements by exploring
    NYSERDA's consumer website http://www.GetEnergySmart.org . Their home
    energy analysis provides homeowners with a quick home energy analysis,
    which includes potential dollar and pollution savings from recommended
    improvements.  Additional energy-efficiency tips and valuable
    information can be found on the Alliance to Save Energy's consumer web
    site -- at http://www.ase.org/consumer.

 *  Earn 50 percent returns on your money by installing insulation and
    weather stripping to cut your heating and air conditioning costs,
    advises Andrew Tobias, personal finance editor, in a PARADE magazine
    article, "How To Invest In Uncertain Times." (See new consumer web site
    http://www.simplyinsulate.org to test your IQ -- insulation quotient).

 *  Listen to your mother.  ("What do you think -- we own the utility
    company?!") Turn off everything not in use: lights, TVs, computers.
    Don't run your air conditioning when no one is home.  Better yet,
    install a programmable thermostat or timer to turn on your air
    conditioner and cool your house just before you get home.

 *  Light up your life -- efficiently.  Replace your existing light bulbs
    with more energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs that use one-
    fourth the energy, last 10 times longer, and are more cost effective.
    Instead of spending money by leaving the lights on when you are not at
    home, put timers on a few of the lights, or install motion detectors on
    exterior floodlights to improve your home security while saving energy
    and money.

 *  Make your PC as energy-efficient as possible.  Activate "sleep"
    features on computers and office equipment that power down when the
    equipment is on but not in use for a while.  Turn off equipment during
    long periods of non-use to cut costs and improve longevity.

 *  Plug energy "leaks" with appropriate insulation, weather stripping,
    caulking, and low-e or spectrally selective windows, glass doors, and
    skylights.  Make sure your attic and/or ceiling are well insulated-as
    well as the rest of your home.  Be sure your air ducts are not leaking
    and are properly insulated.  A house can lose up to 20 or 30 percent of
    its energy from leaky ducts.

 *  Check your refrigerator -- it runs 24 hours a day.  Clean the coils to
    reduce your energy bills and improve the life of your refrigerator.

 *  Check out Energy Star® washers.  They use less water and energy and
    get clothes as clean as conventional units.  Also investigate dryers
    with moisture sensors and high-efficiency refrigerators.

 *  If you are in the market for a new car, think high gas mileage to save
    hundreds of dollars in fuel bills over the life of the car and reduce
    pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
	   

NYSERDA offers information on its Keep Cool summer electricity reliability program -- 1-877-NY-SMART -- as well as details on other energy and money saving tips on its website http://www.GetEnergySmart.org .

NYSERDA is a public benefit corporation that supports research to develop technologies that help New York save energy and reduce emissions. NYSERDA also helps New York State businesses develop energy and environmental products, commercializing the type of high-value-added products that give New York State businesses a real chance to compete in the expanding global marketplace.