JUNO BEACH, Fla. – The holidays represent a time for giving. If you’re scrambling for easy, unique ideas for presents this year, Florida Power & Light Company encourages you to consider giving the gift of energy efficiency.
FPL’s Helpful Holiday Tips Part 5: Give the Gift of Energy Efficiency
Ranked No. 1 among utilities nationwide in energy efficiency, FPL has been helping customers this holiday season with tips for reducing energy usage and saving money around their homes while cooking, staying warm and decorating. You can help save energy and money, too, with these energy-efficient gift-giving tips:
• Look for the ENERGY STAR label when shopping for electronics, appliances, office products and more. ENERGY STAR, a joint program of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, highlights products that use less energy. Over the lifetime of ENERGY STAR products, a household can save more than $10,000 in energy costs.
• Go solar: Pick up a solar-powered cell phone charger – perfect for people on the go – or other solar-powered products. Like FPL’s Next Generation Solar Energy Centers, these gadgets use the free energy from the sun. You can find a wide array of solar-powered products, ranging from calculators to tiki torches.
• LED televisions aren’t cheap, but they use less energy than other types of TVs. The next best option is LCD technology.
• Toss in a power strip or rechargeable batteries with electronic gifts. Computers, TVs, DVD players, video game consoles, stereos and other electronics continue to draw power even when they are not in use. Connect them to a power strip so you can shut off this unnecessary energy consumption.
• Stuff stockings with CFLs, low-flow showerheads and other useful items. Compact fluorescent light bulbs use 75 percent less energy than traditional incandescent bulbs, and you can reduce your water-heating costs by as much as 50 percent when you upgrade to an efficient showerhead.
• Opt for handy human-power products like shake flashlights and wind-up hurricane radios. These are great gifts for Floridians who want to be prepared for next year’s hurricane season.
Visit www.FPL.com for more tips on how you can save energy in your home, during the holidays and throughout the year.
Florida Power & Light Company
Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) is the largest electric utility in Florida and one of the largest rate-regulated utilities in the United States. FPL serves 4.5 million customer accounts in Florida and is a leading employer in the state with nearly 11,000 employees. The company consistently outperforms national averages for service reliability while customer bills are well below the national average. A clean energy leader, FPL has one of the lowest emissions profiles and the No. 1 energy efficiency program among utilities nationwide. FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Fla.-based FPL Group, Inc. (NYSE: FPL). For more information, visitwww.FPL.com.