Md. Seeks to Enlighten Residents on Using Less Energy

Campaign Focuses On Saving Money

Maryland residents will soon get a reminder to turn off the lights when they leave a room, not from their needling mothers but from the government.

In hopes of encouraging conservation, the Maryland Energy Administration is beginning a $2.25 million public-awareness campaign using bus ads, radio announcements and billboards to urge residents to follow 15 tips for saving money and energy.

It is part of a state effort to reduce Maryland residents' energy consumption 15 percent by 2015, officials said.

"We're trying to provide zero-cost ways that households can save energy, whether you want climate change or you just want to save money," said Malcolm D. Woolf, the administration's director.

The focus on cost savings "resonates with all Marylanders," Woolf said.

Some of the tips are well known: Unplug computers and TVs when they're not in use. Cut back on air conditioning when nobody is home. Drive less and walk or ride a bike more. Use ceiling fans. Keep vehicle tires properly inflated to increase gas mileage.

Others might be less familiar: Use cold water in the dishwasher and top-loading washing machine (with a detergent specially formulated for cold water). Set the refrigerator temperature to 37 to 40 degrees and clean the coils. Install a low-flow showerhead. Reduce the water heater's temperature to 120 degrees.

"We want people to understand how making small changes not only saves money for themselves but [is] part of a larger solution" for energy conservation, said Christina Twomey Light, an Energy Administration spokeswoman. "We're trying to make it easy for people. These are very small and painless behavioral changes."

Woolf said states such as New York have seen reductions in energy consumption from similar public-awareness campaigns, particularly if they're sustained.

The state began a pilot program last summer, when it placed ads on buses in lower-income Baltimore neighborhoods. The campaign will spread statewide this fall, Light said. She said lower-income residents were targeted first because they are hardest hit by high power bills.

The campaign is funded with money from the state's Strategic Energy Investment Fund. The fund collects money that the state makes from auctioning off carbon dioxide emission allowances to power plants as part of a program to reduce greenhouse gases, Light said.

Johanna Neumann, state director of Maryland PIRG, a consumer advocacy group, praised the campaign, saying it is especially needed in a state where some electric bills have almost doubled in the past decade.

"People will do energy-efficiency improvements for a lot of reasons and a lot because it hits the wallet," Neumann said. "I think more and more people, especially as utility rates climb, will do things for the economic benefit."

Woolf said he plugged his TV, DVR and stereo system into the same surge protector and flips the power strip's switch to turn off all at once every evening. Keeping electronics plugged in, even when they're not on, sucks "phantom power," Light said.

Residents can get an energy audit of their homes, Woolf said. Such an audit found his home needed more insulation. Installing more helped lower his monthly energy bills by one-third, he said.

The state certifies contractors to perform such audits and do necessary repairs. Information is available at http://www.mdhomeperformance.org.