NV Energy offers energy-saving programs

Amid the current economic conditions, becoming energy efficient has never made more sense. When homeowners save energy they help to protect the environment and cut their monthly bills.

There is a long list of things consumers can do at home to conserve energy and green up their lives. Some are easy -- and free -- like setting the thermostat to 78 degrees when someone is home and leaving the blinds closed during the day. Others are relatively simple, like installing a programmable thermostat and landscaping in order to shade your home from the hot summer sun.

NV Energy also has programs in place to assist customers in saving energy. With programs like the refrigerator recycling program, customers can even make money. NV Energy will pick up an old working refrigerator and pay the resident $30 as well as recycle it.

The average refrigerator or freezer manufactured before 1990 consumes about 1,500 kilowatt-hours annually, costing up to $150 a year to run. Since 2001, federal codes called for more energy-efficient refrigerators/freezers, which only use about 450-500 kilowatt-hours a year.

In addition to recycling old refrigerators and freezers, NV Energy works to cut electricity demand by offering Renewable Generations rebates for residential solar, wind and hydro systems. NV Energy also offers air conditioning load-management programs and rebates for energy-efficient improvements to homes and commercial buildings.

Steps have also been taken to put the customer in control. Through NVEnergy.com, customers can access MyAccount and take advantage of tools to perform a comprehensive energy audit of their homes that will allow them to compare their energy use against similar homes in the area, examine their energy use over time, look at their billing history and discover specific ways to lower their electric bills.

NV Energy is also aggressively exploring new technologies that might affect the way residents use energy in the future. NV Energy is currently collaborating with the Department of Energy, University of Nevada, Las Vegas and Pulte Homes in taking green building to a new level through conscientious building, solar-electric systems and real-time communication between the utility, the homeowner and the home itself.

Through the project, a series of advancements in energy efficiency and conservation are being integrated in a new Las Vegas Valley subdivision. These include a roof-integrated solar power that blends seamlessly with roofing materials and advanced meters that track energy use in real time with communication between home, homeowner and utility.

Moving energy efficiency and conservation forward is an integral part of NV Energy's three-part strategy for Nevada, which also includes renewable energy and the addition of the cleanest, most energy-efficient power plants.