Support EARTH HOUR 2010 and save your bills

		Earth Hour 2010 takes place on Saturday 27 March at 8.30 pm (local time). People across the world will turn off their lights and join together to celebrate and contemplate the one thing we all have in common - our planet. Here are a few tips that you can follow leading up to Earth Hour and if you see a drop in your electricity bill for the month, need I say more, I am certain you will continue implementing these.
1. The air-conditioner uses the bulk of the electricity in a home. A fan uses less than 1/10th the electricity used by an air-conditioner! Use a fan instead of an air-conditioner to keep cool. Save about $45 a month or about $555 a year*. 2. The lower the temperature setting, the more energy used by your air-conditioner. If you use an air-conditioner, set the temperature at about 25oC. For every degree raised, save about $20 a year*. 3. Switch off home appliances at the power socket. Standby power can account for up to 10% of your home electricity use. Do not leave them on standby. Save about $45 a year*. 4. Choose energy efficient light bulbs (e.g. compact fluorescent lamps). Using a compact fluorescent lamp (9W) instead of an incandescent bulb (40W) can save about $15 per bulb per year*. 5. Choose an energy-efficient appliance (e.g. air-conditioner. refrigerator) by checking the energy labels. A 4-tick air-conditioner saves you about $310 in electricity bills a year compared to a 1-tick model, and a 4-tick refrigerator saves you about $90 a year over a 1-tick model*. To find energy labeled appliances, check out the database of registered goods.