Spring is officially here! But with traces of snow and chilly temperatures still in the forecast, warmer days seem far on the horizon. Think balmy thoughts and kick off the season right – check out these energy efficient products and programs to help you enjoy the warmer months with more money in your pocket.

Spring Cleaning

Though March can still be cold, doing some spring cleaning around the house is a good way to help it feel like spring inside. This is the perfect opportunity to finally do something about the old, inefficient refrigerator or freezer sitting around the house or garage. PSEG Long Island will come to a home or office and pick up an old, working refrigerator or freezer for free and recycle it responsibly. Along with the energy savings customers receive by recycling their inefficient appliance, those participating in the recycling program will also receive a $50 reward. An additional bonus $35 voucher will be given if an old, working room air conditioner or dehumidifier is recycled at the same time as the refrigerator pick up.

Daydreaming About a Dip

Memorial Day is the unofficial kick-off to summer and the start of pool season for many on Long Island and the Rockaways. But before cannon-balling into the water, customers should ensure their pool is in tip-top shape. Need to replace a pool pump? We’re here to help. PSEG Long island offers rebates of up to $350 on new ENERGY STAR® certified pool pumps. A new ENERGY STAR certified model will use up to 70 percent less energy than a standard unit.

Backyard Fun

Summer on Long Island and the Rockaways is all about post-beach barbecues with friends and family. But make sure there is good lighting to make sure the festivities really shine. LED lights use 75 percent less energy and will last 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs, helping to keep the party going even when the sun goes down. PSEG Long Island offers discounts on LED lighting throughout the year at participating retailers or through its Online Energy Efficiency Products Catalog.

Cooling Off

Though too much heat sounds far-fetched now, come July, it will be refreshing to step into an air-conditioned room after being out in the summer sun all day. If a customer’s room air conditioner or even central air conditioning system barely made it through last summer, now is a good time to look into a newer and more efficient system. PSEG Long Island offers a rebate of up to $50 on a new ENERGY STAR certified room air conditioner. An energy efficient model uses approximately 15 percent less energy than conventional models. The utility also offers rebates of up to $600 on a central air conditioning system through its Cool Homes program. Rebates are available for ducted central air conditioners, ducted air source heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, and ductless mini split systems.

For more information on energy saving tips and PSEG Long Island’s energy efficiency programs, please visit https://www.psegliny.com/savemoney .

The holidays are right around the corner, and the race to the store check-out is in full force. Whether you’ve just begun, or you’re looking for last-minute gifts, don’t miss an opportunity for savings; and between buying the perfect electric decoration for your holiday display, the latest and greatest gadget, or a new appliance needed for the ultimate festive treat, be on the lookout for an ENERGY STAR ® certified option.

Kicking back to binge on your favorite Netflix series or catch the big game? An ENERGY STAR-certified TV is over 25 percent more energy efficient than standard models. Or, if you’re jamming to your favorite holiday tunes, sound bars are a must-have item—and ENERGY STAR certified options use about 60 percent less energy than non-certified models. Additionally, selecting an ENERGY STAR certified string of lights helps cut costs and protects our environment, and also uses 75 percent less energy than an incandescent string and lasts 10 times longer.

ENERGY STAR-certified products are the gifts that keep on giving. In addition to savings, we offer rebates on certain products to help you save even more. These products, as well as LED and CFL light bulbs, are eligible for in-store savings and mail-in rebates ranging from $25-$350.

Air purifiers	Clothes dryers	Clothes washers
Pool pumps	Refrigerators	Room air conditioners

After making room for your new appliance, don’t just ditch the old one – let us help, and put a little extra money in your pocket after all that holiday shopping. Our customers have the option of working with us to recycle their old fridge or freezer at no cost. We’ll pick up the old, working appliance, recycle it responsibly and you’ll receive a $50 reward for opting to be energy efficient.

For more information on ENERGY STAR certified appliances, visit their site. For details on rebates available through PSEG Long Island, click here.

As the weather starts to cool off, family gatherings quickly migrate from the back deck to the kitchen table, and ocean-side evenings are swapped for afternoons around the fireplace. A warm and comfy home is an integral part of creating that fall atmosphere we long for during the humid days of July; and now that it’s here, don’t let it slip through the cracks (literally).

Warming your home can be an expensive feat if you don’t prepare properly. Cozy up to these tips to keep your heat and your money where it belongs – with you.

Inspect: Be sure to check the filters in your hot air heating system monthly and replace or clean them via a licensed professional when they become dirty. It’s also important to have boilers and radiators inspected to ensure they are leak-free and working properly. However, this can be a pricey endeavor. Qualified families are encouraged to submit an application for assistance with this cost through New York State’s Heating Equipment Tune-Up benefit. Households can receive up to $400 towards heating equipment cleaning, often including chimney cleaning, minor repairs, and more.

Insulate: Insulating walls, ceilings, floors, hot air ducts, and hot water pipes can reduce the cost of heat significantly.

Moisturize: Dry air always feels cooler than moist air – try a humidifier to lower your thermostat setting and create a comfortable temperature for your home.

Program: A programmable thermostat can automatically raise and lower the temperature in your home, depending on personal preference. Homeowners can save up to 18 percent on their yearly heating and cooling costs by properly setting and maintaining their programmable thermostats.

Unplug: Portable electric heaters can be costly to operate, and dangerous if left on for long periods of time – opt for alternative methods of heating to save money and keep your family safe.

Seal: Storm windows and doors are another simple, eco-and-wallet-friendly way to save money on heating this winter, reducing heating costs by as much as 15 percent. Try double-glazing and thermopaning windows to minimize heat escape. Also try weather-stripping and caulking for cracks in walls and floors to keep the heat in.

Open: Draw back curtains and let the sun in! Not only will it make for a cozier room, but sunlight provides additional free and natural warmth.

Close: Closing doors in unused rooms allows for heat to circulate in a smaller space, thus warming a room faster. It also stops air from circulating as frequently, which helps reduce heat loss.

Lay: Using area rugs and carpets not only helps prevent heat loss through the floor, but is warmer to the touch than wood or stone.

Switch: Change the direction of your ceiling fan seasonally. By setting it counterclockwise in the cooler months at a slower speed, you can drive warm air down and force cold air to rise.

For more tips on how to stay warm, and save money and energy this fall, check out our energy efficiency tips here

Fourth of July is a time to celebrate America and all that has been sacrificed in the name of freedom and independence for this country. And while we recognize men like George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison as the Founding Fathers of this country, let us not forget a separate but equally important group of influential men – the Founding Fathers of Energy, to which we owe a world of ever-progressing power and technology.  Along with the contributions of Andres Celsius, Georg Ohm, Isaac Newton, James Joule and James Watts, the following men are just a few of the key players who built the foundation for the energy we use and understand today.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin’s list of accomplishments and successes vary from his role as a diplomat and politician, to a printer and scientist. Similarly, his contributions to the energy world are vast and diverse. Franklin was the first to notice the similarities between lightning and electricity, a concept that other scientists had dabbled in but never fully explored. Through observing their parallels, Franklin suggested lightning and electricity were one in the same through his famous key and kite experiment. By tying an iron key to a kite during a storm, he was able to attract lightning and send a charge down the kite’s string. This experiment was the inception of the lightning rod, which absorbs the electrical charge from lightning and sends it to the ground, leaving the respective building undamaged.

Albert Einstein

Like his contemporaries, Albert Einstein made significant steps forward in the world of energy throughout his lifetime, most famously for his mathematical equation about the nature of energy: e = mc². Einstein argued that any mass has an equal energy, and any energy has an equal mass. Because ‘c,’ which stands for the speed of light in a vacuum, results in such a large number, the German-born scientist further suggested that mass is a highly concentrated form of energy.

Einstein also played a large part in discovering the photoelectric effect, a phenomenon that occurs when a metallic surface is exposed to an electromagnetic radiation above a certain frequency (like x-rays and visible light). When the radiation meets the metallic surface, the light is absorbed and electrons are emitted.

Thomas Edison

Thomas Alva Edison was another instrumental figure in the progress of energy through the 19^th and 20^th century. Edison learned the fundamentals of energy through his work as a telegraph operator, which lead to his invention of the stock ticker, the world’s first electricity-based broadcast system.

However, Edison’s most well-known invention was the light bulb. Although not the first form of electric light, (that can be credited to Humphry Davy in 1802) the light bulb was the first mass-produced, commercial form of light. Later, Edison went on to develop a system of electric-power generation and distribution and founded the Edison Illuminating Company, one of the first companies to eventually become part of Con Ed. His first power station was on Pearl Street in Manhattan, providing electricity to 59 customers in lower Manhattan.

Nikola Tesla

Nikola Tesla was not only an innovator in the world of energy, but his work also elevated the contributions of other great scientists like Edison and Franklin. Tesla’s inventions ranged from the inception of radio, the remote control, x-rays, neon signs and more; but perhaps his most influential work was the invention of AC power and the AC motor, which is used to run household appliances like washers and dryers. His goal was to power a motor solely through alternating currents. To do this, Tesla patented a rotating magnetic field that would allow alternating current to power an engine without being converted into a direct current first. This process was later used to create AC generators and transformers.

These are just four of the powerful figures who helped create and support many of the electric devices we use today. Have a favorite scientist responsible for your go-to gadget? Share your energy inspiration in the comment section and see the links below for more information.

For more information, check out the links below:

Benjamin Franklin

Nikola Tesla

Thomas Edison

Albert Einstein

Mike Voltz – Director of Energy Efficiency and Renewables, PSEG Long Island