It’s been cold out!
We know it's been a chilly winter in Maine. Discover our top tips and new tools to help you conserve energy.
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Energy Manager
The cost of your bill depends not only on energy prices but also on your usage. That's why we created Energy Manager, a free tool that helps you track your consumption and provides personalized tips to lower your bills. Log in to your account and explore Energy Manager.
Usage Alerts
We can send you alerts about your consumption to avoid any surprises when your bill arrives. It’s easy to set them up. Log into your account, go to ‘Manage your preferences’ and choose ‘Alerts Preferences’.
Tips to reduce your usage
Now that you have a better understanding of your consumption, here are some tips to help you reduce it:
Lower the thermostat: Each degree above 68°F uses 3% more energy (unless you have a heat-pump!).
Use a smart thermostat: Save money by lowering the temperature when you’re not home.
Upgrade electric heat: Switch to a high-efficiency ductless mini split heat pump to cut electricity use by up to 40%.
Maintain your furnace: Clean or replace filters regularly and get annual check-ups to save money.
Switch to LED lighting: LEDs use up to 90% less energy and last up to 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
Set your air conditioning thermostat at 78° or higher during the warmer season. Each degree above 75° saves you 3% of the energy used to cool your home.
Turn your air conditioner up a few degrees when you leave home.
Use ceiling fans to naturally cool your home.
Make an upgrade - if your central air system is more than 12 years old, replace it with an ENERGY STAR® certified model. You could lower cooling costs by as much as 30%.
Close curtains during the day to block sunlight.
Lighting: Turn off lights whenever you leave a room or don't need them.
Dishwasher: Use the air-drying option instead of heat drying. Or better yet, turn off the drying cycle, open the dishwasher and let the contents air dry.
Refrigerator: Keep your refrigerator temperature setting just low enough to chill milk (38-40 degrees F) and the freezer low enough to keep ice cream hard (around 5 degrees F). Did you know, every time you open your refrigerator, approximately 30% of the cold air escapes?
Oven: Instead of opening your oven door to check what’s cooking look through the window.
Small Appliances: Use advanced power strips to eliminate any ‘standby’ power that many devices consume even when turned off.
Hot Water: Set your water heater at 120 degrees F (Many are preset at 140 degrees F).
Efficiency Maine: Efficiency Maine is the independent administrator for energy efficiency programs. They offer energy and money savings tips as well as a variety of rebates on products that can help you reduce your usage.
Home Energy Calculator: Enter your appliance information to get an understanding of how different appliances in your home affect your overall costs. Try our Home Energy Calculator .
SimplePay: With SimplePay, your energy costs will be spread evenly over 12 months so you know how much your bill will be every month.
Choose your supplier
Changing your supplier won’t reduce your usage, but can affect your bill. Learn more about energy supply and transmission in Maine.
We are here to help
Managing a higher bill during the winter can be challenging and we understand that. Programs like the Electricity Lifeline Program, Home Energy Assistance Program and Home Weatherization through Efficiency Maine Trust can help you manage your bills. Visit our Help with Bill page and check the programs available for our Maine customers.