From now through Nov. 23, Issaquah will be receiving “neighborhood sweeps” from Puget Sound Energy as part of a new energy-saving campaign to benefit customers.

In the campaign, which began this year, representatives from PSE go door-to-door visiting customers and giving them tips on how they can make changes in their home to save energy and, consequently, money.

“Small changes on an individual level scale up in an incredible way … we’re doing everything we can to bring these issues to the surface and let [customers] know small changes make a big difference,” said Mark Kammerer, PSE energy efficiency expert.

PSE picked 10 communities to focus on throughout the year, with Issaquah being the final city in the rotation. Kammerer laughed that Issaquah was not chosen because it is on the “naughty list” of energy use, but simply because the company wants to look at a variety of communities. Other cities chosen include Bellingham, Bremerton and Redmond.

The utilities company says that it is especially important to be energy-conscious at this time of year because the daylight savings switch is when people tend to start using more energy. With daylight hours getting shorter and temperatures getting colder, Kammerer said that “folks like to spend a lot more time in their homes” with lights on and the heat turned up.

With far more lights being turned on now than during the summer, one of the tips that PSE offers its customers is to switch out incandescent light bulbs for LED lights.

“LEDs use 80 percent less energy and last for 20 years,” Kammerer said. He added that customers “save money in two ways,” because not only will they see cheaper electric bills, but they also won’t need to worry about buying light bulbs regularly.

Another way that customers can go green and save some green is by making sure their homes — especially their attics — are properly insulated. Insulating a house can be done relatively cheaply, Kammerer said, and it saves plenty of money in the long run.

“Nobody should be paying to heat their attic,” Kammerer said.

Appliances also need to be updated to meet more sustainable standards. A refrigerator, Kammerer said, can be one of the top drainers of energy in the house.

“Customers want to look for an energy star label,” Kammerer said. This way, “they can be assured they’re buying a product that’s not wasteful.”

As small as it might seem, the right shower head can also make a huge impact. Not only do greener shower heads conserve water, but they save on the amount of energy that is used when more water needs to be heated.

PSE customers who don’t live in Issaquah need not fear that they’ll miss out on helpful tips. All customers are eligible for a free home energy assessment by a representative. The assessments are useful because they “tailor an energy efficiency plan to that home,” Kammerer said, and any customer who has an assessment done can receive a free Water Sense shower head and up to 20 LED bulbs.

It may seem counterproductive for a utilities company to give people hints on how to reduce their electric bill, but Kammerer said that, besides this being “the responsible thing to do,” there is also a very practical reason that PSE is helping its customers lessen their consumption.

“It’s cheaper to save it than to build it or buy it,” Kammerer said. “It helps us stabilize planning in the long-term and keep the rates lower for customers … We are committed to energy efficiency in a right-thing-to-do sense and in a business sense.”

Although the climate change discussion has inspired some heated discussions at the national level, Kammerer said that all customers he has talked to have been in agreement that, regardless of political beliefs, saving energy is important.

“We’ve found the customers to be very receptive,” Kammerer said. “It’s not a political issue to discuss saving money on the electricity bill and making the home more comfortable.”

Kammerer encourages everyone to learn more by visiting www.pse.com/savenow.