By MATT MAURY

Daylight savings time ended a month ago and now the first power bill of the winter has arrived. For most of us, it's always a shocker to receive that first bill after the lights have been on for a month of evenings.

But we shouldn't blame this year's power crisis for all of the added cost. As homeowners, we have been guilty of "power usage creep." By that I mean that, as consumers, each month of each year we continue to purchase more and more electricity consuming items.

Fifty years ago it was just the lights (one per room), refrigerator, stove washer and radio consuming power. Then along came televisions, dishwashers and clothes dryers to add to the power bill. Today an average kitchen includes a microwave, a toaster oven, a blender, a coffee maker, a crockpot, and, maybe, a television, in addition to the appliances of five decades ago. A walk through any house will find an endless number of items consuming energy: security systems, VCRs, computers, printers, rechargeable phones, answering machines, waterbeds, DVD players, and more. The "power usage creep" continues with each trip to the store for the latest new whiz-bang must-have device. Power companies now estimate that 20-25 percent of an average home's power usage is consumed by "miscellaneous small electrical items."

Digressing to the electric bill briefly, it is made up of two components - the price of power per kilowatt-hour and the number of kilowatt-hours of electricity used. Other than attending rate-setting hearings for utilities, there is little a homeowner can do about the price of power. So the only way to reduce the bill is to use less power. In 1987, the federal government started the ball rolling by mandating energy efficiency in major appliances, heating and air conditioning. The "energy star" symbol identifies consumer goods that are part of that program. Energy consumption by these items is down substantially. If an appliance is over 10 years old, it may be worth investigating the energy savings payoff from a replacement.

The other big power user around the house is lighting. There is a big push to get consumers to change from incandescent bulbs to compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) because of the energy savings. To get the comparable light output, as measured in lumens and shown on the packaging of bulbs, the fluorescents require about 25 percent of the watts of traditional bulbs. For a current 100-watt bulb that is on for four hours every day, there will be energy savings of over $7 a year at Seattle City Light's current residential rates. And, obviously, the savings will grow as the rates increase. All of the first year's energy savings will be taken by the initial purchase of the CFL, but these bulbs have a five-plus year rated life, so the savings are substantial during the life of the bulb. For some people, the CFL is not desirable for every light in the home. Yet it is an excellent choice for porch lights, garages, basements, hallways and nightlights.

Short of upgrading appliances and changing to CFL lighting, all homeowners can reduce power consumption by being mindful of its usage:

€ Turn off lights when not in a room (contrary to general assumptions, it is cheaper to turn them off than leave them on, even for a brief period).

€ Lower thermostat settings and wear a sweater. The best option is to have a programmable thermostat, which automatically adjusts temperatures throughout the day and night.

€ Unplug recharging devices when not in use. They keep drawing power even when they aren't charging a cellphone, Palm Pilot or whatever.

€ Don't leave computers turned on when not in use. (