REDUCING ENERGY COSTS

Wouldn’t you know that electricity is invisible? Maybe that’s why it’s so hard to see why energy bills get out of control. What causes all those kilowatt hours? How much is essential and how much waste?
We all live in different homes in different parts of the country. So even knowing national averages of consumption isn’t very helpful. But here’s a breakdown of how we use energy dollars:

For an in-depth discussion, visit www.eere.energy.gov. Under “search”, type: “Your Home’s Energy Use.”

START WITH AN ENERGY AUDIT

An energy audit identifies problems that, when corrected, may reduce your energy costs significantly over time. You’ll learn where your house is losing heat and cooling through leaks and poor insulation and how to conserve hot water. Your electric or gas utility may provide free or low-cost energy audits or look for companies that perform audits in your area. The technician will use such equipment as infrared cameras and surface thermometers to find hard-to-detect inefficiencies. Or you can perform a do-it-yourself audit.

Air Leaks. Check for indoor leaks caused by gaps along the baseboard and at junctions of walls and ceilings. See if air flows through electrical outlets, window frames, doors, fireplace dampers, and attic hatches. See if caulking and weather stripping around doors are in good condition. Keep fireplace dampers closed when not in use. Draft reduction may yield energy savings of up to 30% and make your home much more comfortable.
Insulation. When your house was built, the amount of insulation recommended at that time was installed. Today that level might be inadequate, especially if you have an older home. It is relatively easy to measure how many inches of insulation exist in your attic and see whether that material has degraded. However, checking outside wall insulation may require a thermographic inspection – infrared scanning to determine air leakage.

If your basement isn’t heated, find out if there is insulation under the living area flooring. R-25 is the recommended minimum level of insulation in most parts of the country. Your water heater, hot water pipes, and furnace ducts should also be insulated.

Heating/Cooling Equipment. Have a technician inspect and clean your equipment once a year. If the equipment is more than 15 years old, you should consider replacing it with a more energy-efficient unit. If you have a forced air system, make sure your filters are replaced as needed. Insulate any ducts or pipes that travel through unheated spaces.

Water Heater. An electric water heater is usually a major user of electricity. Assuming the heater is in good condition, there are two ways you can lower its power consumption. One is to cover the heater with an insulating blanket if it is exposed to cold air. The other is to lower the thermostat setting. Experiment with a lower setting to see if the heater still delivers adequate hot water. Here are other ways to reduce hot water use:

• Take showers instead of baths.
• If you have a dishwasher, wash only full loads.
• Use energy saving settings when you wash clothes.
• Turn off your water heater overnight.

MAJOR APPLIANCES

• Use a microwave in place of your oven or stove when possible. Many foods can be cooked or heated in a microwave faster and more efficiently.
• Make sure the temperature settings in your fridge and freezer are not too low. These units run constantly, so they’re heavy users of electricity. Leave breathing room in the back and on top for air to circulate.
• Get the most use out of oven heat by preparing all-oven-cooked meals.
• Don’t leave television sets and stereos running constantly in unoccupied rooms. You’ll not only save energy, you’ll extend the life of the equipment.
• Make sure the filter is kept lint-free in your clothes dryer. Better yet, air dry clothes on a line when the weather is mild.

LET THERE BE LIGHT …

But not so much that you waste electricity. According to the U. S. Department of Energy (www.eere.energy.gov), lighting accounts for about 10% of your electric bill. You need to change two things: your habits and your light bulbs. Get in the habit of turning lights off when you leave a room and won’t return soon. Consider installing timers, photo cells, or occupancy sensors to reduce the time lights are on.

Study your home’s lighting needs and design patterns and accents in place of overall fill lighting. Use task lighting for activities like reading or sewing. Tensor lamps will focus the light better and cut costs. Try lowering the wattage of incandescent bulbs. Better yet, replace incandescent fixtures with those that use compact fluorescent lamps or standard fluorescent bulbs. One 40-watt fluorescent tube provides more light than three 60-watt incandescent bulbs. Fluorescent bulbs cost more than regular bulbs, but they are three times more energy efficient, four times brighter, and 10 times longer lasting, says Brian Chow at http://freestuffpage.com.

HEATING AND COOLING

Keeping your home comfortable uses more energy – and more dollars – than any other system in your home. Even though you may be reluctant to replace older units with more efficient equipment, by not upgrading you may actually spend more in higher electric, oil, and gas consumption.

Heat Pumps. If you use electricity to heat and cool your home in a forced-air system, consider installing an energy-efficient heat pump. A heat pump generates three times more heating than the equivalent amount of energy it consumes. What’s more it does double-duty as a central air conditioning system in the summer, cutting the amount of electricity you use by as much as 30% to 40%. For heat pumps with the best efficiency ratings, look for the ENERGY STAR® label.

Gas and Oil Heating Systems . If you heat your home with gas or oil, you may save money by having your system tuned up or retrofitted rather than replaced. Retrofits usually include new controls, pumps, or distribution systems. Gas systems have a working life of 15 to 18 years, so weigh the cost of retrofitting against full replacement. If you choose replacement, you’ll have the opportunity to install equipment that delivers some of the most energy-efficient heating technologies available.

Programmable Thermostats. Installing a programmable thermostat will save energy by automatically lowering the temperature while you sleep and when your home is unoccupied. The U.S. Department of Energy says you can save as much as 10% a year on heating and cooling bills by adjusting thermostat settings 10% to 15% for eight hours.

For more information on lowering energy costs, visit: www.personalmoneymgmt.com and www.cee1.org

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