ENERGY
TIPS
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Cold Weather Tips |
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Make sure that your gas or oil furnace
is serviced and cleaned at least once a year |
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Simply changing an oil furnace filter
can make a tremendous difference in efficiency. |
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United States Department of Energy
(D.O.E.) statistics show that 44 percent of the average home's energy use is
devoted to heating and cooling. Tune up your water heater as well - this
appliance accounts for nearly 15 percent of your home energy
use.
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To reduce heating costs, try lowering
your thermostat 3 to 4 degrees can make a big difference - install a
programmable thermostat that will lower and raise the temperature at convenient
times. The D.O.E. estimates you can save 10 percent a year on heating and
cooling bills just by turning your thermostat down 10 to 15 percent for eight
hours while you sleep.
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Stop Drafts - Remove window air
conditioning units in the fall - add weather stripping to your windows and
doors - windows should be caulked on three sides, leaving the bottom to provide
an escape for moisture
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Add weather-stripping to the top,
sides, and bottom threshold of your doors - seal the space under the door with
a strip or removable "draft snake."
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Heat-loss through windows accounts for
10 to 25 percent of your home heating bill - invest in quality storm windows -
they are very, very efficient |
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Insulate your home - the roof, where
rising heat tries to escape your home as well as the ceiling, walls, and
floors. |
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Today's appliances are much more
efficient than their predecessors, so consider upgrading - newer air
conditioning units use less energy to generate cold air. |
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Water Heating - on-demand tankless
units cost more than conventional water heaters, but you can recoup the savings
by heating water only when you need it.
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Hot Weather Tips
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Turn off
unnecessary lights. Much of the energy from a light bulb is heat. Replace
incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs. |
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Shut doors
to unused rooms. |
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Make sure
furniture or drapes do not block your registers for supply and return air.
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Wear thin,
loosely fitting clothes and you may not have to keep room temperatures as
cool. |
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Keep the
sun out of your house. Close blinds, shades or curtains during the hottest part
of the day. On mild days, open windows for natural ventilation and turn the air
conditioning off. |
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Use
portable or ceiling fans. Even mild air movement of 1-mph can make you feel
3-4° cooler. |
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Apply
sun-control or other reflective films on south-facing windows. |
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Cooking
Light up your outdoor grill. The stove or oven can raise the temperature in
your kitchen as much as 5° to 10°! |
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Use a
microwave instead of a conventional oven to save money and keep your kitchen
cooler. |
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Take the
refrigerator out of the garage. If you have a second refrigerator or freezer in
an uninsulated garage, move it to an insulated basement or spare room. You'll
save money because the unit won't have to work as hard to stay cold. Even
better, unplug it completely, using it only when you really need
it. |
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Household
chores Do heat- and moisture-producing jobs such as cooking, cleaning, ironing
and laundry during the cooler early morning and evening hours. |
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Air-dry
dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s heat drying cycle. |
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Avoid
unnecessary trips in and out of the house, especially on very hot days. Heat
and humidity come in each time you open the door. |
