Tips for Lower Utility Bills:
Turn down your thermostat. In many states, lowering it by just 1 degree
can reduce heating energy costs by
4% – between nearly $30 and $50, depending on the fuel used to heat the
home.
Heat people and pets, not empty space – about 80% of
space is usually not being used at any given time.
Closing vents in unoccupied rooms can save a significant amount of
energy – and money.
Use a small, more efficient top rated whole room space heater
Set the hot water heater at 130 degrees. Washing clothes
in cold water can save you up to $5 a month.
Get a programmable thermostat - they cost about $100 –
when used properly, it can pay for itself in its first year of use.
Plug leaks – Gaps between windows and doors may be small, but they can collectively add up to big energy losses. Plugging these leaks with caulk or other materials is the first action homeowners should take to combat high heating fuel costs. By sealing those leaks and installing proper insulation, especially in the attic and crawl spaces, most households can reduce home heating costs by up to $150-$300 per year, depending on the fuel used.
Warm air leaking into your home during the
summer and out of
your home during the winter can waste a lot of your energy dollars. One
of the quickest dollar-saving tasks you can do is caulk, seal, and
weatherstrip all seams, cracks, and openings to the outside. You can
save as much as 10% on your heating and cooling bill by reducing the
air leaks in your home.
Air sealing is important, not only because drafts are uncomfortable, but also because air leaks carry both moisture and energy, usually in the direction you don't want. For example, air leaks can carry hot humid outdoor air into your house in the summer, or can carry warm moist air from a bathroom into the attic in the winter.
First, test your home for air tightness. On a windy day, hold a lit stick of incense next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and other locations where there is a possible air path to the outside. If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing, or weatherstripping.
• Caulk and weatherstrip doors and windows that leak air.
• Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducting, or
electrical
wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits
over cabinets.
• Install rubber gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on
exterior
walls.
• Install storm windows over single-pane windows or replace them with
doublepane windows.
• When the fireplace is not in use,
keep the flue damper tightly closed. A chimney is designed specifically
for smoke to escape, so until you close it, warm air escapes—24 hours a
day!
• For new construction, reduce exterior wall leaks by either
installing
house wrap, taping the joints of exterior sheathing, or comprehensively
caulking and sealing the exterior walls.
Air also enters the living space from other unheated parts of the house, such as attics, basements, or crawlspaces. The air travels through:
- any openings or cracks where two walls meet, where the wall meets the ceiling, or near interior door frames;
- gaps around electrical outlets, switch boxes, and recessed fixtures;
- gaps behind recessed cabinets, and furred or false ceilings such as kitchen or bathroom soffits;
- gaps around attic access hatches and pull-down stairs;
- behind bath tubs and shower stall units;
- through floor cavities of finished attics adjacent to unconditioned attic spaces;
- utiltity chaseways for ducts, etc., and
- plumbing and electrical wiring penetrations.
One of the most cost-effective ways to make your
home more
comfortable year-round is to add insulation to your attic. Adding
insulation to the attic is relatively easy and very cost
effective.
So, seal those gaps, weatherproof, and reduce heat-loss,
turn down that thermostat and maybe add some insulation if your house
is over 10 or 15 years old. Try a cool to the touch space heater like
the
Vornado Touchstone Vortex Heater
Join the growing number of smart homeowners who have chosen to reduce their dependence on foreign oil and the utility companies and install alternative energy systems! .