Welcome to Energy Savers!
Welcome to Energy Savers. On this lens, you can find information to help you save energy in your home. With the rising cost of energy, it's important to look at low cost ways to cut your energy and save money.
Top 10 Energy Saver List
These top 10 Energy Savers will cost you little, but save you a great deal in the long run.
- Clean and Inspect Central Heating & Cooling Equipment.
Service your air conditioner before the cooling season, using an authorized HVAC dealer. Keep the filters changed monthly so the system doesn't use more energy than necessary. Source: Doug Rye
Have your heating system serviced and checked once a year to make sure it is running properly and efficiently. Change your furnace filters regularly. A properly adjusted furnace can help you save up to 10 percent in fuel consumption. - Use Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs (CFLs).
Install Compact fluorescent light bulbs in your home. CFL's use 66 percent less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs. - Install ceiling fans.
Summer use - turn up your thermostat a few degrees by using ceiling fans to move the cool air throughout your home and save energy and money. Ceiling fans should run clockwise in the summer.
Winter use - your ceiling fan can actually save you money on your heating bills. Heat rises. A large amount of heated air can collect in a large room with high ceilings. Set your ceiling fan to run counter-clockwise at low speed. This will re-direct the warm air from the ceiling and down to the living area. - Install a Programmable Thermostat.
You can save money by installing a programmable thermostat, which automatically adjusts the temperature when you're asleep or away. The energy savings will offset the cost of a basic unit in less than one year. Programming your thermostat from 72 degrees to 65 degrees for eight hours a day while no one is home, or while everyone is tucked in bed, will cut your heating bill up to 10 percent. Always keep your thermostat at 68 degrees or lower in the winter and at 78 degrees or higher in the summer to save energy and money. - Insulate your hot water heater.
You can use less energy if your water heater is insulated with a water heater blanket. The blanket will also reduce unnecessary heat gain into your home during the summer if your water heater is located inside your house. If your heater is in the garage, the blanket will also help prevent the water heater from heating your garage and neighbor's yard this winter. - Purchase Energy Star Labeled products.
Look for the ENERGY STAR label on home appliances and products. ENERGY STAR products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy. You can cut your energy bills by up to 30 percent with Energy Star-labeled appliances, lighting, windows, office equipment and home electronics. - Shade your home from the sun.
A well-designed landscape not only can add beauty to your home, but can also reduce your heating and cooling costs. Did you know that heating and cooling your home is the largest component of your home's energy usage? On average, landscaping for energy efficiency provides enough energy savings to return an initial investment in less than eight years. Your overall landscaping strategy will depend on your regional climate.
Plant trees to shade your home on the southern and western sides to reduce your cooling costs in the summer months. Typically, newly planted trees will begin shading windows in their first year and will reach your roof in 5 to10 years.
Planting shrubs, bushes and vines next to your house creates dead air spaces that insulate your home in both winter and summer. Plant so there will be at least one foot of space between full-grown plants and your home's wall.
During winter, dense, low-lying trees and shrubbery on the north and northeast sides of your home can help protect your home against wind chill. Source: www.energy.gov. - Add Cellulose Insulation.
Make sure your home has adequate insulation in the attic, exterior walls, floors, basement and crawl spaces. In unheated areas, be sure to insulate around furnace ducts or boiler pipes.
Did you know that during the summer your attic can get hotter than the desert? To keep that good old Oklahoma summer heat from toasting your house and draining your pocketbook, add cellulose insulation. If you have fiberglass insulation or less than nine inches of cellulose insulation in your attic, install additional cellulose insulation until you have at least 12 inches. Why cellulose, you ask? Simply put, cellulose, which is made from recycled newspapers, is sound proof, fire resistant, insect resistant and is the best choice for insulation. - Insulate Heating Ducts and Keep Them in Good Repair.
Your heating system can lose up to 60 percent of its warmed air before it reaches the register if ducts are not properly insulated in un-heated areas such as attics and crawlspaces. If you have even small cracks or holes in your air ducts, warm air from the furnace can escape into the attic or basement before it ever reaches its intended destination. If this happens, the furnace has to work overtime to keep the rest of the house warm. Check your ducts for leaks each fall and use duct tape to repair and seal holes or sections that have separated. If you're buying new ducts, consider a system that's already surrounded by insulation. - Stop the Drafts.
The exterior of your house is your first line of defense against drafts, so it's important to caulk, seal and weather-strip around all seams, cracks and openings. Be sure to pay special attention around windows and where siding or bricks and wood trim meet. Reduce drafts from the inside by replacing weather-stripping; and sealing and caulking leaky doors, windows, chimneys and fireplaces. Install foam gaskets behind outlet covers. Insulate spaces where plumbing comes through the floors or walls and don't forget to check the basement and attic for leaks too.
Turn it off!
You don't leave water running, do you? So, if you aren't using it, turn it off. Save energy!
Stop those Leaks
Stopping energy leaks is a lot easier than you think. It doesn't require a lot of time or a lot of money.
Encorporate some of these tips and save money!
Encorporate some of these tips and save money!
- Replace your light bulbs. Replace regular light bulbs with energy efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs CFLs). CFLs consume 66% less energy and last up to 10 times longer!
- Draw the drapes. During the hot summer days keep shades on south facing windows closed so you don't heat up the house with the afternoon sun. During the winter, close drapes at night so you keep the heat from the sun's energy inside your home.
- High-tech temperature control. Turn your thermostat and air conditioning down when you are away from home. Installing a programmable thermostat is a great way to automatically control the temperature.
- Chill out. Your refrigerator is one of the biggest energy consumers in your house. To keep it from leaking energy set it between 37 and 40 degree Fahrenheit. Keep your freezer at or slightly above zero, it will keep food frozen and use less energy.
- Drip dry. Use cold water to clean clothes and use inside drying racks and outdoor lines as much as possible. If you can cut your dryer usage by half you could save approximately $45 a year.
- Unplug. Home electronics, like computers and televisions, can leak energy even when they are turned off. Simply unplugging these electronics when they aren't in use can help cut you energy bill. Don't forget when you go away for the weekend or on vacation unplug all your electronics%u2026every little bit helps.
- Keep out the cold. Seal cracks near windows and use weather stripping around doors. This keeps the heat in and cold air out. This simple tip could save as much as 25% off your heating/cooling bill.
- Hit the Switch. How often do you, or kids, leave a room but don't turn off the lights, TV or video game? Leaving the lights on consume precious energy and over time the costs add up.
- Check Your Insulation. You spend the most money on heating and cooling your home. Inadequate insulation is often the culprit of energy leaks. It's an easy fix and you'll notice a difference immediately.
- Window Wraps. Double paned storm windows can cut the amount of heat lost in the winter by as much as 25-50%. If replacing single paned windows is out of your budget, use plastic sheeting to keep out the cold.
Conserve Energy NOW!
Did you know that on a hot summer day America's electrical grid is at 90% capacity? With our present rate of population growth, electricity demand increases 2.5% a year. In just a few years, America's electrical grid will be overloaded, unless we take action NOW.
Change your ways and Conserve Energy NOW!
Did you know?
*Nearly 100% of homes have improperly sized heating and cooling equipment and undersized return air vents.In year one, the service professional charges $70 to add Freon. In year three, they charge another $70 to add more Freon.
In year five, they charge $570 not for Freon but a new compressor! Folks, it didn't need more Freon. It needed more AIR!
* 1 out of 3 homes that are analyzed, the ductwork is completely disconnected in at least one spot. Have you ever wondered why that back bedroom never seems to get cool in the summer? Put the ductwork together and you may have solved 50% of the problem.
*Geothermal heat pumps and geothermal energy heating systems are by far the most efficient energy source available today.
*Cellulose insulation is roach proof, soundproof, and more fireproof than any other home insulation product.
*In most homes, corners and T's (where an interior wall meets an exterior wall) have a 1-1/2" space the height of the wall that is not insulated.
If you add up all the corners and T's in your home, you will have an area about the size of a window that is not insulated and that allows air to come in fro the outside, every day of the year.
Kids Zone
5 Rules for Energy Safety
Always ask a grown-up for help when you need to use something that uses electricity.Don't yank or pull cords from a wall. Pulling cords can damage the outlet, the appliance or the plug.
Ask a grown-up to put safety caps on all unused electrical outlets. This can also help save energy by stopping drafts.
Keep electrical stuff away from water. Water and electricity don't mix. Most electrical accidents in the home happen when people use electricity near water.
Watch out for power lines. Never touch a power line, especially if there is one that may have fallen down.
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Let me know what you think
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WritingforYourWealth
Nice lens. It's amazing how much just having trees around your home can do, both shading the roof in the summer and blocking cold winds in the winter. Posted July 26, 2008 |
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Lizblueberry
Everyone should change their lighting to fluorescent. It is a little more expensive but the savings to the environment and one's pocket book certainly makes it worthwhile. Posted July 08, 2008 |
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richgerman
thanks for the tips and reminders for us:) this could be great help for all. keep it up! 5 conserved energy stars for you! Posted July 04, 2008 |
