| One thing about cold weather. It always comes.
We are either living with it or getting ready for it. If you are in
the getting ready mode, here are 10 ways to lower your energy costs and
making your home more comfortable.
1. Utility room: Typically, 44 percent of your utility bill goes
for heating and cooling. Clean the furnace filter monthly. For maximum
efficiency, move furniture and drapes away from air ducts or radiators.
Water heaters account for about 14 percent of your utility bill. Wrap
insulation around your heater and lower the temperature to 115 F. Drain a
quart of water from the tank every three months to remove sediment that
lowers the unit's efficiency.
2. Living areas: Lower your thermostat to 72 F during the day.
At night and when you're away from home, lower it to 65 F. Better yet,
install a programmable thermostat to adjust the temperature automatically.
Lowering the temperature for eight hours can save roughly 1 percent of
your home's heating bill for each degree set back.
3. Bathroom: Repair leaky faucets and take more showers than
baths. Bathing uses at least 50 percent more hot water than a five-minute
shower. Install a low-flow shower head for additional savings.
4. Attic: Insulation over the heated part of the house should be
at least 6 inches thick. Exposed ducts in attics and crawl spaces
typically account for 15 percent of the air loss in a home. They should be
sealed and insulated by a qualified professional.
5. Windows and doors: Drafts around windows and doors can
account for 10 percent to 25 percent of your heating bill. Replace damaged
or missing weather-stripping. If you have storm windows, install them in
the fall.
6. Exterior: Look for missing or loose siding. If your home has
a stucco exterior, caulk any cracks. Check your roofing and flashing for
missing shingles and signs of deterioration. Clean your gutters and down
spouts. Trapped rainwater can freeze and back up, damaging the roof and
causing leaks that ruin insulation and lead to dry rot.
7. Plumbing: Openings for plumbing account for 13 percent of the
air leaks in a home and should be sealed. Drain and
shut off sprinkler systems to prevent frozen and broken pipes.
8. Lighting: Replace incandescent light bulbs with fluorescents,
which last longer and use less energy. Plug unused electrical outlets to
keep cold air from coming in through sockets.
9. Appliances: Appliances account for about 20 percent of your
home's energy use. Refrigerators and clothes dryers are at the top of the
list. To lower your costs, clean your refrigerator's condenser coils in
the fall. Wash and dry full laundry loads and use your dishwasher's air
dry cycle.
10. Fireplaces: Fireplaces account for 14 percent of the heat
loss in a home. Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is going. |
