Heating and Cooling
Heating and cooling your home uses more energy and costs more money than any other system in your home—typically making up about 54% of your utility bill. An energy efficient furnace alone will not have as great an impact on your energy bills as using the whole-house approach. By combining proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with recommended insulation, air sealing, and thermostat settings, you can cut your energy use for heating and cooling—and reduce environmental emissions—from 20%-50%.
Set your programmable thermostat as low as is comfortable in the winter and as high as is comfortable in the summer, as well as when you’re sleeping or away from home. Clean or replace filters on furnaces and air conditioners once a month or as recommended. Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure they’re not blocked by furniture, carpeting, or drapes. Keep heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators. Turn off kitchen, bath, and other exhaust fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing; when replacing exhaust fans, consider installing high-efficiency, low-noise models. During winter, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows. During summer, keep the window coverings closed during the day to block the sun’s heat.
Air Leaks and Insulation
Improving your home’s insulation and sealing air leaks are the fastest and most cost-effective ways to reduce energy waste and make the most of your energy dollars. Be sure to seal air leaks before you insulate, because insulating materials won’t block leaks. Air leaks can waste a lot of your energy dollars. One of the quickest energy- and money-saving tasks you can do is caulk, seal, and weather strip all seams, cracks, and openings to the outside. Insulation is made from a variety of materials, and it usually comes in four types: rolls and batts, loose-fill, rigid foam, and foam-in-place.
Water Heating
Water heating is the second largest energy expense in your home. It typically accounts for about 18% of your utility bill. There are four ways to cut your water heating bills: use less hot water, turn down the thermostat on your water heater, insulate your water heater, or buy a new, more efficient model. Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads. Repair leaky faucets promptly; a leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period of time. Set the thermostat on your water heater to 120°F to get comfortable hot water for most uses.
Windows
Windows can also account for 10%-25% of your heating bill by letting heat out. During the summer, your air conditioner must work harder to cool hot air from sunny windows. Install ENERGY STAR®-qualified windows and use curtains and shade to give your air conditioner and energy bill a break. If your home has single-pane windows, consider replacing them with double-pane windows with high-performance glass— low-e or spectrally selective coatings. In colder climates, select gas-filled windows with low-e coatings to reduce heat loss.
Cold Weather Window Tips - Use a heavy-duty, clear plastic sheet on a frame or tape clear plastic film to the inside of your window frames to reduce drafts. Install tight-fitting, insulating window shades on windows that feel drafty after weatherizing. Close your curtains and shades at night to protect against cold drafts; open them during the day to let in warming sunlight.
Warm Weather Window Tips - Install white window shades, drapes, or blinds to reflect heat away from the house. Close curtains on south and west facing windows during the day. Install awnings on south and west facing windows. Apply sun-control or other reflective films on south facing windows to reduce solar heat gain.
Lighting
An average household dedicates about 6% of its energy budget to lighting. Switching to energy-efficient lighting is one of the fastest ways to cut your energy bills. Timers and motion sensors save you even more money by reducing the amount of time lights are on but not being used. LED Lighting LED bulbs are rapidly expanding in household use. ENERGY STAR-qualified LEDs use only about 20%-25% of the energy and last up to 25 times longer than traditional incandescent bulbs. They come in a variety of colors, and some are dimmable or offer convenient features such as daylight and motion sensors.
Appliances
Appliances account for about 13% of your household’s energy costs, with refrigeration, cooking, and laundry at the top of the list. When you’re shopping for appliances, think of two price tags. The first one covers the purchase price—think of it as a down payment. The second price tag is the cost of operating the appliance during its lifetime. You’ll be paying on that second price tag every month with your utility bill for the next 10 to 20 years, depending on the appliance. To help you figure out whether an appliance is energy efficient, the federal government requires most appliances to display the bright yellow and black EnergyGuide label. Although these labels will not show you which appliance is the most efficient on the market, they will show you the annual energy consumption and operating cost for each appliance so you can compare them yourself.
Home Office and Electronics
Look for energy-saving ENERGY STAR home electronics. Unplug appliances, or use a power strip and use the switch on the power strip to cut all power to the appliance, to avoid “vampire” loads. Many appliances continue to draw a small amount of power when they are switched off. These vampire loads occur in most appliances that use electricity, such as DVD players, TVs, stereos, computers, and kitchen appliances. Unplug battery chargers when the batteries are fully charged or the chargers are not in use. Use rechargeable batteries for products like cordless phones and digital cameras. Studies have shown they are more cost effective than disposable batteries.
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