Letters from NYC

Reducing your utility bills

I recently opened my home utility bills and was shocked to find they had increased dramatically over last year's rates. With such a great incentive I set out to increase my efforts to reduce my utility bills even further than I did last year.

I'm sharing these with you so that you can benefit from my research, as well. I used a few of these tips last year and reduced my heating bill by 8%. This year I'm determined to use as many as possible as my goal is to reduce my bill by an additional 12%. That's been the focus of my efforts this weekend, an additional incentive has been the single digit wind chill factors we had in the last few days. I'll let you know how things go with my efforts and if I get to achieve my goal.

One of the the things I learned last year was that 80% of homes built before 1980 are not insulated. The biggest energy wasters are air leaks/drafts that come from windows, patio and regular doors, air conditioner vents, electrical boxes, plumbing, fixtures, and all utility outlets. Last year when I insulated all of these, I immediately saw a 8% decrease in my utility bills.

Below is a picture & graph showing all the potential areas you can find air leaks in a home and the percentage of heating or energy lost as a result.

The second and most immediate and the easiest way to reduce your electric bill is to disconnect appliances when not in use, especially when they have a standby feature. It is estimated that by doing this an average household can reduce their usage by 50 watts per day.

How do you reduce or eliminate air leaks or drafts?
1. Do an assessment of your entire home for energy wasters. You can do a number of things to identify leaks. Use a: flashlight (at night - requires 2 people), candle, wet hand or bare feet to test for and locate leaks through out your house. Personally I like to use a stick of incense, it's better than a candle, as it doesn't blow out, and it's less than a fire hazard.

2. Once you identify them make a list and take notes. Take a picture with a digital camera if possible (see tip 4) For example: Identify not only which window or door, but also the dimensions and where the leak is located and how big the area where the leak is. You'll need this info, not only to plan the materials you'll need to buy but also how much of them. After all, the point is to save money not add to your waste.

3. Clean the area where you will be adding weather stripping, caulking, etc. It will adhere better and create a tighter seal. Please make sure the area is dry before you begin the sealing/insulating project.

4. One thing I learned from volunteering with Habitat "always use the right tool and product for each job because duct tape only goes so far". Which means consult your local hardware store guy. They have been invaluable to helping me identify products that will eliminate air leaks and drafts. In this case pictures can be helpful if you're like me and call everything "thingamajig". I learned a long time ago that if you can't identify the parts of something and you don't know the name of what your looking to fix, hardware store employees can only help you if they know what you're talking about. So if you're like me - terminology deficient - pictures will be the only way help them identify what you need.

5. Most products have basic rudimentary instructions and safety precautions. They're there for a reason, please follow them. If you're like me, I need a lot of information to feel comfortable before using chemical caulks, etc. indoors (because of my environmental allergies) so you might need to do a bit of research for additional info.

6. Buy easy-to-use materials to seal those leaks. Weather stripping may be purchased by the foot or in kits complete with the seal and fasteners for a single door or window. Caulk is usually sold in disposable cartridges that fit in half-barrel caulking guns but is also available in aerosol cans, squeeze tubes, and ropes for small jobs or special applications.

In the extended entry I have additional tips that will help you find ways to increase your utility/energy savings. To download a comprehensive (36 page) guide of great ideas and tips, provided by The Department Energy, click on this link.

The list below comes from various articles I found on the web, including one from a local nbc station. Hope you find it helpful.

- Ceiling fans may be associated with cooling, but you can use them to circulate the warm air. Most fans have a reverse switch, which pushes the heated air down where you want it.

- Increase your perception of warmth by adding a furnace humidifier. Sixty-eight degrees with moisture can feel warmer than a completely dry home at 72 degrees.

- Check for every possible leak: mail chutes, electrical and gas service entrances, outdoor water faucets, the spot where the dryer vent passes through the wall and around air conditioners, vents, and fans.

- Seal other cracks and gaps. Look for drafts anywhere different materials meet, for example, between brick and wood siding, between foundation and walls, and between the chimney and siding.

- Buy a low-flow showerhead. A water-efficient showerhead (often less than $20) can use 25% to 50% less hot water, saving both on water and power bills, with little to no reduction in user satisfaction.

- Have your heating systems inspected annually by a service professional. A sluggish system can increase fuel consumption. Before they leave, they should be able to do a steady state efficiency test, so you know it's running safely and efficiently.

- Replace your furnace filters every few months.

- Keep air from leaking under a door just by rolling up a small rug and placing it across the bottom of the doorway.

- Pay special attention to leaks in windows near your thermostat. Cold air from these windows can blow across the thermostat and turn your heating system on unnecessarily.

- Keep heating supply and return registers and radiators clean and unobstructed by furniture and draperies.

- Turn off the heat or close the heat registers in unused rooms. Be careful, however, if any pipes pass through these rooms. If the temperature falls below freezing, they could freeze.

- Invest in an easy-to-program thermostat with a timer and memory. You can simply set your thermostat a half hour before you come home and when you arrive the chill should be out of the house.

- Keep your fireplace damper closed unless a fire is burning to prevent up to 8 percent of your furnace-heated air from going up the chimney.

- Window air conditioners are heat-leakers. Make sure to close all the vents and then install a special cover to complete the seal.

- Use a sweater and an extra blanket, and set the thermostat at 68 degrees during the day and 60 degrees at night. Each degree above these settings can result in a 3 percent increase in energy costs.

- Be patient. The house will not warm up any faster if you crank up the thermostat past the desired temperature and you're likely to forget to turn it back down.

- Heat rises -- and so will your bill if your ignore leaks in your attic. Even a basic seal around the trap door can mean a big difference in your energy costs.

- Energy-efficient light bulbs now provide the coverage illumination and multiple settings like the old ones. The one thing they don't do is soak up and squander electricity. Compact fluorescent light bulbs, use two-thirds less energy than a regular bulb, so they pay for themselves within three months.

- Let the sun in. If you keep shades and drapes open during the day, you help your heating system maintain a comfortable temperature. Close window coverings at night and on cloudy days to keep the warm air in.

- Wrap insulation around heating ducts and hot water pipes that run through basements, crawl spaces and other unheated areas. Insulate the first five feet of pipe coming out of the top of your water heater or the whole length until the pipe goes into the wall if that is less than five feet.

- Insulate the hot water heater itself.

- Reduce hot water temperature. Set your water heater to the "normal" setting or 120 degrees, unless the owner's manual for your dishwasher requires a higher setting. Savings are 7 to 11 percent of water-heating costs.

- Low flow showerheads and faucets can drastically cut your hot water expenses by 10 to 16 percent of water-heating costs.

- Install simple aerators on your faucets to help conserve water.

- Close a dollar in the refrigerator door. If it pulls out easily with little resistance, the seals should be replaced.

- Pay close attention to your refrigerator temperature settings. They should be at 40 degrees for the cold section and zero for the freezer.

- Stack and pack your food items for maximum energy efficiency. In the cold section, spread the items apart to allow cool air to circulate. In the freezer, keep items packed close -- the tighter the better.

- Unless you need your dishes right away, set the washer on air-dry cool and let them dry on their own without forced heat.

- Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms.

- Unplug that spare refrigerator in the garage if you don't truly need it - this convenience adds 10-25 percent to your electric bill.

- Running the kitchen and bath-ventilating fans for about 20 minutes helps prevent mold. Remember to turn them off after that. These fans can blow out all the heated air out of a house full if inadvertently left on.

- Do only full loads when using your dishwasher and clothes washer.

- Use the cold water setting on your clothes washer when you can. Using cold water reduces your washer's energy use by 75 percent.

- Be sure to clean your clothes dryer's lint trap after each use.

- Use the moisture-sensing automatic drying setting on your dryer if you have one.

- When you buy, look for the energy star label. From big appliances to television and stereo equipment, it means the device is designed for better energy conservation.

- Use the power management feature on your computer so it goes to sleep if you're away for 10 to 15 minutes.

- Computer sleep is fine for short periods, but it still uses energy. Turn the machine completely off overnight.

- When it comes to TVs, VCRs, chargers and other electronics switched "off," it doesn't stop the power use. Most equipment, even if it's in the dormant mode, still uses electricity. In a typical home, these standby appliances add up to over 50 watts constantly consumed. If possible, unplug them.

- Many utilities offer low-cost energy use inspections done by recommended contractors. Check to see if your home can be included.

- Go online for free help selecting and comparing heating systems or appliances. Start at the national http://www.energystar.gov. Get a customized strategy for saving.

- Get on a budget plan so you pay a fixed amount during even the coldest months.

- Use supplemental heat sources wisely. Fireplaces look pretty, but many are notorious energy wasters. Inserts are effective, but expensive. At the very least, use the glass doors to let the fire burn out more efficiently and safely.

- Don't overuse portable heaters. A portable electric heater running 8 hours a day can add up to more than $60 a month.

- High-priced mini stacks of firewood are a poor bargain. If you need wood, buy it seasoned and by the cord.

- Solar power is finally becoming more useful. Check out sidewalk lights and address signs that soak up the sun all day and shine all night.

Posted by Michele at November 27, 2005 12:15 PM | TrackBack