Energy Saving Tips From PAPCO
Insulate Hot Water Pipes
Insulate all accessible hot water pipes, especially within 3
feet of the water heater. Use quality pipe insulation wrap, or
neatly tape strips of fiberglass insulation around the pipes. Pipe
sleeves made with polyethylene or neoprene foam are the most
commonly used insulation. You can get pre-slit pipe foam at most
hardware stores. Place the pipe sleeve so the seam will be
face down on the pipe. Tape, wire, or clamp the sleeve every foot
or two to secure it to the pipe. If you use tape, some recommend
using acrylic tape instead of duct tape.
Apply Permanent Weather Stripping
You may not think that those small cracks and crevices around
your doors and windows are a very big deal. But, did you know that
a 1/8" space between a standard exterior door and its threshold is
equivalent to a two square inch hole in the wall? Closing those
gaps can save you up to 15 percent in heating and cooling costs and
also can reduce the demand on your heating and cooling system. To
determine how much weather stripping you will need, add the
perimeter of all windows and doors to be weather stripped, then add
5-10 percent to accommodate any waste.
Install a Programmable Thermostat - Highly recommended by all
Energy Technicians
You can save as much as 10 percent a year on your heating and
cooling bills by simply turning your thermostat back 10-15 percent
for 8 hours. You can do this automatically, without sacrificing
comfort, by installing an automatic setback or programmable
thermostat.
Using a programmable thermostat, you can adjust the times you
turn on the heating or air-conditioning according to a pre-set
schedule. As a result, the equipment doesn't operate as much when
you are asleep or when the house or part of the house is not
occupied. Programmable thermostats can store and repeat multiple
daily settings that you can manually override without affecting the
rest of the daily or weekly program.
Use Motion Sensor Outdoor Lights
Many homeowners use outdoor lighting for decoration and
security. When shopping for outdoor lights, you will find a variety
of products, from low voltage pathway lighting to motion detector
floodlights. Use outdoor lights with a photocell unit or a motion
sensor so they will turn on only at night or when someone is
present. A combined photocell and motion sensor will increase your
energy savings even more.
Insulate Windows and Doors
You can block the flow of cold air into your home by insulating
the windows (single pane) and doors. Begin by installing a clear
plastic film across the inside of your windows and frames. Then
heat the plastic with a blow dryer until it becomes nearly
invisible. The trapped pocket of air between the plastic film and
the window acts as an effective insulator which can help reduce
heat loss through the window by 25 to 50 percent. Best of all, it's
a relatively inexpensive project!
Maintain Your Furnace - A Top Priority
When was the last time you had your furnace cleaned and
serviced? Spending the money to have the work done now will
help save on heating oil- up to 10% or more!
Federal Tax Credits
- If your entire furnace is in need of replacement, it will be
costly, but replacing an inefficient burner for a modern machine
will save you every month through the heating season. Be sure to
take advantage of for new furnaces, which can cover 30% of the
cost, up to $1,500.
Replace or clean furnace filters once a month during the heating
season. Dirty filters restrict air flow and increase energy
demand.
Keep Unused Rooms in Your Home Closed Off
If you only use your office to use your computer, move your
computer out for the winter and close the room off. You can
completely shut the vent off and decrease the amount of heat needed
to heat your house.
Get Moving!
If you sit for a long period of time, you might start to feel a
little cold in your 64 degree home. Solution? Move! Not only will
this heat your body up, it will get your heart pumping and add some
exercise to your day, making it a definite win-win situation.
Keep closet doors closed when not in use.
Use a Humidifier
Moist air holds heat, so your home will be warmer and your
furnace will have less work to do.When you use the oven to prepare
meals, make sure you leave the oven door open to let the residual
heat warm your kitchen. Only dothis is you don't have small
children or pets that might get burned.
Keep Radiators Clean
Look at all your radiators and clean them if they are collecting
dust.You can obtain a radiator cleaning brush from the hardware
store and use it, along with a vacuum cleaner, to make sure
radiators are dust and dirt free.
Run Fans in Reverse!
Most people think of fans only when they want to be cool, but
many ceiling units come with a handy switch that reverses the
direction of the blades. Counterclockwise rotation produces cooling
breezes while switching to clockwise makes it warmer: hot air
rises, and changing your fan direction to counter clockwise will
push the hot air down into the room, cutting your heating costs as
much as 10%!
Storm Doors
The simple act of installing a storm door can increase energy
efficiency by 45%, by sealing drafts and reducing air flow. Storm
doors also offer greater flexibility for letting light and
ventilation enter your home. Look for Energy Star-certified
models.Add Insulation Insulation is one of the best ways to save
energy and money at home. An unfinished attic can account for
a great percentage of a home's heat loss during winter. Make sure
o your attic floor and basement ceiling are well covered.
Consider adding a glass enclosure for your fireplace
When it's not in use, make sure the damper is closed.
Clean behind and underneath the refrigerator annually
Lower the temperature setting to mid-range (in the freezer
too).
Use kitchen and bath fans wisely
In just one hour, a hard-working bathroom or kitchen fan can
expel a houseful of warm air, according to the Department of
Energy. Turn them off as soon as they've done their job.
Turn down the water heater
Lowering the temperature of water in the water heater to 115-120
degrees reduces power use often without a noticeable difference to
the user.
Wash your clothes in cold water. Yes,we know
you like to wash those whites in super hot water. Just be mindful
that you can wash much of your laundry (if not all of it) in cold
water. You will save money during the winter months, and yes, your
clothes will still be clean!
Use the sun. Keep curtains open and let the sun
naturally heat your home during the day. Shut them before the sun
goes down to retain some of the heat.
Here's a BIG secret to saving money on utility
costs over time; UNPLUG appliances when not in use
such as your coffee maker, battery charger and computer or anything
that operates on demand. These appliances actually consume energy
at a trickle just by being plugged in. Similarly, electronics in
stand-by mode are estimated to suck up to 8 percent of a home's
electric bill. A few examples of "vampire" electronics are clock
radios, laptop computers, cordless phone bases, cell phone charger,
and printers.
Dress In Layers and Use Extra Blankets
Using an extra blanket when you sleep at night or even wearing
an extra sweatshirt or shirt will help you keep your heating bills
lower as you will be less tempted to raise the heat when you start
to feel chilly, this may sound like a really simple idea but it
also really will help you save money on those home oil heating
bills.
And Remember What Your Mother Used to Say? Turn off the Lights
When You Leave a Room!
