The Save Money Blog

Posts Tagged ‘energy-saving-tips’

The cold weather is almost upon us. This morning was particularly chilly. Time to get moving on doing a check on your house to make sure you aren't throwing your dollars away in heating and energy bills. Here are some suggestions I cam across in an article recently.

1. Add new attic insulation — Many home attics are much warmer than they should be, and lose a lot more heat than they ought to. Making sure you have at least 12 inches of insulation in your attic is one of the easiest and most effective ways to save money on your heating bills.

2. Check your windows — Minimize the loss of warm air from your home by repairing any broken or cracked glass. Putty old windows and make sure that they close properly. Also, consider adding new weatherstripping and caulking the frames around windows.

3. Check your doors — Make sure all of your external doors close tightly. Replace any doorknobs, latches, and striker plates that don't work properly. Also, consider adding weatherstripping and caulking door frames as well.

4. Check the fireplace — Make sure that it has a tight-sealing damper and that you close it when not using the fireplace. If you never use the fireplace install a chimney block to eliminate heat loss through the chimney.

5. Use energy-efficient light bulbs — Replace all of your old incandescent light bulbs with newer energy-efficient bulbs. They'll help you save on your electric bill and you may even be able to get a rebate from your utility company by using them.

6. Install low-flow showerheads — Over time these can save you quite a bit on your energy and water bills.

7. Reduce your hot water heater temperature to 120 degrees Fahrenheit — Many people keep the water in their tanks way too hot. Lower the thermostat and save a bunch of money.

Other energy-saving improvements you may want to consider:

(Note: These improvements are more "involved" and costly but well worth the investment in the long-run.)

1. Install automatic setback thermostats that adjust your home's heat on a schedule.

2. Add new insulation to your walls, basement, crawlspaces, and flooring.

3. Install exterior storm windows.

4. Replace your normal curtains with tight-sealing or insulated window coverings

It's been awhile since I blogged about my effort to cut down on my energy costs by joining the EcoEnergy grant program. I have done quite a few things around the house, mostly air sealing and caulking but I recently just finished the biggest part of the project. I had my basement walls and headers Spray Foam Insulated. I don't really have any ideas on the energy saved, that will come this winter. Already I notice a huge reduction in the musty smell down here. It's pretty much non-existant.

Here are a few photos of the project. I used steel framing but I think wood would have been cheaper and more efficient. We had to brace the steel with wood anyways as the foam without the bracing would have ripped the steel apart.

I was contacted this week by a group that seeks to promote the saving of money on your energy bill. The exciting piece about their website is that they have a graphical explanation of where your energy goes in your house. You can begin to save energy unless you understand where it is going. By far your big uses are heating and cooling, washing and drying and hot water. Once you understand that you can begin to try and make positive adjustments such as using a clothes line or washing in cold water.

The infographic, supplied by Energy Authority, (www.energyauthority.net) an internet community specializing in providing the latest information on the efficient end-use of energy, speaks to both homeowners and renters with easy to do tips for cutting costs and saving money when it comes to utilities.  "Due to the current economic climate, a growing trend that continues to remain in effect is to become more eco-friendly, while at the same time, providing efficient ways to be financially secure," says Energy Authority Spokesperson.

Visit their website to see the Lower Electric Bills Graphic.

I just had my home energy audit completed and the one thing that was brought up was my furnace filter. The furnace filter help keep your air in your home clean and pollen free by trapping all of that dust and allergens before they get sent up through your heating ducts. That is the main benefit of having a filter. What many people don't know is that you have to change or clean that filter on a regular basis and that will help you save money.

When you filter becomes dirt and saturated with dirt, dust and things like pet hair it means that you furnace has to work harder to move the air through it. By replacing your old filter or cleaning your filter you are helping your furnace work more efficiently. I have read that you should be replacing your filter once a month. You can buy packs of them at your local hardware store.

There are many types. Disposable and reusable types that you can clean. I will leave it up to you to research which type you want to use but if you want to save money get in the habit of changing that furnace filter.

How do you save money with a ceiling fan in the winter?

Who would think that by running your ceiling fans in the winter that you could save on your heating bill. Heat rises, that's a fact. In the winter months there's no point of having all of your hot air trapped around yoru ceilings, especially if you have some height to them. A celing fan can save you money on your heating bill by simply running it during the winter months. If you run it clockwise it will draw colder air up, mix it with the warmer air sitting at your ceiling and push that warmer air back down towards the room you are in. I would suggest running it on slow to get the best benefit.

Remember to open your curtains or blinds up to and let that sunlight in. This can go a long way into helping to warm the air up during the day when you are at work.

It's the time of the year that I start putting my storm windows and covering leaky windows with plastic to stop drafts. Like always I started to do a little reading online to see what else I can do this fall to stop the drafts. The one thing I never thought of was how much energy you can lose through your outside wall electrical outlets. It makes perfect sense. Your outlets are cut into your drywall or plaster and go right out to your exterior wall.

Turn the power off at the main to your outlets, remove the covers and see of your outlets are insulated. If they are just wide open then you can really help your heating bill out by insulating them. You can pick up Foam Insulating Gaskets from your local hardware store for next to nothing. I haven't priced them out yet but most sources I have read suggest that they go for a dollar or two at best. You may have to cut them a bit if they don't fit your outlets but they should be a snap.

The Foam Insulation Gasket will help keep warm air in throughout the winter and also keep your air conditions air from seeping out in the summer. If you want to take it a step further you can buy those childproof covers that go into the electrical outlet themselves and really seal the air in.

With energy prices on the rise, not only are people paying more at the pump, but they’re also paying more in their utility bills. This may cause you to be looking at energy efficiency in a whole new light. When you are purchasing home appliances, it is becoming more and more important to consider not only the price tag, but also the impact on your energy bill. So while some energy efficient appliances may cost a bit more at the store, the savings you get at home can outweigh the purchase price difference pretty quickly. Another bonus is that energy efficient appliances cause less stress to the planet, saving the environment.

Figuring out which appliances are best for you though, can be tricky. Different appliances and other home products like windows and insulation all have their own terms for what makes them energy efficient and they can be tough to compare. Looking for the Energy Star can be a good place to start, but before you do, it is helpful to know what it is and what it means.

The Energy Star is a US government program, started in 1992, that is a joint project of the Department of Energy (DoE) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The list of consumer goods that can qualify for an energy star rating has expanded steadily ever since. According to their website, http://energystar.gov, products that have the Energy Star label have met strict standards set by the DoE and EPA for energy efficiency and low emissions. While appliances are not on the list, some Energy Star labeled products give tax credits to purchasers, and manufacturers of Energy Star appliances are eligible for business tax credits, which can mean savings passed along to consumers. Switching to Energy Star rated appliances can save an average of $80 a year on home energy bills.

Looking for the Energy Star when purchasing appliances is a good place to start, but keep in mind that not all appliances are eligible for the Energy Star. These include clothes dryers, ovens, and ranges. The DoE does have guidelines for purchasing energy efficient appliances in these categories though, and you can find links to them at http://energystar.gov also. You can find the Energy Star on washing machines, dishwashers, refrigerators, and freezers, as well as other products for your home, like computers, phones, and lightbulbs.

I blogged before that our Utility company is moving towards billing based on the time of day that we use our electricity. One of the biggest electricity eaters they cited in the reading material was the good old pool pump. Up until two days ago we ran our filter 24/7 and even on equal billing this is still quite expensive. We run our pool for maybe four months of the year depending on the weather.

I did some research on how many hours a pool pump needs to run to be effective. Basically it needs to turn over the water once to keep it clean. There was no definite answer on how many hours because it depends on the size of the pool, use and how much sun it gets. The majority of the sites I looked at agreed somewhere between 10 hours and 12 hours a day. That is alot of extra hydro and money being wasted.

The blurry picture on the right is what I picked up from the hardware store for $15. Your pool pump plugs into it and you set the hours you want it to run on the dial. Simple as that. It took less than five minutes to install and I am already saving money on the hydro bill.

If you install one just keep an eye on your pool for the first few days and see if it is keeping it clean. If not adjust the hours it is running until you find a time that you are happy with. Right now I am running it for about 11 hours and the clarity of the water is fine.

Why run your pump for 24 hours a day if you don't have to.