Reducing Energy Use — Energy Savings Tips

2007 Earth Keeper Energy Summit: Hundreds reduce power use
From:  YOOPERNEWSMAN

Business owners, clergy and homeowners from across northern Michigan were given numerous tips on reducing their utility bills during the 2007 Earth Keeper Energy Summit including the latest on an upcoming vote in the state legislature that would send wind-generated electricity to all residents. About 100 people attended the day-long conference on Wednesday June 13, 2007 in Marquete, Michigan sponsored by the Superior Watershed Partnership in cooperation with the Cedar Tree Institute. The Marquette-based non-profits founded the Earth Keeper Initiative in 2004.
 

• Maintain your central air conditioner by cleaning the outside compressor with a garden hose (be sure to shut off power at the fuse or breaker first). Keep plantings at least one foot away for adequate airflow. 

• During late afternoon and early evening, turn off unnecessary lights and wait to use heat-producing appliances. It’s also a good idea to shade south- and west- facing windows during the hottest part of the day. 

• Plant a tree. One well-placed shade tree can reduce your cooling costs by 25 percent. For maximum benefit, place leafy shade trees to the south and west, and evergreens to the north. 

• Use ceiling fans to help circulate air throughout the house, and make sure your attic is properly ventilated. A ceiling fan should run clockwise during the summer, and counter-clockwise during the winter. 

• Set the fan on your central air conditioner to "on" rather than "auto." This will circulate air continuously, keeping the temperature more even throughout the house and aiding in dehumidification. 

• Make sure your window air conditioner is the proper size. It’s better to get one that’s too small than too large – a larger unit will start up and turn off more frequently and won’t do as good a job dehumidifying the air. 

• Don’t judge the efficiency of your air conditioner by the sound of the fan shutting on and off. The blower will continue to circulate cooled air throughout your home up to 15 minutes after the compressor has stopped. (The same holds true for the furnace.)

• A 5° higher setting on your air conditioning thermostat will save about 10% on cooling costs.

• Raise the thermostat to about 78 to 80 degrees whenever you go to bed or leave the house. A programmable thermostat will do this for you automatically. 

• If your home can’t accommodate central air conditioning, try a whole-house attic fan. This device pushes hot air out through attic vents, lowering the temperature throughout your home about five degrees in less than ten minutes. Attic fans cost less than 25 cents per day to operate.

• During the winter, remove window air conditioners and seal the windows with caulk and weatherstripping. You might also want to cover the central air compressor with a tarp to keep it clean.

• Change or clean your furnace filter once a month. Dust and dirt can quickly clog vital parts, making your furnace run harder and eventually break down. 

• Have your heating system inspected regularly – especially if it’s natural gas. A $50-100 annual tune-up can help reduce your heating costs by up to five percent. 

• If you have a forced-air furnace, do NOT close heat registers in unused rooms. Your furnace is designed to heat a specific square footage of space and can’t sense a register is closed – it will continue working at the same pace. In addition, the cold air from unheated rooms can escape into the rest of the house, reducing the effectiveness of all your insulating and weatherizing. 

• Install a programmable thermostat. If you use it to set back the temperature by 10 degrees for eight hours every night, you’ll lower your heating bills by 10 percent. A $50 digital thermostat can pay for itself in energy savings in less than a year. 

• Set your thermostat to 78 degrees when you are home and 85 degrees or off when you are away.

• Using ceiling or room fans allows you to set the thermostat higher because the air movement will cool the room.

• Clean or replace the filter every 1-2 months – a dirty filter reduces the airflow and forces the furnace to run longer to heat your home.

• Don’t set the thermostat higher than you actually want it. It won’t heat your home any faster, and it will keep your furnace running longer than necessary. 

• Vacuum registers and vents regularly, and don’t let furniture and draperies block the air flow. Inexpensive plastic deflectors can direct air under tables and chairs. 

• If your home has a boiler system, avoid covering radiators with screens or blocking them with furniture. It’s also a good idea to add a reflecting panel behind radiators – you can purchase one at a home center or make one yourself with a plywood panel and aluminum foil. 

• If your home has electric baseboard heating, be sure to keep furniture and draperies away from the heaters, and leave at least a three-inch clearance under the heating unit. 

• Keep curtains and blinds closed at night to keep cold air out, but open them during the day to let the sun warm the room. 

• Avoid using space heaters, including electric, kerosene or propane models. Not only are they expensive to operate, they’re also very dangerous. 

• If you have hardwood or tile floors, add area rugs to keep your feet warm. 

• If you’ll be going on vacation, lower the thermostat to 55 degrees. This will save energy while preventing water pipes from freezing.

• Check insulation levels throughout your house. Measure attic insulation with a ruler, and check behind switch plates for sidewall insulation. 

• Increase insulation in the attic. Upgrading from three inches to 12 inches can cut heating costs by 20 percent, and cooling costs by 10 percent. 

• If your basement is unheated, install blanket insulation in between exposed floor joists. 

• Choose the new "no-itch" or poly-wrapped insulation products. They’re much easier to handle and safer to work with – making them worth the extra cost. 

• Install additional attic insulation at right angles to the previous layer. You don’t have to use the same type of insulation – it’s fine to use batts or blankets over loose-fill, or vice versa. 

• When using loose-fill, be sure to distribute the insulation evenly. Any inconsistencies can reduce the insulating value. 

• While shopping for insulation, remember that R-value measures the amount of thermal resistance. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation. 

• Never cover attic vents or recessed light fixtures with insulation, and allow a three-inch clearance around chimneys and flue pipes to prevent overheating and avoid the risk of fire. 

• Have a leaky roof repaired and make sure your basement is waterproofed. Wet insulation is worthless.

• Seal doors and windows with caulk, weatherstripping and plastic film. An investment of $50 in weatherizing supplies can reduce heating costs by two to three times that much. Don’t forget the basement windows! 

• Add foam gaskets behind all outlet covers and switch plates, and use safety plugs in all unused outlets. These are prime places for outside air to leak into your home. Be sure to shut off power at the fuse box or circuit panel first. 

• Check the exterior of your home for air leaks, especially around openings for water spigots, air conditioner hoses, dryer vents and gas pipes. Plug gaps around pipes, ducts, fans and vents that go through walls, ceilings and floors from heated to unheated spaces.  Use caulk or expanding foam to seal spaces. 

• If your home has a large, single-pane picture window, use heavy draperies during the winter to help hold back cold air. 

• Reflective window film can help reduce heat gain during the summer, and it will keep furniture and carpets from fading. 

• Check window panes to see if they need new glazing. If the glass is loose, replace the putty holding the pane in place. Most types of window glazing require painting for a proper seal. 

• If drafts sneak in under exterior doors, replace the threshold. If that’s not practical, block the drafts with a rolled-up towel or blanket. 

• Seal the edges of unused doors and windows with rope caulk. Don’t seal them shut permanently – you might need quick ventilation or escape during an emergency. 

• Choose the right kind of caulk for the job. Use latex or acrylic caulk inside – it’s easy to clean and more forgiving if you’re a beginner. Silicone caulk is great for outside use because it lasts longer and seals virtually any type of surface. 

• Don’t forget to weatherize the attic access. Secure batt insulation to the back of the hatch or door, and use weather stripping to seal the opening.

• Use smaller kitchen appliances whenever possible. Microwaves, toaster ovens and slow-cookers can use 75 percent less energy than a large electric oven. 

• Vacuum the refrigerator coils about twice a year to keep the compressor running efficiently. 

• As your mother always told you, don’t leave the refrigerator door open. Every time it’s opened, up to 30 percent of the cooled air can escape. The same rule holds for the oven, too. 

• Keep the refrigerator temperature about 36-38 degrees, and the freezer at 0-5 degrees. 

• Use the smallest pan and burner needed for the job.

• Don’t overload the refrigerator or freezer. The cold air needs to circulate freely to keep foods at the proper temperature. 

• Always wash a full load in your dishwasher and air-dry your dishes on the “energy saver” setting.

• If you wash dishes by hand, fill wash and rinse basins instead of letting the water run. This uses half as much water as a dishwasher does.

• Cook with lids on your pans. For example, cooking spaghetti without a lid on the pot can use three times as much energy.

• Make sure the refrigerator is level, so the door automatically swings shut instead of open. If the floor isn’t level, use shims to prop up the front of the refrigerator. 

• Don’t worry about placing hot leftovers in the refrigerator. It won’t affect energy use significantly, and cooling food to room temperature first can increase the chance of food-borne illnesses. 

• Check the seal on your refrigerator door by closing it on a dollar bill. If you can pull the bill out easily, it’s time to replace the gaskets. You can purchase a replacement kit from an appliance dealer or a home center. 

• Use your oven’s self-cleaning feature immediately after cooking, while the oven is still hot. This will reduce a lengthy warm-up time. 

• Use lids on pots and pans to reduce cooking times, and don’t put a small pan on a large burner. 

• Keep the grease plates under range burners clean to reflect heat more efficiently. 

• Conserve energy by running your dishwasher only when it is fully loaded.

• Turn off the dry cycle and air dry dishes instead.

• Wash only full loads of clothes, and be sure to set the water level appropriately. 

• When possible, wash clothes in cold water. About 90% of the energy use in a clothes washer goes to water heating.  Use hot water only for very dirty loads, and always use cold water for the rinse cycle. 

• Remember that delicate clothes don’t require as long a wash cycle as dirty work clothes.

• Make sure your dryer’s outside vent is clear and clean the lint filter after every load. When shopping for a new dryer look for one with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts off when clothes are dry.

• Choose a front loading washing machine. Not only does a front loading washing machine save water, it saves energy as well. It uses about 40% less water and about 50% less energy.

• Always adjust the water level to fit load size. Overloaded washers don’t clean clothes as effectively so they even may need to be rewashed.

• Remove clothes from the dryer while they’re still damp and hang them up. This will save energy, prevent static and reduce wrinkles and shrinkage. 

• Line dry clothes whenever you can.

• Take clothes out of the dryer and fold them while they are still warm to prevent wrinkling; your iron uses a lot of energy.

• Dry one load of clothes immediately after another. This will minimize heat loss, reducing warm-up and drying times.

• Set the water heater temperature at 120 degrees – about halfway between low and medium. This will help save energy and prevent scalding, while keeping unhealthy bacteria from growing. 

• Install a water-saving showerhead. Don’t worry – it won’t reduce your water pressure. A family of four, each taking a five-minute shower a day, can save $250 a year in water heating costs by switching to a low-flow showerhead. 

• Fix leaky faucets, especially if it’s a hot water faucet. One drop per second can add up to 165 gallons a month – that’s more than one person uses in two weeks. 

• Install a solar water heater. A solar water heater can provide 50% to 80% of your hot water needs.

• Use aerators on kitchen and bathroom sink faucets. If you have hard water, clean aerators and showerheads with vinegar regularly to reduce deposits and build-up. 

• Take showers, not baths. A five-minute shower will use about 7.5 gallons of hot water, while filling a bathtub can use up to 20 gallons.

•  If your water heater is more than 15 years old, install an insulating wrap to reduce "standby" heat loss. It’s also a good idea to insulate hot water pipes where they’re accessible.

• Take advantage of natural light as much as possible!
• Replace standard incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) and save 75% of lighting costs.
• Turn off unnecessary lighting and use task or desktop lamps with CFLs instead of overhead lights.

• Look for a compact fluorescent wattage that’s about one-third of the incandescent wattage you usually use. 

• Use lighting control devices like dimmers, motion detectors, occupancy sensors, photocells and timers to provide light only when you need it. 

• Keep lamps away from thermostats; the heat produced can cause your furnace to run less than needed or your air conditioner more than needed. 

• Use brighter bulbs in areas where you do close-up work such as reading, cooking and home projects. Use less-bright light in other areas.

• Replace outdoor floodlights with halogen lamps, or use motion detectors. A 50- or 90-watt halogen lamp can replace a standard reflector bulb that has twice the wattage.

• Motion detectors save energy and money by turning on lights only when needed.

• Dust light fixtures regularly. A heavy coat of dust can block up to 50 percent of the light output. 

• Use only a single bulb in a multi-socket fixture. Be sure to check the maximum wattage the fixture allows. 

• Replace an incandescent outdoor light or high-intensity floodlight with a high-pressure sodium fixture. The bulbs will last longer, use less energy, and handle temperature extremes better. 

• Use low-voltage lighting kits to light walkways, patios and decks. The soft light will also attract fewer annoying insects. 

• Decorate with pale colors on walls, ceilings and floors. Soft tones reflect more light, so you can use lower wattage bulbs and delay turning on lights until later in the day. Using high-gloss paint can help as well. 

• Read light bulb packages carefully. Watts measure the amount of energy needed; lumens measure how much light a bulb produces. Energy-saving bulbs produce more lumens per watt of electricity used.