It is better to leave the thermostat on 68° rather than constantly
readjusting it.
When leaving a room, turn off lights.
Check your attic to make certain you have adequate insulation.
Weatherproof your windows and doors. This will keep the cold air
drafts down and help you keep your furnace from working twice as hard.
Have your gas furnace or heat pump serviced each season.
If you are planning for a winter vacation or a holiday trip shut
your water off at the house and make certain your garden hoses are
disconnected. This will help avoid broken water pipes in case of a hard
freeze.
DO NOT use an extension cord for portable heaters.
Keep all cold air returns and heat registers free of obstacles.
Summer
Use fans in the spring and fall-avoid use of air conditioner.
Close shades/draperies to block heat from entering.
Raise the Thermostat setting to 78° in the summer.
For every degree you lower the thermostat in the winter or
increase the thermostat setting in the summer you can save approx. 3% on
the respective heating and air conditioning operating expenses. Also
check furnace filters once a month and clean and replace as needed.
Dirty filters restrict the flow of air therefore it takes longer to
satisfy the thermostat setting resulting in higher operating costs.
Heating and A/C
When purchasing a new electric air conditioner look for the "EER"
or "SEER" rating (EER=Energy Efficiency Ratio-SEER=Seasonal Energy
Efficiency Ratio). The higher the number the more efficient the piece of
equipment.
When purchasing a new Gas Furnace look for the higher efficiency
units. The higher the percentage the more efficient the unit with lower
operating costs.
When purchasing a new Electric Heat Pump look for the COP
(coefficient of performance). The higher the COP the more efficient the
unit.
Electric
Use new high efficiency florescent bulbs to replace incandescent
lighting. The bulbs have a lower wattage, longer life and help to reduce
energy costs.
Turn off lights when not in use.
Use lower wattage bulbs.
Avoid using small appliances for small jobs that can be done using
other non electrical means.
Turn off all appliances when not in use (i.e. TV and radio's).
Water Heating
Set thermostat at 120 degrees.
Cover water heater with insulating jacket.
Take showers instead of baths.
Turn water heater off when away from home for an extended period.
Repair leaks.
Wash clothes in cold water when possible - to wash a load of
clothes takes on the average about 30 gallons of water.
Refrigeration
Check seals around refrigerator door for assurance they are
functioning properly.
Freezers are most efficient when full.
Periodically clean heat coils on the back side of the
refrigerator. Units should be far enough from wall for air circulation
around the coils.
Keep thermostat at highest setting for refrigerator and freezer
that will preserve food.
Cooking
Use Microwave instead of oven whenever possible.
Match the pot size with the appropriate burner for maximum
efficiency.
For better efficiency keep pots covered when cooking.
Use exhaust fan to eliminate heat.
Cook as many items in the oven as practical at one time.
In the summer cook outside whenever possible to keep heat out of
the kitchen.
Dryer
Hang clothes outside in the summer whenever possible.
Dry clothes on the cool cycle.
Make sure dryer vent is carrying warm air outside.
Avoid the hottest part of the day to dry clothes.
Do continuous loads rather than one at a time to take advantage of
remaining heat.
Insulation
When you inquire about insulation you hear the word R-Value. The
R-Value on insulation indicates its resistance to heat flow. Different
materials have different R-Values. The higher the R-Value the better the
resistance to heat flow.
The largest areas of concern where a significant amount of heat is
lost is through the roof and/or ceiling areas. These are the easiest
areas to get to if you want to insulate it yourself. Un-insulated walls
and crawl spaces, in many cases, are more difficult to get to so it may
be worthwhile to discuss the degree of difficulty with a contractor
before attempting to do it yourself.
