25 Ways to Cut Home Energy Costs
1. Seal up cracks and gaps. You can both check for drafts with a stick of incense and watch how the smoke moves, or you can check at night when the air is noticeably colder to the skin.
2. Reverse your ceiling fans to force hot air back down into the room. Hot air rises so changing your fans to counterclockwise will pull the hot air upward faster.
3. Make sure your heating burner is operating cleanly. Like an engine if you heat system is not tuned up every once in a while it will start to run badly and use more oil. Have you heating system inspected yearly to make sure it is running optimally and that it is not leaking carbon monoxide. Change the filters every 2-3 months.
4. Block door leaks with rolled up towels or rugs.
5. Check for drafts that pass across the thermostat because colder air can make it start up again. Stop these drafts immediately.
6. Don’t block heat registers with curtains or furniture.
7. Buy a thermostat with a timer. Set the timer so that the thermostat is turned down when no one is home. About ½ hour prior to arriving home your thermometer timer should be set to run so it is warm when you get home.
8. Keep the fireplace damper closed and don’t use it. Fireplaces are actually energy wasters so use it in moderation or get a fireplace liner.
9. At night wear sweaters and use an extra heavy blankets for the bed. For every 1 degree Fahrenheit you turn down your thermostat you will save up to 3% on energy costs.
10. Cover and seal air conditioners. Weather stripping can be bought by the foot or in a kit. Air conditioners cause huge air leaks so get a cover and make sure it is sealed until summer. This will also help keep out bugs in early spring.
11. If you have no snow on your roof it means you are holding a lot of heat in your attic. Seal the attic windows up, and the door as well if you are not permanently using the attic. You want to trap the heat in the main levels of your home.
12. Use compact florescent light bulbs. These bulbs are generally brighter and use less energy. Replacing all the light bulbs in your home with florescent bulbs can reduce your energy costs up to 7%.
13. Open the shades and blinds during the day. The natural sunlight will heat the surfaces in your home like carpet and furniture. At night close the blinds or curtains to trap the heat inside your home. Over time the walls, carpeting, and furniture will release heat.
14. Vacuum heat registers and venting. Dust that clogs up the ventilation system will cause your home to heat slower thus using more electric or oil, and can make your family sick as well.
15. Make sure your refrigerator is sealed. Put a dollar bill into the stripping and close the door. When you pull on the dollar bill it should be tough to pull out. If it just slips out you need to replace the sealing on the refrigerator.
16. Wrap insulation around hot water pipes and heating vents. Wrap the first five feet of pipe that runs out of your hot water heater. This will help you save 7-11% on hot water heating costs.
17. Don’t dry dishes in dishwasher. If your dishwasher has a hot air setting, shut it off and dry the dishes by hand.
18. Unplug unused or extra appliances. Shut off the computer at night and unplug the blender if you don’t need it. If you don’t need that spare fridge in the garage unplug it for a savings of up to 38%. Just because the power is off does not mean the appliance is not using energy.
19. Only do full loads of laundry and dishes, and use cold when washing clothes. Just using cold water for the wash can save you up to 30% on water heating costs, and the colors of your clothes will not fade as quickly.
20. Turn off lights and computers that are not being used. This includes night lights that you don’t need during the day.
21. Do all of your holiday baking in one or two days. You use more propane or electric when you have to pre-heat the oven over and over again. Most baked goods can be made 1-3 months in advance and saved in the freezer until you are ready to use them.
22. Use Energy Star products. Appliances with the Energy Star label were made to be energy efficient and can help lower your energy bills.
23. Get an energy audit done on your home once yearly. This will help you determine where you are loosing heat and have leaks by using infrared sensors.
24. Make a budget plan. Determine how much oil you need to heat the entire winter and see if your oil company will let you pay for a specific amount of gallons up front. You can also have them call you to authorize refilling of your fuel tank.
25. Use heat sources wisely. Cranking the heat up to 90 will not heat your home faster but just wastes more oil and you will likely forget that is turned up for several hours. Using a portable heater for only 8 hours per day can be an added $60-$100 extra per month on top of your home energy bills.
