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| How to freeze soaring home-heating
bills |
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For more instant gratification,
check with your state or utility company, which often offers tax
credits or rebate programs for making those energy-efficient upgrades.
To qualify for such programs, you often have to work
with an energy rater or other professional inspector who will help
file the proper paperwork and ensure all the protocol is being followed
correctly.
You can also look for future energy savings when it
comes time to replace
large household appliances.
The
U.S. Department of Energy sponsors the Energy
Star program, which certifies the most energy-efficient appliances on the
market. They typically cost more, but can save you enough money on energy to more
than pay for the difference. For advice in making your home more energy efficient,
visit the department's home
energy adviser and try its home
energy yardstick to see how your energy use stacks up against the national
average.
If you are not up for big-buck upgrades, some simple
steps, such as wrapping hot water pipes with foam insulation and
replacing weatherstripping around doors and windows, will still
help keep you warm without draining your bank account.
Buyers beware
Before you spend your nest egg insulating your homestead, make sure
your expenses are worthwhile. Watch out for unusual and strange
devices and "miracle" schemes that promise to cut your
bill in half. Check references, ask people in the industry for opinions
and visit the Better Business Bureau's Web site to make sure other
people were satisfied with the products and the service. It never
hurts to get multiple quotes, either.
Here are more tips to ensure your home is ready for
those cold north winds:
- Have a professional test your
duct system for air leaks. The Department of Energy says gaps,
cracks and disconnections in home duct systems are responsible
for losing 25 percent to 40 percent of the energy generated by
the central furnace, heater or air conditioner.
- Get your heating system professionally
cleaned and tuned to reduce the chance of breakdown midwinter.
This simple step improves safety and pays for itself through greater
efficiency.
- Install a programmable
set-back thermostat. Used properly, a programmable thermostat can save you about
$100 per year, according to the Energy Star program.
- Set
your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer.
Wear warm clothing indoors during cold weather. An electric blanket is much less
expensive than heating your bedroom.
- Consider heating your home with
a passive solar heating system. Passive systems make use of home
design and climate and forgo the need for pumps, fans and electrical
equipment.
- Insulate your water heater.
This will pay for itself in about a year. Be careful not to set
the thermostat above 130 F for electric water heaters with an
insulating jacket or blanket -- the wiring may overheat.
- Open
draperies and shades in winter to let in sunshine and close them at night to hold
in heat. Remove awnings from sun-exposed windows in cold months. Prune any trees
or shrubs that block sunlight.
- Install
storm doors.
- Heat only those rooms
that are in use.
- Avoid the use
of kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans, and keep the fireplace damper closed when
not in use. Turn off heat when the fireplace is being used.
- Never use the range or oven
to heat the kitchen. This can be dangerous as well as energy-inefficient.
- Weatherstrip your attic door
to prevent heat from escaping.
- If
wood is plentiful where you live, have a professional install a wood-burning stove.
- Dust
or vacuum all radiator surfaces frequently. Dust is a wonderful insulator and
tends to build up on radiators and baseboard heat vents, keeping heat from dispersing.
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