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Save Energy and Money This Winter

If you care about the environment, chances are you try to conserve as much energy as possible. While it’s easy to make small changes, like turning off lights that aren’t in use, or switching to compact fluorescent bulbs, at this time of year conservation can be a little trickier. As the temperatures outside drop, most of our thermostats go up. Here are some helpful, and easy, tips for conserving heating fuel and energy this winter season:

• Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater. If the water that comes out of your faucet is scalding hot, lower the temperature to around 120ºF

• Seal up any visible cracks and gaps in your house, install adequate insulation, check that ducts are sealed, and choose energy efficient windows when replacing old ones. A home energy auditor can help to identify poorly insulated areas and evaluate the energy efficiency of your home.
  

• Be sure your attic is properly ventilated, and insulated. A warm attic steals heat from the rest of the house, and does no one any good.
  

• Keeping your registers or radiators clean can make your home warmer with less energy, and save you money. Dust acts like an insulating blanket, trapping the heat.
  

• To promote cleaner air when burning wood in your fireplace or woodstove, be sure that the wood you use is 100% untreated, has been seasoned for at least nine months, and is not painted.
  

• On the coldest nights, pull down window shades to keep heat from escaping. During the day, keep blinds and drapes open to let in the sunshine. Keep shrubs around your home trimmed back, so they don’t block the sun from entering your windows.
  

• Shut off the heat in unused rooms. It’s simple, just shut off the radiator valve or close the vent. Closing off a spare room in winter will be more effective if you stuff a plastic dry cleaner bag under the door to keep the cold air from escaping into the house.
  

• If you have a fireplace, close the dampers when it’s not in use.
  

• Insulate your electrical outlets. One of the most overlooked ways cold air can get into your house is through the outlets. Remove the outlet covers and insert insulation pads underneath. Cap off any outlets that are not being used.

• Pull the plug on those little black boxes. You probably have several of these chargers plugged in around the house – they’re used for cell phones, music players, and hand vacuums. If they’re not in use, unplug them from the wall. Even without a device plugged into them, they still use up to 5 kilowatts a month.

• Scrap the screensaver. Forget butterflies floating across your computer screen when not in use. Sure, it protects your screen from permanent image burns, but it also burns through energy. Just turn the monitor off when you’re not using it.

• Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture, which makes the compressor work harder. Also, your refrigerator works more efficiently when it’s not crowded, because air can circulate around the food. Routinely throw away outdated items.

• Use cold, not warm or hot water to rinse scraps down your garbage disposal. Cold water saves energy, and solidifies grease so that it moves through your pipes more easily.

• Keep range-top burners and reflectors bright and clean. Shiny reflectors help focus the heat on your pots. Dull or dirty reflectors absorb heat.