ENERGY SAVING TIPS THAT COST NOTHING

By D. S. Mitchell

My PUD

I was on my local PUD (Public Utility District) website to make my monthly electric service payment, when for the first time I noticed they had a tab for Energy Saving Tips. Whoopee! So, without hesitation I opened the tab and found a treasure trove of no cost to moderate cost energy-saving tips. I was so impressed I printed it off for later reference. Hopefully you will find it helpful and will share all your new knowledge with friends and family.

No Cost Options

Saving money and addressing environmental issues are both good things.  Some of the tips may be familiar and obvious while others are not. Take a look and see if you can’t find something that will help you save energy and benefit the environment. An energy-efficient home will be a pleasure to come home to while saving you money.

Jump Start Energy Saving Now

• Lower your thermostat when you go to bed or when you are away from home. Use a programmable thermostat, so it is automatic. Every degree lowered can decrease the heating portion of your energy bill by 2%.
• Get in the habit of shutting off lights as you leave a room. Don’t forget to shut of PC’s and other devices when not in use.
• Close your fireplace damper when there is no fire. Leaving it open is like having a 48 inch square hole in your house.
• Set your water heater to 120 degrees F. (which is comfortable for most people). When going away for any length of time set it to vacation mode, or simply turn it down.
• When washing cloths or dishes, wash only full loads and those in cold water.
• Air-dry your dishes or use air-dry feature on the dishwasher. When weather permits, hang your clothes outside on a clothesline to dry.
• Use kitchen and bathroom fans to cut moisture, as needed.
• Set your refrigerator between 36-39 degrees F.
• In the winter, open south-facing drapes/blinds during the day to let heat in and close all window drapes and blinds at night.
• Unplug laptop or cell phone battery chargers when not in use. Most draw power continuously, even when there are no devices plugged into the charger.
• Vacuum refrigerator coils of lint and clean the lint from clothes dryer often to increase efficiency.
• Use a toaster over or microwave for cooking and heating small portions.
• Use zonal-heat (baseboard, ceiling or wall heat) to your advantage by only heating rooms that are in use.
• Consider using jugs of water to occupy the space in your refrigerator. It takes more energy to cool an empty fridge than a full one.

Low Cost Options

If you are willing to spend up to a $100 there are dozens of more ideas to cut your energy bill. Here are a few inexpensive ideas that produce big savings.

• Weatherstrip your windows and doors to cut winter heat loss and summer heat gain.
• Check and replace your air filters every month to improve air quality, reduce heating and cooling costs, and improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system.
• Consider using a “Smart” strip for your electronics or home entertainment center to reduce “phantom load”. These strips work hard to reduce your energy use by shutting down power to products that go into standby mode.
• Switch to LED light bulbs. They use a fifth of the energy used by regular bulbs.
• Insulate outlets and light switches to cut heat loss and keep you more comfortable in your home.
• Install energy-efficient shower heads to reduce the amount of hot water used without compromising your comfort.
• Use fans instead of air conditioning to stay cool on warm days. Fans can be more cost-effective than cooling your entire house because the fans target specific areas.

Smart Investments

Making a smart investment in efficiency now could pay off big over time, increase your comfort, and lower your energy bills. In some cases, as with insulation, you may be eligible for state or county rebates.

• Install a programmable thermostat for your heating system. This allows you to control how often your heating systems run and in return will reduce your energy consumption.
• Schedule regular preventive maintenance of your furnace and air conditioner. This insures optimal performance and as such improves energy use.
• Inadequate home insulation can send energy costs through the roof. Making sure your home is adequately insulated can be the single most effective way to save energy.
• Leaky ducts can lose up to 20% of heated or cooled air before it reaches your living space. To cut energy waste, make sure that ductwork is sealed properly. You may need to hire a professional on this one, but such work is well worth it.
• Consider going ductless and increase your comfort year round. Ductless heating and cooling systems are an affordable way to heat and cool your home for less. Contact your power service company, you may be eligible for a rebate from your state or county.
• Water heating is one of the largest users of energy in your home outside of heating and cooling. Upgrade your water heater to a heat pump water heater and save up to 50% in water heating costs.   Here is another area where you might be  eligible for rebates from your state or county.
• Consider replacing old appliances with new ones that are Energy Star rated and compare the yellow Energy Guide label across different models to insure you find the best saving model. This is important because refrigerators and freezers run 24 hours a day. New appliances should produce immediate savings.

The ideas from my power company (Cowlitz/PUD) are great. Please try to carry out as many as you can. I’m going to make November my own Personal Energy Efficiency Month. Next week, I will share Season Specific ideas. If you learned anything, please share with friends and family. Our planet needs us to be energy smart.

RESIST. CONFRONT. VOTE.