Tips for an Energy-Efficient Home

You can save up to 5 percent on your heating costs if you lower the thermostat to between 60 degrees and 65 degrees. Set the thermostat to 55 degrees at night or during hours when no one is home. To make it easier, buy a programmable thermostat, which you can set for different day, night, and even weekend, temperatures.

Running an efficient humidifier during the winter can put moisture back in dry air, which will help you feel more comfortable and keep you from turning the heat up.

Check them once a month during the heating season.

Make sure they are not blocked by furniture, carpeting or curtains. Vacuum floor registers routinely. Bleed trapped air from hot-water radiators once or twice a season.

Place them between exterior walls and the radiators to bounce the heat into the room.

These fans can blow out a house-full of heated air if left on too long. Once the air is clear and mirrors fog-free, turn them off. Consider installing high-efficiency, low-noise exhaust fans.

Look for an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) rating for furnaces of more than 78%. Look for appliances and even homes that have an Energy Star label.

Remove window air-conditioner units in the winter or enclose the unit with an air-conditioner cover to stop drafts.

Homes, especially older ones, can be drafty and hidden air leaks can be one of the top reasons for heat loss. Look at these areas for potential problems: where plumbing, wiring and chimneys pass through insulation, recessed lights and fans in insulated ceilings, at the sill plate and band joist at the top of the foundation, at the top of interior walls where they meet with attic space. Also, doublecheck fireplace dampers, attic access doors, all moldings and electrical outlets, especially ones on exterior walls. To seal leaks, caulk is usually best for cracks less than ¼-inch wide. For larger cracks, choose expanding foam or crack filler. Fit electrical outlets with Styrofoam pads under their covers.

Especially in older homes, rooms such as parlors or formal living rooms that don’t get a lot of use can siphon warm air from other, frequently used areas.

Trees planted on the east and west sides of the house, about 15 feet to 25 feet from the foundation, will provide shade during the summer and, once the leaves drop, solar gain in the winter.

Creating a wall about 5 feet from the foundation forms a pocket space between the shrubs and the house. The pocket traps the heat lost from your home, turning it into a blanket of warmth.

Install aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads and low-flow toilets.

It should be set to 120°F. If there is no numerical reading, set the thermostat between “warm – normal” or “low – medium.”

That little drip, drip, drip can add up to bigger bills over the course of time.

Bathing uses the most hot water in the average household. You use 15-25 gallons of hot water for a bath, but less than 10 gallons during a 5-minute shower. Use an energy efficient showerheads to reduce water consumption.

Do not cover the thermostat.

Cover the first 6 feet of hot- and cold-water pipes that are connected to the water heater. Also wrap any pipes that run through uninsulated areas such as garages or crawlspaces.

Some new water heaters have them built in to prevent heat loss.

Draining a quart of water every three months removes sediment that lowers the heater’s efficiency.

Keep them open during the day to allow sunlight in during colder months.

If they are in good shape, you could also tightly tape heavy-duty, clear plastic on the inside of window frames. If this doesn’t work, install tight, insulating shades or completely replace the windows with new Low-E models. Look for Low-E windows with high solar heat gain coefficients if you live in the North. Look for Low-E windows with low coefficients if you live in the South. Install weatherstripping products to keep your doors and windows draft free.

Sit closer to interior walls, since exterior walls and older windows may be drafty.

A traditional fireplace is an energy loser because it pulls heated air up the chimney. Make sure the damper is closed when you are not using it. If you decide to shut it permanently, block the chimney with a piece of rigid insulation that fits snugly into the space.

If no one is in the room, why pay for electricity? Or consider installing timers, photo cells or occupancy sensors to reduce the amount of time your lights are on. Lights can generate heat, making your cooling system work harder.

CFLs are better than incandescent bulbs. You can use almost a quarter less electricity and buy fewer bulbs since CFLs last up to 10 times longer. Replacing five standard lightbulbs with CFLs can save 1,100 GWhs a year. Find compact fluorescent bulbs for your home.

This focuses the light where you need it. Try fluorescent under-cabinet lighting to illuminate kitchen sinks and countertops.

These make it easier to keep lighting levels low when brighter light is not necessary.

Choose fixtures with reflective backing and electronic ballasts for your workroom, garage and laundry areas.

Both lights are much more efficient than their incandescent counterparts. Plus, the luminescent lights are cool to the touch.

Units with a photocell will turn on only at night while units with a motion sensor will come on when someone is present. A combined photocell and motion sensor will increase your energy savings even more.

You can increase efficiency by almost 20 percent.

Do you really want to pay for that fridge in the garage if the only thing in it is beer? You can save 10 percent to 25 percent on your electric bill.

Find a cool, level spot so the appliances don’t waste energy.

Appliances are more efficient when full, so you’ll save water and money.

This can cut your energy use by 75 percent.

A dirty or clogged trap means that your dryer has to work harder and longer because moist air can’t be vented from the dryer as easily.

If available on your model, this setting will detect the moisture level of the clothes being dried and shut the machine off when they reach the selected level of dryness.

They will finish faster. Even better, hang clothes out on a line to dry.

Don’t just set the dryer to run for an hour; the load may not take that long. Check the type of items you are drying: T shirts won’t take as long as towels or throw rugs.

Full-size ovens aren’t efficient when cooking small quantities of food. Use a microwave, toaster oven or crock pot instead.

If you have electric burners or radiant or solid-disk elements on your stove, use flat-bottomed cookware that rests evenly on the heating elements. These types of stoves are significantly less efficient if the cookware does not rest evenly on the elements.

If you have gas burners on your stove, make sure the flame is bluish. If the flame is yellow, the gas may not be burning efficiently. Have your utility check.

Pre-rinsing wastes water. Newer dishwashers are powerful enough to clean even heavily soiled plates.

Most computers come with the power management features turned off. To save energy, set the “sleep mode” to kick in if you are away for awhile, such as after 15 minutes.

Don’t leave it in sleep mode because it is still drawing a small amount of power.

Many new TVs, DVRs, computer peripherals and other electronics use electricity even when they are off. These standby losses, while only a few watts each, can add up to an extra 6 percent on your bill a year. If possible, unplug electronics when not in use. For devices plugged in to a power strip, such as scanners and printers, switch off the power strip after shutting down your computer. For the best of both worlds, buy a power strip which detects whether your appliances are on or off and cuts phantom electricity usage.

Having your unit work efficiently can save you up to 30 percent on cooling costs. A typical tune-up includes refrigerant charge adjustments, condenser and evaporator coil cleaning, duct testing and sealing. Check your filters monthly.

Or, if you leave it in year-round, enclose the unit with an air-conditioner cover to stop drafts.

To operate at peak efficiency, trim back plants that are encroaching on the outside of the house and pull furniture, curtains and other items away from the return air grill on the inside of your house.

A supplemental fan – used in occupied rooms - can make you feel cooler so you can set your AC a few degrees higher and save on cooling costs.

To warm a room in winter, and pull warm air from the ceiling down into the room, blades should turn clockwise. To cool a room in summer, fan blades should spin counter-clockwise.