So, as I've said, heating prices will be nuts this winter. Commenter stomv has now twice submitted excellent lists of suggestions for how to protect yourself from the impact, so I'm “promoting” his suggestions from the comments section. I hope you find them useful.
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… There are a tremendous number of things you can do now to lower your heating bill later. $200 and a trip to Home Depot can get you quite a bit, including:
- A hot water heater blanket, so that you aren't spending so much money re-heating hot water. While you're installing it, be sure to turn your water heater down to 120 degrees. Anything less than that and you might get bacteria. Anything more and you're likely wasting it.
- A few cans of Great Stuff ™ or other foam insulation in a can. Unscrew all of your electrical switch and outlet covers on exterior walls of your home, and spray this stuff inside the wall but not in the electrical box.This is also great for gaps in the wall near windows and doors. Prepare all areas first, and be prepared to use an entire can at a time as the foam hardens inside the application tube, making the remaining foam in the can inaccessible.
- Storm doors cut down on wind quite a bit.
- Take stockings, and fill them with newspaper. Make it arts and crafty if you like. Use them at the foot of your doors to keep drafts out.
- Buy a sweater or two, but not at Home Depot đŸ™‚ .
- Make sure that the felt/foam around the sides and bottom of your door are intact and functional. If not, pick up some doorsweeps, etc. and install them.
- Take your A/C out of the window during the winter. If you absolutely cannot, do your best to insulate around it, etc.
- Get a programmable thermostat. There's no reason to heat the house all day while your at work, nor is there reason to keep the house as warm at 3am as you need it at 8pm. So, a programmable thermostat can do wonders to lower your heating bill while keeping the house sufficiently warm at all times.
- If you can afford it, upgrading your windows is a bonus.
- It's too late for this year, but evergreen trees and shrubs planted to protect the north, and to a lesser extent east and west, from wind can reduce the cold drafts quite a bit. Fences can also help.
- If you have wooden sashes with locks, make sure that all your windows can be locked closed. If not, buy the window locks for about $1.50 eachto ensure that your window remains completely closed all winter.
- That plastic wrap-esque stuff you can put over your windows with the help of a hair dryer makes a huge difference. You wouldn't think so, but it really does. Put it up when it starts to get cold outside.
- If you have the ability to control heat within different rooms of your house, don't heat rooms you aren't using soon.
To also save electricity…
- switch to CF bulbs. These are the kind with the spirally glass. They're a bit more expensive, but there are often rebate programs, and you'll save money in the long run. Plus, they have lifetimes 6-12 times longer than incadescent.
- Keep your dryer lint trap clean.
- Make sure there is a gap between your refrigerator and your stove, and make sure the gasket (plastic/rubber on the door) is sealing the cold in. Also, pulling your fridge an inch away from the wall will help, as will making sure that the coils in back aren't caked in dust.
- Turn off the lights. Seriously.
- Run the dishwasher only when full. Same goes for laundry. Try to avoid using hot water if warm or cold will get the job done.
Implementing some or all of these low cost features could easily shave 10% – 20% off your heating bills. Of course, new windows will help even more, but they are quite expensive. Will it be enough to offset the huge increase in heating costs? Probably not. Will it help considerably? You bet.
Don't wait until you see your November or December heating bill to react. Get stuff ready now. You'll save a bunch of money later, albeit a bit each day and not all at once.
Many utilities will come to your home and do a free energy audit. Call up your energy suppliers and ask them. They'll find ways to save you money. I suggest you take them up on the offer.
I’m flattered. Cool beans! Maybe warm beans, if you plan now.At any rate, if you have any specific questions, feel free to email me. For more general ones, please post here so that the answers will also lie in the public domain.
Thanks so much for the tips. Any good summer advice to keep the house and planet cool?
Open the windows at night/in the morning to try to get the cool air in the house. Then, close the windows and shades to keep cool.
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p>Take off your shoes and socks at home. Heck, lounge around as close to nekkid as your flat mates will allow.
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p>Drink cold water.
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p>Plant shade trees to shade your house during the hottest morning hours.
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p>Get a freakin’ haircut.
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p>Turn things off when you’re not using them. Every single device using electricity is putting heat in to your room. CF bulbs put off less heat than incandescent, but even CF bulbs are warm. Same goes for the TV, the computer, the stereo, etc.
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p>Take advantage of already air conditioned spaces like public libraries or movie theaters instead of cooling your own home. Alternatively, spend time outside in the shade like at a public park or in a swimming hole.
I never would have guessed — cold water!!!
are subtle, complex, or difficult to implement.
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p>Cold water is fantastically effective at cooling the body. It can also help putting off being hungry for 30-60 mins, a nice touch for folks like you and me who have to watch our girlish figures.
how hard it is to get a freakin’ haircut these days?
to get ’em all cut.
If you have a radiator near your front door, don’t use it as a place to plop mail :-).
Thank goodness our new apt has nice efficient new windows, AND storm windows (from back before the windows were replaced I imagine). And my landlord is going to weather-strip the back door which has some drafts coming in.I’ve been seeing those spiral CF bulbs coming down in price, as I recall they were only $2 at the grocery store the other day. I’ve been replacing some of the lights with those (I’m not thrilled with the light they throw though, too stark and a little dimmer I think).I went through the place today and shut the storms. We still need to get the ACs out, we just can’t seem to find the time. This weekend probably.I refuse to turn the damn heat on until at least halfway through October dammit.Any word on whether an electric blacket is too dangerous or takes too much electricity? I would be willing to turn down the thermostat at night if I knew I was going to be warm in bed…
Apartment? Landlord? You’re really going to confuse all the nice bloggers who visited us at our house dear.
What confusion I have sown … even within one household!
each August 1.
… I was just being funny (unsuccessfully I guess)… having a conversation in a time warp. Wow this post is old đŸ˜‰
… I miss the difference between my rent cost and my mortgage. The apartment was also, of course easier to run. But what we purchased for those trad-offs was a lot more room (can entertain blogger parties now), and a small yard. I miss the extra money, which I could really use now that I own a house and the projects to improve it never end ;).
just as youth is wasted on the young.
Any word on whether an electric blanket is too dangerous or takes too much electricity? I would be willing to turn down the thermostat at night if I knew I was going to be warm in bed…I don’t know, but I’d be curious to find out. I’d bet part of the answer lies in the age of the blanket. I’d expect new ones to be safer (or, at least as safe) although I wouldn’t necessarily expect them to be more efficient.Lynne: in the mean time, I recommend you take up my advice on the “Great Stuff” insulation foam. It’s a really cheap project, and it really does make a difference. It’s particularly useful if you’re trying to avoid turning the heat on, since it cuts drafts. Also, the “stockings” trick can help until (and even after) you’ve got the weather stripping around the doors.One more thing: if it’s relatively easy to do, pull your fridge out and clean off the back coils. It helps it operate more efficiently. Then, when you push it back in it’s place, if you can keep the coils a 1/2 inch from the back wall, it will help the fridge cool more efficiently too.
New electric blankets are fairly safe. Most of them now use low-voltage dc power, so they have almost no chance of setting themselves on fire even if the wires break and short out. They are as efficient as any other electric resistance heater, but they are heating a small area. The most efficient way to use an electric blanket is to turn it on about half an hour before you go to bed and unplug it before getting into bed. If your regular blankets aren’t keeping you warm then get a better quilt. The point of using an electric blanket this way is so that you are climbing into a 70-80 degree bed instead of a 50-60 degree bed. You should not need an electric blanket to stay warm at night if you have the proper amount of regular blankets/quilts. It is just helpful with that first 30-90 minutes it would take you to warm the bed up on your own.
with no central heat — just a big ol’ wood stove in the middle of the house on the lower level.
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p>Electric blankets were supplied and appreciated and left on low all night, since it was the end of November and unseasonably cold.
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p>Yes yes, the exception that proves the rule.
Good stuff, thanks for spreading the info. Because of the way our furnace works to keep the water heat up, I’ll have to validate that I can wrap it but, there’s one I never heard or thought of.
I am looking for a gray adhesive door sweep for a 14 year old door. It is a 1 5/8″ bubble and sweep. I have looked at all the major hardware stores and others. Help! A glass panel in the door is etched with the name Guardian from Corsicana, Texas.I would appreciate any help or other referrals. Thanks!
[b]Hawk[/b]:Definately find out from sure from a professional. But, you can still save additional money by making sure your hot water pipes are insulated with the pre-cut foam tubing, and while you ask about insulation, also ask how to set your furnace to heat water to 120 degrees (never less, but no need for more).[b]Christy[/b]:I’d call a door and window specialist. I suspect that the adhesive part of the request may be the toughest part.
New old house we moved into last year has extensive track lighting from previous owner remodel. Stuff is nice but the electric bill is ridiculous, to say the least. Anyone had any experience with CF bulbs in recessed situations on dimmer bulbs? Have replaced one bulb to date (@ $12 a bulb) with a Phillips dimmer bulb, but anyone have any better suggestions? One question is that they remodeled and have a grand total of 10 lights in the finished basement room, which is way overkill. Is it an issue just to leave some of the outlets vacated or this causing problems.
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p>Really would like to know the ins and outs before I drop about $300 on replacement bulbs.
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p>Excellent tips BTW Stomv. Think we’re all going to need them this winter.
The question is: what do you need all that lighting for? If possible, just take some bulbs out, perhaps every other bulb or something. Then, you’ve cut your usage by 50% at zero cost. Leaving sockets empty is fine, so long as you’re not afraid a kid is going to stick her finger in the socket.
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p>CF bulbs that work on dimmers are more expensive as you’ve noticed.
was just wondering if having empty sockets would affect things (it is certainly overkill with this basement setup for sure). However, given the low ceiling think I would fill with dead bulbs ones I weren’t using for safety reasons; would that mess things up?
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p>Or better yet, I get a floor lamp and they can just turn that on instead of this plethora of lights when they want to play PS2…
Or a floor lamp. If you do get a floor lamp, stay away from the halogen torchieres [if they’re still even available] because they burn very very hot, sucking electricity and increasing the risk of fire.
Another pretty inexpensive fix is to take a look at the insulation in several areas of your house. If you have an unfinished attic space, the insulation tends to settle over time. I added insulation last year and was pleasantly surprised at how much warmer in winter and cooler in summer it made the second floor of my house. The nice fellow who did my energy audit recommended rolling out insulation, and it wasn’t a bad do it yourself project. If you have an attic hatch or even stairs to an attic, he also recommended adding solid foam insulation over the hatch or behind the door.
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p>For reasons unrelated to energy efficiency (rot, actually), I also replaced my garage doors last year, buying insulated doors (made in Canada) to replace old builder’s special uninsulated doors. I was surprised at how much warmer (and cooler) the garage has been as a result. That’s not too important except that, like many suburban homes, there’s living space over the garage. The warmer space below helps keep the rooms above more comfortable. As a bonus, soda left in the garage no longer freezes in the winter.
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p>I have used the plastic wrap shrunk with the hair dryer. On old drafty windows, it makes a very noticeable difference. I had better luck with the 3M version than the cheaper brands-the tape stuck better and came off cleaner in the spring. When you get it right, it doesn’t interfere with the view or the light at all.
The tip on insulating the attic door/hatch is a great one. You might need to get creative if it’s a hatch with fold up stairs, but it can be done and it is significant. Also, an attic fan can do wonders to pull hot air out of your entire house.
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p>The garage doors were probably a double-win. Not only do the doors themselves provide more insulation, but they’re probably a tighter fit on the ground and sides, resulting in less draft. Even if you’re not going to replace the doors, making sure that the tracks make a tight fit (and that the door gets all the way to the floor) can make a significant difference, and help keep pests out.
And all that. Each time some part of my house needs work or an appliance dies, I try to upgrade to a greener version. The garage doors are now R-12. When the dishwasher and washing machine both died, I went to more energy efficient versions. Fisher and Paykel has a top loading washing machine with the benefits of the front loaders at about half the price. It spins the clothes much drier than the old machine so the old dryer works much faster now. I’m waiting for the fridge to die, as newer ones are a lot more efficient than my 1992 version.
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p>Also-put TVs, stereos and other gizmos that have standby power on a power strip, then turn it completely off when not in use. Here’s some info from Consumer Reports. Marginal improvements, but easy ones, too.
I’m a huge fan of a tiny dishwasher. I have an 18″ dishwasher, and I love it.
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p>The efficiency is linear with the width — an 18″ dishwasher uses 25% less water & elec than a 24″. But, here’s the key: you’re more likely to fill your 18″ dishwasher to 100% capacity than a 24″ or 30″ dishwasher, meaning you’re getting more clean dishes per unit elec and water from the thing.
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p>Plus, since it fills more quickly, it gets run more often, and that reduces the need to pull out a dirty item and wash it by hand because you need it again and haven’t run the dishwasher yet.
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p>It also gives you 6″ or 12″ more storage in the kitchen.
Last year I used weatherstripping tape and sealed around the edges of our windows. They are new, high-efficiency windows, but they weren’t installed very well. I’m planning to recaulk them this year rather than putting up new tape every year. The roll of tape was about $3 for 50 ft. It cut our heating costs by about 20-30%. We also lowered our thermostat setting, so it is a little tricky to determine how much was due to each, but our heating usage dropped by almost 40% even though it was a colder winter. On the other hand, once you get rid of air leaks, you can set the thermostat lower and still be comfortable because you don’t have cold air leaking directly onto your body.
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p>The majority of heating costs in most New England homes is due to air leaks (unless your house was built in the past 20-30 years). I did some quick calculations on the window air leaks last year and determined that on a cold day, the windows were leaking enough air to completely replace the air in our apartment about 4 times a day. That was with just small 1-inch holes in the caulking around the edges. But with 11 leaky windows, those little cracks were about equivalent to leaving one window open about halfway. In terms of heating, that comes out to about 1btu/day/deg/sq ft, or about 40,000 btu/day (12 therms/month) in our 1,000 sq ft apartment when it is 20 outside and 60 inside. This is why storm windows, high-efficiency windows, or plastic wrap over windows make such a big difference.
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p>Because hot air rises, any cracks in your house will lead to airflow all winter. The easiest time to find cracks is when it is really cold outside, because the larger the temperature difference is, the faster air will be pulled into your house. You can feel the cold air leaking in, or you can use a piece of tissue paper or sprayed water to look for air movement. You can also get a home energy inspection. Some of the fancier ones involve a blower door and using stage smoke to find where the leaks are. I think you have to pay to get that, but you can put a fan in a window (blowing out) to pull air through leaks if you just want to find them yourself.
Winter or summer. In the summer you canhang the clothes outside. In the winter you can hang them in your basement or even bathroom. It makes a difference.