Saving Money

Save Energy, Save Money

Come Clean: Regularly clean the air conditioning coils as well as the air filter for your air conditioning and heating units.

Go With the Flow: Most experts don’t recommend just closing off the heating or cooling vents on rooms you don’t use to save energy. Doing so can actually make your system work less efficiently. If you have areas of the house you don’t use, talk with a qualified contractor about “zone” heating or cooling. Your current system may be able to be modified to allow you to reduce or increase heating and cooling in certain parts of the house.

Make Shade: Shade can block direct sunlight from sunny windows and significantly cool your home (as much as 20 degrees in summer!). Try planting trees or using window awnings to reduce bright sunlight. Also plant trees or shrubs to shade your air-conditioning units (be careful not to block airflow). You can save 10% of the unit’s electricity cost this way!

Be Window Wise: A lot of energy can be leaked through inefficient windows. To make your current single pane windows more efficient, install storm windows, which are an extra pane of glass or plastic added to a window to reduce air infiltration and boost the insulation value of a window. Energy efficient double pane windows are more expensive, but can pay for themselves over time.

If you can’t afford new windows, and your house gets cold in the winter, you can buy inexpensive plastic sheeting that can be installed over windows in the winter, usually by using a hair dryer to “seal” the plastic to the windows. In the summer, use shades and drapes to help block out sun.

Install Ceiling Fans: When properly purchased and installed, ceiling fans can make a warm room seem cooler in summer, and warmer in winter. They are very inexpensive to use. Make sure you buy the right type and size for your room. The greater the angle of the blade, the more efficient the fan will be. Blades at angles of more than 12 degrees are more efficient.

For more information on selecting a ceiling fan, visit the American Lighting Association’s website at www.americanlightingassoc.com

Easy Does It: While kitchen and bathroom fans are good for reducing moisture, then can also pull air out of the house very quickly. So use them when you need them, but turn them off as soon as you are done with them.

Bounce It Back: A light colored house will reflect heat, while a dark colored one will absorb it. Because roofs are almost always dark-colored (and absorb heat), there are several roof treatments that can be used to reflect heat, including an asphalt-based coating that contains reflective glass fibers and aluminum particles, and a radiant barrier of aluminum foil that can be installed on the underside of your roof. Reflective window coatings can also reduce the amount of heat absorbed into your home.