TIPS
The Record’s Guide to Going Green • April 22, 2010
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Home Energy Miser Not all home energy savings projects require a budget of thousands and the mobile phone number of Norm Abrams, the friendly Mr. Fix-It on “This Old House.” Each of these steps can cost less than $20. Flip the switch
The energy you never consume is the cheapest. Turn off lights and electronics when they’re not in use.
Tame vampire devices
Look for little red or green lights on the control panels of computers, TVs and appliances that are turned off. These lights indicate that the appliances are consuming small amounts of energy 24/7. Standby power accounts for about 5 percent of all residential energy use. Plug these devices into a smart strip; when the smart strip is switched off, vampire devices can’t suck power.
Eliminate incandescents
Replace an old-fashioned incandescent bulb with a compact fluorescent lamp. An Energy Star-qualified CFL will save about $30 over its lifetime and pay for itself in about 6 months and lasts about 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb – while using 75 percent less energy. Besides, by law, incandescent bulbs will be phased out in the U.S. starting in 2012, and they’ll be gone by 2014.
Be a foam gasket guru
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Be kind to the furnace
Clean and change the air filter on your furnace to improve air quality and reduce the amount of energy the furnace consumes in order to make and distribute warm or cool air. There are 30-day filters and 3-month filters. A filter’s MERV number (Minimum Efficiency Reporting Value) indicates its efficiency. Find the furnace, turn off the power, open the front casing, replace the old filter with the new one, and close it all back up tightly. For information on how to conduct your own home energy audit, drop by the U.S. Energy Department Web site – www.energy.gov – and click “How to conduct your own audit.” © CTW Features
Rein in the Gluttons Start conserving electricity through efficient appliance usage today. “There are many opportunities for substantial energy savings through equipment replacement, but there are many ways we can change how we use the products we already own,” says Jennifer Thorne Amann, director of the buildings and equipment program at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy and a specialist in residential energy efficiency. “Small improvements and minor behavior changes can yield cost savings right away.”
Scrape, don’t rinse
Studies show that most people pre-rinse dishes before loading them into the dishwasher, even though most dishwashers purchased within the last decade can adequately clean even heavily soiled dishes. If you can’t break the habit, try at least switching to cold water.
Inspect door seals
Check the door seals or gaskets on refrigerators and freezers. Try this test: Put a dollar bill in the door as you close it and see if it holds firmly in place. Or, put a bright flashlight inside the refrigerator and direct the light toward a section of the door seal. With the door closed and the room dark, inspect for light through the crack.
Use lower temperature settings
Use cold water for the wash cycle instead of warm or hot (except when cleaning clothes with greasy stains), and use only cold water for the rinse cycle. Experiment with different laundry detergents to find one that works well with cooler water.
One best home insulation tips is one of the cheapest. Foam gaskets that cost about 10 cents each will help insulate your home envelope around light switches and plug outlets on exterior walls. Unscrew the switchplates and place the slim foam cutouts between the switchplate and the walls.
Relocate the refrigerator
Save water and energy with a low-flow showerhead. A 2.5-gallon-per-minute showerhead uses about 25 gallons of water during a 10-minute shower, saving about five gallons of water over a typical bath and about $145 each year on electricity, according to Energy Star.
When burner pans turn black from heavy use, they can absorb a lot of heat, reducing burner efficiency. Shiny pans reflect heat up to the cookware.
Go low-flow
If a refrigerator is in the sunlight or next to a stove or dishwasher, it uses more energy to maintain cool temperatures. Move the fridge to a cooler spot and it won’t have to work so hard.
Shine up the stovetop
© CTW Features