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Here's a Top Ten List That Will Save You Money This Winter There's no "bad" time of year to get more energy efficient, but Fall is a particularly good time to take advantage of the cooler weather to get ready for the upcoming winter season. The following is our Top Ten list of things you can do to get more energy efficient before the 2010-11 winter rolls into north Missouri. 1. Plant a tree. October and November are good months to plant trees. Properly positioned, they can save up to 25 percent of energy consumption for your home's heating and cooling. For air conditioning alone, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) says trees can reduce bills by 50 percent. So, head to your local nursery and select shade trees to plant on the east, west and southwest corners of your house. Just remember to plant them far away from power lines. 2. Insulate your attic. The DOE now recommends attic insulation be R-49, up from R-38. Proper levels of attic insulation will save you hundreds of kilowatt hours each month during the heating AND cooling seasons. 3. Insulate the rest of your house. Insulate ceilings above unheated basements or crawl-spaces to R-20. Also insulate walls to R-20 and floors to R-19. 4. Weatherstrip and caulk. Replace old weather stripping and caulk with fresh and add gaskets behind electrical outlets on interior and exterior walls. These simple steps could reduce energy use by up to 10 percent. 5. Install storm doors and windows. Federal energy tax credits for storm doors and windows and other efficiency products are set to expire December 31 of this year. These items can be big-ticket purchases, so take advantage of those 30 percent tax credits while we have them. Adding another panel or two of glass will make a difference in your comfort and energy bills. 6. Tighten your attic hatch. Seal the access into your attic with weather stripping and insulation. 7. Seal holes into the attic. Open wall tops, chimneys, furnace flues and duct, plumbing or electrical runs can be big energy wasters. Seal them with spray foam or rigid foam board. 8. Wrap water heaters. Cut heat loss by25 to 45 percent by wrapping your electric water heater, particularly if it's in an unheated space, with a blanket of fiberglass. 9. Change furnace filters. Furnaces have to work harder to maintain airflow when filters are clogged, thereby reducing efficiency and possibly damaging the furnace. 10. Buy a programmable thermostat. These devices make it easy to set your heating and cooling on "cruise control." The thermostat can be set to drop a few degrees when you go to bed and leave for work and slowly increase the temperature as you get ready for work or return home. Remember, for every degree you adjust the thermostat, you will save a little over three percent on heating AND cooling costs. Bonus Tip. Turn your water heater down to its lowest setting. Typically, a water heater is the second biggest energy user in your home. |
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