Handyman: Practical Energy Conservation Tips
Here are a few energy conservation tips to help you save money in energy costs while enjoying your home appliances:
Cooling & Heating Energy Conservation
- For the best energy savings, buy EnergyStar compliant appliances.
- Learn the difference between energy-saving convection heaters and standard baseboard heaters
- In colder seasons, turn down your thermostat slightly; every degree can save up to 5% in heating costs.
- During hot sunny weather, close curtains and blinds to keep the house cool and reduce the need for fans or air conditioning. The same applies during cold weather to reduce drafts and save on heating costs.
- Consider heating with wood, wood pellets or other fuel-burning options
- Clean or replace furnace air filters once a month. Not only will this improve efficiency, but it will also help allergy sufferers.
- Ensure floor registers and baseboard heaters are not blocked by furniture, carpets or drapes, limiting effectiveness.
- Turn off bathroom and kitchen fans when no longer required; they are pulling the heat or coolness from the house.
- Guest room not in use? Adjust the thermostat until needed.
- Plug and seal the chimney flue of a fireplace that is never used; keeps heat from going up the chimney.
- Installing tempered glass doors on a fireplace can also reduce heat loss and improve efficiency.
- Trees can help shade exterior air-conditioning units; they'll use less energy. They also provide shade cooling and protect from drafts and winds.
- Small portable heaters are great for short-term use, but for long-term needs, consider installing a baseboard heater which draws less energy.
- Choose cooling and heating appliances suited to your room size. A larger unit may be wasting energy.
- Reduce drafts by insulating electrical outlet and switch cover plates
- To save on air conditioning, raise the setting by a couple of degrees; you will not notice the change, only the energy savings.
- Older thermostats are less efficient than newer ones, and you'll recover the cost quickly.