Lower Your Energy Cost

  1. Make sure your heat pump, central air, or window air conditioner is  clean and in good working order. Inspect, clean, or replace all filters  as needed. Continue to inspect your unit(s) monthly throughout the  heating and cooling seasons.
  2. Check your attic insulation. It should be at least R-30.  Installing new or additional insulation is something almost anyone can  do themselves, and it can help lower both heating and cooling costs.  Replacing or upgrading your insulation to R-30 can be the single most  important thing you do to control your heating costs.
  3. Inspect your home’s weather stripping and caulking. If  winter or summer weather has caused them to crack and deteriorate, it  is time to replace and repair them.
  4. Set your thermostat low in the winter and high in the  summer. The lower you set the thermostat, the lower your heating bills  will be.
  5. If you use ceiling fans, run them in the up (clockwise)  position during the winter months. This will help distribute warm air  that has collected below the ceiling.
  6. If you have a heat pump, do not close the vents in any  rooms. The heat pump is sized to heat your entire home. If you’re using  an electric furnace, resistance heaters, or space heaters, block off  rooms you are not using.
  7. Run room air conditioners only when you need them.
  8. Dry only complete loads, and dry several loads together so you don’t have to pay to reheat the dryer.
  9. Wash clothing as much as you can in cold water.
  10. Consider replacing short-lived inefficient incandescent light  bulbs with long-lasting energy-efficient compact fluorescent bulbs.  Although they cost considerably more, fluorescent bulbs last more than  10 times longer than comparable incandescent bulbs and use only a third  as much electricity.
  11. If you don’t have a dishwashing machine, lower your water  heater thermostat to 120 degrees. This is especially important if you  have young children because water above120 degrees can cause serious  scalds and burns.
  12. If you do not have storm windows, consider using plastic  film to prevent drafts. Many hardware stores sell interior plastic film  that, if installed properly, is almost impossible to notice.
  13. If your home has a crawlspace, make sure your floor is  properly insulated to at least R-19 and make sure a vapor barrier has  been installed to keep humidity and moisture out of your home.
  14. Turn out the lights in the rooms you are not using.
  15. Turn off the TV if no one is watching it.
  16. Set your heat pump thermostat to 68 degrees in the winter and 78 degrees in the summer.
  17. Wear a sweater in the winter. This extra layer of warmth allows you to set your thermostat lower.
  18. Use the microwave instead of the oven or stove burners.
  19. For summer cooling without an air-conditioner, install a whole-house or attic fan.
  20. If your old heating/cooling system is on its last legs, install a modern high-efficiency electric heat pump.
  21. Install glass doors on your fireplace so you don’t lose your  home’s heat up the chimney. Even with a roaring fire, most fireplaces  are net energy losers because they also pull warm household air up  through the chimney.
  22. Always close your fireplace damper when not in use.
  23. Install motion-activated outside lights. You can’t forget to turn them off.
  24. Keep your whole house cooler, and use a space heater in the room you’re using.
  25. Wrap and insulate water pipes (especially hot water pipes)  that run under your home. NOTE: If you use electric heat tape, do not  cover it with insulation unless allowed for in the manufacturer’s  instructions. You should use only UL-approved electric heat tapes, and  you should always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for proper  installation and operation.

Do you have a energy-efficiency question? Do you want to know more about electric heat pumps? Just ASK VEC.