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Summer and hot temperatures are right around the corner. Severe
weather—extreme cold in the winter and extreme heat in the
summer–leads to increased electric usage and higher monthly
bills. Use the information below to prepare your home for summer's
heat.
Prepare Your Home for Summer's Heat
 Caulking,
weather stripping and air sealing
Hidden air leaks can be huge energy drains in the home. Some common
sites for air leakage include duct systems, fireplace dampers, attic
access hatches, baseboards, windows and doors. Check for air leakage
in these common sites and seal if necessary. Weather strip along
the door perimeter and install a quality door sweep on the bottom
of the door. Seal all leaks in the duct system with a quality "mastic"
sealant.
Insulation
Insulation standards recommend R-30 insulation in ceilings. If
your home has little or no ceiling insulation, consider adding
some.
Windows
One-third of a home's total heat is lost through windows and doors.
To minimize the leakage, seal window or, if the windows are old
and leaky, consider purchasing new energy-efficient windows. An
easy and inexpensive way to seal a window is to use plastic window
film—kits are available at home improvement stores. All window
edges and cracks should be sealed with caulk.
Turn Down the Water Heater
Set your water heater to 120 degrees. Most water
heaters are set by the manufacturer at 140 degrees. Most households
operate comfortably at 120 degrees, saving money on heating costs
and protecting your family by reducing the risk of hot water scalding.
Lighting - Consider CFLs
Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL) use a fraction
of the energy of traditional incandescent light bulbs and last up
to ten times as long. CFLs are available in home improvement stores
in the lighting section. Replacing a traditional light bulb with
a CFL will save $36 in energy costs over the life of the lamp.
Additional Tips for Winter Weather
Heating system tips
Check the filter monthly and change when necessary.
Clean filters allow the system to operate more efficiently.
Make sure your fireplace damper is closed when not using the fireplace.
Limit use of portable or space heaters. A typical 1500 watt space
heater, operated for 8 hours per day, will cost almost $40 in energy
during a typical 30-day billing cycle. Considering that a 1500 watt
heater will heat only a medium-size room, using space heaters is
an expensive way to heat a home.
Take advantage of natural heat—open window drapes and blinds
on sunny days to provide a bit of natural light and heat. Close
them at night to retain the heat.
Tips for homes with heating systems other than heat pumps
Set the thermostat at 68-72 degrees during the
day and 60-65 degrees at night. Setting the thermostat back 10 degrees
at night can lead to significant energy savings. Also, consider
lowering the thermostat when your home is not occupied.
Tips for homes with heat pumps
Regarding your heat pump, set it and forget it! Keep your thermostat
set at the lowest comfortable level. The recommended temperate is
68-72 degrees in the winter.
NOTE: Heat pumps operate much differently than most other
heating systems. Be sure to follow the correct tips for your heating
system—following the wrong set of tips can be costly.
Find more information about conserving energy, from the
State
Energy Office or US Department
of Energy website.
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