Keep Your Energy Dollars From Going Up in Smoke

Tag : Heat Insulation
By ELIZABETH RAZZI
YOU KNOW IT'S COMING. This winter's heating bills are going to bestupendous, whether you burn oil, natural gas or kilowatts. Ifyou're going to do anything to minimize those bills, time's a-wasting, beach bum.
Michael Bullinger, an environmental test engineer, isn't waitingfor the cold weather to snug up his suburban ranch-style house inBowie, Md. In June, he hired contractors to install new, airtightducts for his heating and cooling system, blow in insulation in theattic, and insulate a crawl space under a kitchen addition.
The work cost a little more than $2,000. He expects the savings tokick in with next month's air-conditioning bill and to continuethrough the cold season, when he uses the furnace's fan todistribute heat from the wood stove that is his primary source ofwarmth.
It should be more comfortable, too.
"When you walked on the kitchen floor in wintertime, you got coldfeet," he said.
Through the rest of the year, there's an ample list for you totackle. Start with the cheaper tasks that bring immediate payoffthrough lower cooling bills.
Take advantage of warm, dry weather to caulk around windows anddoors.
Make sure your home has enough insulation, especially in the attic.Home Depot offers a handy online calculator to estimate the amountyou need. Find it under the "know-how" tab at www.homedepot.com.
Ginny Cameron, president of AC&R Insulation in suburban Elkridge,Md., said it costs $1,200 to $1,600 to add blown-in insulation to atypical attic.
That kind of expenditure could be recovered in just a couple ofyears, given rising fuel costs, but she said business had been flatlately.
Caulk for window and door frames costs only a few dollars per tube,so that's another job that should be high on everyone's list .
Another affordable approach is to engineer your landscape tominimize energy use. Plant evergreens to block cold winds in winterand leafy, deciduous trees to shade the house in summer.
Susan Day, research assistant professor in urban forestry atVirginia Tech, said it's best to plant evergreen wind breaks in thefall.
"The optimum months are as soon as the rain starts in early Octoberthrough December ," she said.
Before launching more expensive replacement projects such asheating systems or windows, weigh whether the cash outlay will beworth the energy payoff.
Window replacements are about the most expensive home improvementyou can undertake. You might be able to put off the project byadding insulation or heavy draperies.
Even if you want to get away from expensive oil deliveries,switching to gas or an electric heat pump could be difficult ifyour home doesn't have the proper ductwork.
Jim Walton, president of Krafft Service, an Alexandria heatingcontractor, said removing the old oil tank can be a problem,especially if it's underground.
Walton said most furnace replacements cost $4,000 to $6,000,depending on the fuel.
what you can do to beat the cold
July Install insulation. Save on air conditioning costsimmediately, beat the cold-weather rush.
August Call window company. Get them ordered and installed in fourto six weeks instead of the six to eight weeks it takes in thefall.
September Buy a new furnace with higher efficiency or cheaper fuel.Get faster scheduling than if you wait for the first cold snap.
October Plant evergreens to block wind.
November Plant deciduous trees to provide shade next year. baby,it's hot outside
As the temperature outdoors goes up, so, too, does the cost ofcooling the home. But can your wallet handle the heat?
Smart energy practices can help keep utility bills in check duringthe summer.
The following suggestions, put together by the U.S. Department ofEnergy and Alliance to Save Energy can both help residents staycool when the heat is on and save on electric and gas bills.
* Clean or replace air conditioning filters monthly or as needed. Awell-maintained cooling system will run more efficiently, use lessenergy and lower energy bills. Also, keep outdoor and indoor airconditioner coils clean. Dirt build-up on the indoor coil can havea costly, negative effect on AC operating efficiency.
* Use shades on east and west windows to reduce the cooling load.Close curtains during the day, and install awnings on south-facingwindows. Plant shade trees or vines outside windows to help blockor disperse the sun's energy.
* Keep your house closed tight in the daytime to keep unwanted heatand humidity out. If possible, ventilate at night either naturallyor with fans.
* Avoid running a dehumidifier at the same time as the AC. Thedehumidifier will increase the cooling load and force the airconditioner to work harder.
* Turn off your computer and monitor when it is not in use;activate the "sleep" feature so the machine powers down when on butnot in use for a while. When leaving a room, turn off the lightsand all other energy-using equipment.
* Perform energy-demanding tasks, such as laundry and dish washing,during off-peak energy demand hours. Do full loads when runningwashers, dryers and dishwashers.
* Switch to cold water washing of laundry in top-loading, energy-inefficient washing machines. Use detergents formulated for coldwater get clothes just as clean, and clean the lint filter in yourdryer after every load.
* Move lamps or television away from the air conditionerthermostat. The heat they generate will cause an air conditioner torun longer than unnecessarily.
Source: U.S. Department of Energy; Alliance to Save Energy
- From wire reports baby, it's hot outside
As the temperature outdoors goes up so, too, does the cost ofcooling the home. But can your wallet handle the heat?
The following suggestions, put together by the U.S. Department ofEnergy and Alliance to Save Energy, can both help residents staycool when the heat is on and save on electric and gas bills.
Clean or replace air-conditioning filters monthly or as needed.
Use shades on east and west windows to reduce the cooling load.Close curtains during the day, and install awnings on south-facingwindows.
Avoid running a dehumidifier at the same time as the AC.
Turn off your computer and monitor when it is not in use; activatethe "sleep" feature so the machine powers down when on but not inuse for a while
Perform energy-demanding tasks, such as laundry and dish washing,during off-peak energy demand hours.
Switch to cold water washing of laundry in top-loading, energy-inefficient washing machines.
- From wire reports
Originally published by BY ELIZABETH RAZZI | THE WASHINGTON POST.
(c) 2008 Virginian - Pilot. Provided by ProQuest Information andLearning. All rights Reserved.

Story Source: Virginian - Pilot