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Energy Saving Tips for Winter and Beyond When you have a large family, the fact of the matter is that you need more of everything. More food, more clothing, more consumables. Despite needing more, there are many ways to keep the costs of these necessities down. Buying at discount stores, purchasing second hand, even making your own cleaners and toiletries. Another consumption that is often overlooked is energy. Many large families have larger houses, which mean bigger heating and electricity costs. Multiple appliances like that deep freezer or extra washer and dryer. With energy costs projected to be double or triple this year, many families are worried how they will handle the additional cost. We've received several requests to do a feature on how to save money in this area. After a lot of research, we've compiled an extensive list of ideas on how to trim your energy costs. Some ways are traditional, while some are truly creative. We hope you and your family will find something helpful that will allow you to keep your expenses down this winter...and beyond. Heating One of the best ways to save money is to make sure that your heating source is maintained and in good operating condition. Heating units should be serviced annually. Cost for this vary, but normally run between $50-$100. While this may seem like a lot, having a properly working unit can save you much more in the long run. If you have a central system, check the duct work for air leaks. Patching holes makes sure the heat is getting to where you need it most, and helps the unit work more efficiently. Replace air filters. This is incredibly important, and I can say this from personal experience. A dirty filter caused minor damage to my furnace, and cost me over $100 for a service call to rectify the problem. A dirty filter restricts air flow and causes the unit to lose efficiency. It's really not good enough to replace the filter once a year. It's recommended that the filter be checked monthly and replaced 2-4 times a year. If your worried about the cost of filters, you can purchase reusable ones, which you manually clean and replace. Set your thermostat at 68 degrees. Yes, it will be a little chilly, but that is a good temperature which is still comfortable, especially during the day when you are more active. If you can stand it, lower it a degree or more. Every degree below 68 degree can bring a savings of up to 4% in your heating costs. Keep air supply and return registers free from obstructions (furniture, rugs, that occasional clothes basket). Return vents are just as important as supply registers at keeping your system working properly. If you have a room that has a supply register but no return air vent, keep the door open to maximize air circulation. Closing off unused rooms (also called zoning) is a way to save on heating. However, it should only be done on the coldest of days, and not for an extended amount of time, since the cold can be harsh on walls and interiors. More importantly, shutting off rooms for long periods can be harmful to your central heating system since airflow is needed for proper operation. If you must close off a room, considering hanging a curtain over the doorway rather than closing the door, to allow some airflow. Another alternative is to partially close the register in a room, allowing minimal airflow. If you have electric heat, you do not have to worry about having enough air flow. Capitalize on this by closing off unused rooms and areas, particularly during the coldest of days. Its cheaper to use a small heater to raise the temperature in one room of your home to a warmer temperature, than it is to heat the whole house to the warmer temperature using the central system. If you really can't stand living in a 67 degree house, keep it that temperature in the areas you do not frequent, and use a space heater or two to keep your primary living areas warmer. Utilize your oven. No, not to warm your house. But, arrange your menu around oven heated items, and use the heat to help keep your kitchen comfy. After dinner is done and out of the stove, and the oven is turned off, open the door and let the excess heat out. Use a humidifier. Winter air is dry air. It's a good idea to keep your home humidified, as it will help protect wood flooring, fabrics and furnishings. But, did you know that dry air also feels colder. A home heated to 69 degree with 35 percent humidity feels just as warm as a 72 degree home at 19 percent humidity. A concern people have is how low can they turn down their thermostats before risking the pipes bursting. Though the opinions vary, a conservatively safe number is 55 degrees. You probably could go lower, but then you take the risk. To be safe, if lowering your heat that low, turn the faucets on to a trickle. Other Heating Sources Having a fireplace and/or woodburning stove can help you cost-effectively heat your home. However, be safe. Make sure the chimney is cleaned yearly. Keep the exhaust piping clear. When operating, make sure the damper is open. Also, only burn material that is safe, such as natural wood and commercial fireplace logs. Never use a charcoal grill or other similar type device to heat your home. They are only intended for outdoor uses. Because there is no way to ventilate the fumes out of the house, toxic carbon monoxide can build up inside your home. This is oftentimes fatal. If you truly cannot afford natural gas costs, layer up in clothing, buy extra blankets, sleep together to maximize body heat. You can survive even if your house is very cold. Just make sure to have the faucets on to a trickle to keep the pipes from freezing. Hot Water Heater Did you know? Water heating is the third-largest money-eater in your home, accounting for 16% of annual energy consumption. Here's some ways to save: If you have an electric water heater, consider purchasing a special "coat" which will keep it insulated and save energy. Drain the sediment from the bottom of the water heater tank every one to three years. You can insulate a gas water heater, however it is not something that is easily done and is best done by a professional. Though it does cost to have this done, it can be a good way to realize savings over time. Weatherproofing Caulk around window openings and plumbing pipes on exterior walls. Caulk around window frames, door frames, ceiling fixtures, light switches, and other places where drafts can come in. Want to find drafts? You've heard the candle idea. Light a candle on a windy day and walk around. The flame will flicker where there is a draft. You can also do this with incense sticks (the smoke will blow sideways at a drafty location). Note that some of the worst leaks can be found around the ceiling and floor boards. Weatherstrip doors that lead to cold areas. Purchase or make a "draft dodger", one of those items that sit along the bottom of the door to keep drafts out. To make one, simply roll up a small rug and secure with a big rubberband or two. Windows Too hot in your house? Do not open a window to cool it down fast. Adjust the thermostat. If it is still too warm or you want it to cool down faster, use a fan to circulate the air. Keep drapery closed during hours of extreme cold weather temperatures, particularly early morning and late night. If you cannot find good, heavy draperies, or are looking for a cheap alternative, hang pretty quilts over the windows. We actually found oversized down throws. I put grommits along the top and hung them up as curtains. They work great keeping the drafts out. Open windows for natural ventilation only during mild weather. Appliances Appliances consume energy. But we need them for everyday life. So how can you save. There are lot of little things you can do that can actually make a big difference on your utility bill. You may not be able to afford it, but if you can, appliances over 8-10 years old should be replaced. Newer models are much more energy efficient. Dishwashers Wash full loads. This is easy when you have a large family, since you go through so many dishes anyway. Still, if you do not want to stare at that half-sink full of dishes, load them up but don't run it until the next day. Or do them by hand. Also, don't use the dry feature. Let them air dry. It's often thought that washing dishes by hand saves hot water. However, washing dishes by hand several time a day can be more expensive than operating an energy-efficient dishwasher with full loads. If your dishwasher has the availability of cycle selections, utilize this to save money. Shorter cycles require less water, thereby reducing energy cost. One of the problems with lowering the temperature on your water heater is the concern of whether the water will be hot enough to get your dishes clean in the dishwasher. If your dishwasher has a "heat booster" feature, this will compensate and may allow you to lower the temperature (check your users manual to see just how much hotter the booster will get the water). Refrigerator Clean refrigerator and freezer coils every 6 months. This keeps the unit working better, and using less energy. Most large families utilize their deep freezers. However, if you find yourself down to nothing and just holding a few boxes of hamburger patties, unplug it until you need it again. The main compartment of the refrigerator should be 37-40 degrees, the freezer compartment should be 0-5. Colder and you're wasting energy. Cover foods before putting away in refrigerator. Uncovered food and liquids release moisture and drive up electricity costs. Let hot food cool before putting it in the fridge. It costs more energy for the refrigerator to cool it down. A full freezer is much more energy efficient. Again, most large families don't have a problem with this. But, if you do find yourself with a lot of open space, fill jugs of water and put them in. Washer and Dryer Keep your lint filter clean. Check it after every wash. Not only is it a fire hazard if it builds up, but it makes your dryer work harder and take longer to dry. If your dryer has an exhaust pipe that leads outside, make sure that the opening is sealed. Cracks can let out warm air, and let cold air in. If you have an electric dryer, there are devices you can purchase that allow you to vent the heat back into your house. This will help supplement your regular heater, plus will add moisture to the air, which is needed during dry winter months. When using the washer, make sure you have the right size load. Overloading makes machines work harder and wastes energy. Putting in too little is a waste of water and energy (even if you use a lower water level, the machine has to run the same amount of time). General Energy Savings Below are tips that cover various aspects of household life. As with many of these tips, they may not seem to do a lot, but little changes add up into big savings over time. Laundry It's really not appealing to have to air dry clothes in the winter. They take longer to dry, and for most people they don't have the luxury of outdoor drying. Still, drying costs. Here are a few ways to utilize air drying on a limited basis: Commit to never machine dry certain items. Particularly items you don't need to use right away. Throw rugs are one thing in my house that I always hang. Unless we really need them, towels are another. Even if you cut your drying in half, you'll see significant savings. Washing in cold water is a way to save. There are now detergents specially formulated to work in cold water. Another alternative is a mostly cold wash. Run the warm water until the basin is half full, then finish with cold. Adding laundry boosters like oxy-products or color-safe bleaches may also help you get your clothing clean in cold water. Dry until slightly damp. Taking 10 minutes off the end of the cycle can add up. Clothes will be mostly dry, and will usually finish drying quickly when hung. This is also a good way to extend the life of garments, since overdrying can shrink and cause fabric to degrade quicker. If your washer has an adjustable timer, determine how long it takes a load of wash to get clean. Running a full cycle for lightly soiled garments may not be necessary. Find the least number of minutes that the wash needs to run and use that for future washes. A few minutes less energy for each load can add up. Lighting Using flourescent lights is a way to save energy. However, on the flip side, regular lights generate heat and can actually be used to help boost heating in a room. Find which works best for you. Were you told that you should always turn the light off when you leave a room, even if it's for a few minutes? Is that true? Well, it depends. If using regular incandescent lightbulbs, yes, you should turn it off anytime the room is unoccupied. If you have Fluorescent lights, they should be turned off if you will be out of the room for 3 minutes or more. Any less than that and it actually costs more to switch it off and on. Keep bulbs clean. Dust can cut light output by as much as 25%. If you use incandescent bulbs, you can control the energy output by installing dimmers. Or utilize 3-way bulbs, which allow you to keep it at a lower, more cost-effective wattage, but still have the luxury of brightening things up to a higher wattage if you need the extra light. Hygiene Take a quick shower instead of a bath. It uses less water. Putting a flow-restrictor on your shower head can cut water water use even more. Remind the kids, and yourself, to not keep the water running when brushing teeth. In the winter, you are less likely to get sweaty, sticky, and stinky. If you are not overly dirty, try limiting showers to 3-4 times a week. Other Water Use If you wash by hand, rinse dishes in groups rather than one at a time, and don't leave the water running. Cooking If the cost of cooking gas has you worried, here are some ways to save: Don't preheat too long. Turn your oven on and take notice of how long it takes to preheat. Use that as a gauge of when to turn it on next time. Don't open the door to check on food (or limit it to as few as possible). Opening the door releases 25% of the heat every time. Turn the oven off for the last 5-10 minutes of cooking. Do not open the door during this time! Using ceramic or glass cookware instead of metal, and you can lower the oven temperature by 25 degrees, thus saving more money. Use a microwave oven instead of a regular oven. You'll burn about 40% less energy. Keep the inside of your microwave clean. It will cook your food more efficiently, plus it looks nicer! When heating items on the stovetop, use the smallest pans possible. It takes energy to heat the whole pan, irregardless of what is in it. When boiling water and stews, keeping the lid on uses 1/3 less energy. Fans Ceiling fans help keep you comfortable not only in the summer but also in the winter. Reversing the direction of the blades pushes warm air down into the room. Fans should turn clockwise in the summer and counter-clockwise in the winter. If you have ventilation fans such as bathroom or kitchen, limit or avoid using them all together in the winter months. Did you know a bathroom fan can suck all the heated air out of the average house in little more than an hour? Regular use of ventilation fans during the winter can dramatically increase your heating costs. Energy Myths Some argue the furnace works harder to bring a room back to a higher temperature after being lowered. For example, if you lower the thermostat to 65 for two hours while you run errands and back up to 68 when you get home, some people claim that the energy exerted by the furnace to bring the temperature back up is more costly than if you left it at 68. This is a myth. The fuel required to reheat your home to a comfortable temperature is roughly equal to the fuel saved as the building drops to the lower temperature, so it basically averages out. However, you do save fuel between the time the temperature stabilizes at the lower level and the next time heat is needed. The longer your home remains at a lower temperature, the more energy you save. While it may not save you money lowering it for a half an hour, if you are gone for more than a couple of hours, it is worth it. Another belief is that if that the higher you raise a thermostat, the faster the temperature will rise. This is another falsehood. Furnaces put out the same amount of heat no matter how high the thermostat is set. The only difference is how long it may stay on to reach the temperature. Some believe that if it is cold, you need to turn up the thermostat several degrees to be comfortable. That is not true. It is surprising the difference just one degree can make. Before cranking up the thermostat, adjust it up one degree. After the temperature stabalizes, if you are still cold, adjust it one more. You may be surprised that it is comfortable at a much lower degree than you realized. Personal Comfort If your feet are cold, usually you're cold too. Put throw rugs on floors to help you feel warmer when walking around. If you don't want to use rugs, make sure all the kids have socks readily available, or purchase slippers for your crew. Break out the quilts and get cozy. Hey, the more bodies in a house, the more body heat. Encourage the kids to cuddle up together on the couch under a large blanket. Fleece is soft and cozy. If you find that one of your children is adverse to bundling up, purchase a nice, comfy fleece sweater. Note that it is special and make a big deal about it. Your child may actually start liking the idea of bundling up. If you and/or your children don't like wearing pajamas to bed, keep a pair tucked in your pillowcase. If it gets particularly cold overnight, you can slip into it quickly (without having to get up and go to the dresser to find a pair). In the morning, you can throw them on quickly before venturing out of the warm blankets. Body heat. Have you ever thrown a party? You make sure the temperature is comfortable, but as more people come, the rooms gets downright balmy. It's body heat. On cold days, considering having the kids bunk together (if they don't already), and bring a few into bed with you. Or have a "camp out" in the living room where everyone sleeps together. Believe it or not, this can make a huge difference, especially on the coldest days. If you are planning on throwing a party, take the liberty of lowering the thermostat when the partygoers arrive. It will save on energy, and will actually keep the room more comfortable. Printer-Friendly Version Article by: Michelle Lehmann 2005 - Lotsofkids.com Terms of Service - Privacy Policy