Baby, its cold outside

Winterize and heat your home with efficiency.

By Shayla M. Sharp

Whether the "climate-gate" e-mails reveal that global warming is geniune or nothing more than an overstated political agenda, the reality is that this winter you will still need have a warm house at the lowest cost possible. With our President telling us that our energy costs will increase drastically with the new laws and measures being implimented, we know our bills will also be increasing drastically while we try to find a happy medium between going broke and freezing. And that means one thing--energy efficiency. Energy wasted through inefficient windows, building materials, heaters and such is, if nothing else, money down the drain.

The first thing you need to do is have an energy audit. You can hire a professional or audit yourself using an online calculator like the Home Energy Saver. An audit will help you to more clearly see where you currently use energy, in what quantities you currently use that energy and where you could improve your energy usage. You'll need some basic information about your house for an accurate result such as square footage, year built, structure build, insulation, etc., as well as, some detailed information about appliances, heating and cooling temperatures and more. This energy audit may seem rather long and overly detailed, but the more correct, detailed information that you input, the more accurate your results will be. It may hurt to admit how long the television is on or make you cringe to think of all the air conditioning you used last summer, but you can not expect to improve your energy consumption costs if you are not completely honest with yourself about where you are currently using that energy. (Don't worry, the online audit can be saved and completed in steps as you have time and information.)

Once you have your audit completed, you may see obvious areas that need improving, but, like many households, you may just need overall improvement. Not everyone can afford to restructure their house, change out every window or buy all new Energy Star appliances. Such expenses may be out of the question (such as restructuring your entire home) or require being implemented over a period of years to fit into your financial budget. For the more expensive improvements such as new appliances or windows, make a long term budget and change those items that have the greatest effect first. When you do need to replace an appliance, deliberately choose an energy efficient model for the replacement. This will allow you to gradually improve the overall energy efficiency of your home without the excessive debt.

We might wish for one single solution to cutting our bills while keeping our comfort, but this is rarely reality. Often, especially with older homes, there are many items needing updating and improving to become more conserving of energy. However, there are many things that can be done to keep your house toasty warm during the winter and save energy (and therefore money) while still being affordable to implement this year. While not always a permanent, long-term solution these ideas can help you right away in your quest to save some money without developing hypothermia by living without heating! The key, as in all things, is to start where you can and work from there.

The major source of energy loss is through air leaks. In the winter, your warm air will naturally leak out of the house and the cold outside air will naturally seep inside and you'll be left with cold air and your heating system working to keep you warm. Keep more money in your wallet--and warm air in your house--by stopping the leaks. Major areas of air leaking are the windows and roof. Windows may simply need some caulking, or foam insulation strips added to stop leaks that have developed over time. In older homes that have single-paned windows, storm windows can be added to create an insulating layer of air. A less expensive solution, that also works for more modern windows, is to cover the windows with a sheet of clear plastic to create a trapped air pocket that helps to create an insulated barrier. These window insulation kits are easy to add, simple to remove and kind on the budget. "Installing clear plastic barriers or storm windows on your existing windows can cut heat loss by 25% to 50% by creating an insulating dead-air space inside the window." (Planet Green) Even closing the curtains, or drapes, at night will help reduce heat loss through your windows (insulated curtains are even better).

Warm air leaving through your roof may indicate areas that need to be repaired, filled, caulked or simply the need for additional insulation. Assuming all is in good repair, the addition of insulation can be a good do-it-yourself project, especially with the batt style insulation. Today's market offers a wide variety of insulations from the traditional pink rolls to the latest foams to recycled blue jeans. Each has its intended use and following the manufacturer's instructions will yield the best results for your home. Minor leaks can also put a drain on your wallet through heat loss--areas such as vents, the space between the door and the floor, an uninsulated hot water heater and an open fireplace damper. All of these leaks can be easily and inexpensively fixed without the need for a professional. (Closing the fireplace damper won't cost you a dime and it will stop upto 8 percent of your heat from escaping!)

The other way that energy is often lost is through wasted energy--using more than is truly needed or not getting the maximum effect from what you already have. A ceiling fan is a great example of a simple device that can help you maximize the heat you already have in the house. We all learned in grade school that heated air rises, so using a ceiling fan to help circulate the warm air near the ceiling will help prolong its warming effect on the interior of your home by pushing the warm air back down. Not sure if a fan is really effective? Did you know that you can save 10% on your heating bill in the winter by using a fan? Maybe its time you considered one. The air filter in your furnace is another example--keep it clean each month and you can save 5% on your heating costs simply because a filter will not need as much energy when the airflow is not restricted. (Planet Green) Examples of using more energy than needed (and consequently spending more money than necessary) are heating the entire house when everyone is at work or school, or using more hot water than necessary. To solve the first issue, simply close doors to contain heat in the rooms you are actually using and install a programmable thermostat so that you can have the rooms warm when you are there, but not spend the money heating an empty house. (While you're setting the thermostat, how about dropping the temperature at night too--the cooler air will help you sleep better and save you money while you're tucked away under warm blankets.) We spend about 13% of our utility bill on heating water (Planet Green) and we can save money here too! Besides purchasing a new, more efficient water heater, you could turn down the temperature of your water heater, insulate your water heater with a special water heater blanket (usually around $20) or check the usage end of things by repairing leaks and installing aerating faucets. Also remember, showers use less heat and water than baths, saving money on two utility bills. We can also do simple things like remembering to close outside doors behind us even for quick trips in and out or wearing a sweater instead of a blouse and turning the thermostat down a bit.

Saving money and staying warm do not need to be mutally exclusive. A little know-how and effort on our part will reduce our energy consumption and put money back into our wallets. Hey, maybe that new Energy Star refrigerator isn't that far away after all!

 

 

 

Article first published at NWAbode.com in December 2009.

Shayla M. Sharp, a freelance writer, photographer and designer, enjoys living in the Pacific Northwest with her best pal Stars, a border collie mix. Shayla spends her free time gardening, quilting and reading, during which Stars is always by her side.