Energy DIY &
The Green
Scene
Heating Season Quick-Start
Shorter days, colder nights and frosty mornings mean that
heating season is upon us! Stay toasty warm this winter while minimizing
energy costs and maximizing the efficiency of your home heating system by
following this checklist:
� If you live in a home with a crawl space,
close the metal vents on the exterior foundation so your heating system
doesn�t have to work as hard to warm up a cold floor. (Remember to open them
up again in spring to provide cross-ventilation that will help with
summertime cooling costs!)
� While outside, also use weatherstripping for
a close fit to seal the trap door to your home�s crawl space and other
exterior doors.
� Before you turn on your furnace, clean
and/or replace each of your heating system�s filters and make sure there is
nothing flammable stored around it. The first time you use your heater, dust
that collected on the heat exchanger will burn off, resulting in a strong,
distinct odor, but be alert for any smells that don�t go away or don�t seem
quite right � if such scents persist, call a professional service
technician.
� Would you drive your car 30,000 miles
without changing the oil? The same holds true for your home heating system.
Have a professional inspect and service your home heating appliance at least
once a year to ensure trouble-free operation and consider having an annual
service agreement, which could be worth its weight in gold if your system
breaks down on a cold winter night.
� While you may think of ceiling fans as being
strictly for warmer weather, during winter they can benefit your home by
moving the hot air that gets trapped at the top of the room, lowering
heating costs and reducing the condensation that forms at windows and glass
doors. Make sure to flip each ceiling fan�s directional switch so that the
blades pull the air upwards towards the ceiling. This will serve to drive
the warmer air across the ceiling and down the walls.
� Make sure heat is being evenly distributed around your
house by opening all your dampers and registers, operating your system for a
few hours and checking which rooms and areas feel coldest. You can then
adjust the dampers and registers in the hotter rooms to even out your home�s
temperature and maximize the efficiency of your heating system.
� Consider installing a CO detector as
recommended by the manufacturer. If your gas logs or other non-electric
heating appliance stops operating properly, it might produce carbon monoxide
(CO). Because CO is colorless, odorless and tasteless, and the symptoms of
drowsiness that accompany CO poisoning may be misinterpreted or happen while
you are asleep, this detector could help save lives. If you already have a
detector, replace the batteries (and also those in your smoke detectors) and
perform the test as recommended by the manufacturer to make sure the
detector is working properly.
� Have your chimney and fireplace inspected by
a chimney service before you attempt to use your fireplace for the season,
and have it cleaned if necessary. A cleaning is important because chimney
flues that have become lined with creosote are fire hazards.
� The start of winter is also an excellent time for
seasonal tasks that reduce energy costs, such as cleaning the cooling coils
behind your refrigerator and vacuuming out lint from your clothes-dryer
vent. To find more energy-saving ideas, visit www.doityourself.com and enter
the phrase �Preparing Your Home for Winter� in the search box.
www.EnergizeEfficiently.coop
Energy Audits
Just as your body needs annual
checkups to make sure everything is working efficiently, so does your home.
A home energy audit is when a certified technician comes to your home and
gives it a thorough checkup to help you determine where and how your home is
losing energy and money. More than 50 percent of a typical residential
electric bill comes from heating and cooling costs, so the technician
generally looks at the heating and air-conditioning systems, thermostats,
ducts, filters, windows, insulation, weatherstripping, and other areas where
homes can lose or gain heat.
The technician may also look at appliances, water use,
shower heads, and water heaters. After the checkup, an energy auditor will
advise you on how any problems discovered can be corrected to make your home
more energy-efficient.
Do-it-yourselfers can tackle many fixes on their own.
According to greenbuildingelements.com, here is a list of things to look for
when doing your own home energy audit:
� Check insulation levels in the attic, exterior and
basement walls, ceilings, floors, and crawl spaces.
� Look for holes or cracks around walls, ceilings,
windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical
outlets. A great way to do this is to light an incense stick or candle and
watch where the smoke/flame goes as you approach these areas.
� Check the fireplace damper to make sure it is closed,
unless the fireplace is in use.
� Check and measure the insulation in your attic.
� Properly maintain appliances and heating and cooling
equipment. Replace filters regularly according to the manufacturer�s
instructions.
� Study lighting needs and patterns of use, with special
attention to high-use areas such as the living room, kitchen, and outside
lighting. Use occupancy sensors, dimmers, or timers to reduce energy use.
� Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents or
LEDs.
For more information on DIY Energy Audits, be sure and
check out your local electric cooperative�s website, or one of the
following:
�
http://energy.gov/energysaver/articles/do-it-yourself-home-energy-audits
�
www.casasugar.com/How-Do-Your-Own-Home-Energy-Audit-7585271
�
www.ehow.com/how_5458291_do-own-home-energy-audit.html
www.EnergizeEfficiently.coop
Beating the Peak:
How you can help control the price of power through load
reduction
�Load reduction� is a way of
describing how you can work with your electric cooperative to reduce
electricity consumption � and, in turn, the cost of electricity � during
times of peak demand. While peak demand
varies slightly by region, in Virginia, peak
demand times most often occur during the summer from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Many electric cooperatives have programs in place, most
often referred to as load management programs, that member-consumers can
elect to participate in, such as automated peak-notification,
air-conditioning switches and water-heater switches. Additionally, there are
measures that you can do on your own (sometimes referred to as �voluntary
load reduction�) to help reduce electricity consumption during peak-use
periods of 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
� Do chores, such as using the dishwasher, clothes washer
and dryer, and other high-energy appliances, before or after the peak-use
periods.
� Turn off unnecessary lights, appliances and
electronic devices.
� Delay taking showers and baths and using hot
water.
� Turn your thermostat up in the summer by 3
degrees during peak periods. And you can save even more by programming your
thermostat to higher temperatures specifically during the peak hours.
Whether or not your co-op has a program you
want to try, there are still plenty of ways you can help out on your own by
reducing the energy consumed during peak-demand periods. For additional
information on load management programs and/or voluntary load-reduction
programs and how to save on your electricity consumption, contact your
electric cooperative or visit www.energysavers.gov/tips.
Getting
Answers To Your Energy Questions
Energy is a hot topic today. The problem
is finding answers to your questions about energy that you can trust and
will help you save money by making your home and lifestyle more energy
efficient. Unfortunately, the media and the Internet are overloaded with
information that is too often unreliable, impracticable or biased. Before
you decide to build a windmill in your backyard or convert your car to run
on vegetable oil, consult sources with information you can trust.
1) Talk to the energy experts at your
local electric cooperative. Remember, your local co-op is a not-for-profit
utility whose only interest is providing its consumer members with reliable,
affordable energy and practical advice.
2) Take advantage of the free
information available at your local extension office. To find the office in
your community, look in your phone directory under Virginia Cooperative
Extension or go to www.ext.vt.edu.
3) Check out the website of your local
electric co-op and also the Web sites of the U.S. Department of Energy
(www.eere.energy.gov ) and the Virginia Department of Mines, Minerals and
Energy (www.dmme.state.va.us).
4) Get involved in helping assure that
America has a fair, balanced and sustainable energy policy that will provide
our nation the affordable energy we need now and in the future. Visit
www.ourenergy.coop to find out how you can express your opinion.
Turn Off The Dryer
& Put Your Laundry On Line
Up until 20 years ago, there were two
things most every home had: a TV antenna on the roof and a clothesline in
the backyard. While the rooftop antenna is gone � the victim of cable and
satellite television � the clothesline is making a comeback.
An electric clothes dryer can cost up to
$100 or more a year to operate. Plus, in the summer months, the heat a dryer
generates makes your air conditioner work harder and can boost your electric
bill even more.
Save money and be more environmentally
friendly by going �on line� and hanging your laundry outdoors to dry.
Not only will air-drying your clothes save energy, experts claim that your
clothes will last and look better longer, have fewer wrinkles and air-drying
eliminates static cling.
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Summer
Energy Saving Tips
Tune
Up
Have
your central air conditioner or heat pump checked for coolant leaks and
tuned for maximum efficiency. Keep coils clean and change filters monthly.
Ceiling and other fans circulate air and help cut down on air conditioning
costs. Make sure to set your ceiling fan blades to run counterclockwise in
summer.
Seal
Up
Summer
is the best time to get outdoors to caulk and seal windows and doors and add
insulation to your home for year-round energy savings.
Tighten
Up
In
the daytime, keep your house closed tight to keep out unwanted heat and
humidity. Only open windows at night. Close curtains and blinds, too, to
keep out hot sunlight.
Source:
Alliance to Save Energy. For more tips, visit www.ase.org
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Save
Energy While Away on Summer Vacation
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Driving
Toward Energy Efficiency
With prices for regular gasoline already in the $3.50-per-gallon range and
predictions that prices could top $4 by this summer, all of us are looking
for ways to reduce our fuel consumption.
Many Americans are trading
in their gas-guzzling cars, pickups and SUVs for smaller, more
fuel-efficient vehicles. The sales of hybrid vehicles that use both gas and
battery power are expected to reach over 330,000 vehicles in 2008.
Through March of this year,
nearly 75,800 hybrid vehicles had been purchased in the U.S. Of these, over
54,000 were Toyotas. In fact, Toyota has sold nearly 43,000 Prius models and
over 21,000 hybrid models of its Camry sedan and Highlander SUV. The
largest-selling hybrid vehicle produced by a domestic automaker is the Ford
Escape Hybrid, with around 8,000 now on the road.
Automakers are working
diligently to perfect and introduce new technologies to increase gas mileage
or eliminate the need for fossil fuels altogether. These include fully
electric vehicles and vehicles that incorporate fuel cells and use hydrogen
for power. General Motors is in the final testing stages of a new
extended-range compact electric car powered by a lithium-ion battery dubbed
the Chevrolet Volt. GM says the Volt will be designed to use a common
110-volt household plug for recharging and could be driven up to 40 miles
each day. For longer trips, the Volt will include an onboard gasoline-
powered motor to recharge the battery.
The bottom line is that it
is doubtful we will ever see the return of cheap gasoline or diesel fuel.
Add to this the push to drastically reduce or even eliminate emissions from
vehicles, and it is safe to assume that what we or our children drive in the
future will definitely not be powered the same way as the cars and trucks we
drive today.
As most of us simply cannot
afford to immediately trade in our current vehicles for more fuel-efficient
models and much of the new promised technology is still a few years down the
road, there are ways we can all reduce our gasoline consumption, save money
and do our part to help protect the environment.
First, we can simply drive
less, and when we do drive, combine as many trips into one as possible.
During World War II when gas was rationed for civilians, there were posters
that asked, �Is This Trip Really Necessary?� Maybe we should ask
ourselves this question before we get behind the wheel.
Second, we can increase our
fuel efficiency by keeping our vehicles in top shape. The U.S. Department of
Energy offers the following tips on its Web site, www.fueleconomy.gov:
� Keep your engine properly tuned (fuel economy benefit: 4 percent)
� Check and replace air
filters regularly (fuel economy benefit: up to 10 percent)
� Keep tires properly inflated (fuel economy benefit: up to 3 percent)
� Use the recommended
grade of motor oil (fuel economy benefit: 1-2 percent)
Based on an assumed fuel
price of $3.23 per gallon, the DOE estimates these combined benefits could
add up to a savings of as much as 61 cents per gallon.
Using energy more
efficiently is no longer a choice, it is the way of life now and in our
future. As for me, I plan to dust off the old Schwinn in my tool shed this
summer and bike to the convenience store and around the neighborhood. Not
only will I save gas, I might drop a few pounds, which should help increase
the miles I get per gallon when I do get behind the wheel. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Energy-saving tips
for water heaters
TURN DOWN THE TEMPERATURE - Most water
heaters are factory set at 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Around your home, 120
degrees is adequate for most uses. Each 10-degree reduction can save 3-5
percent on your energy usage.
WRAP IT UP - Wrapping your water heater
with insulation can reduce energy used by 4-9 percent. Water heater blankets
are easy to install and available at many hardware, discount and home supply
stores.
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Put Your PC to Sleep
To save energy, configure your computer monitor and hard drive to turn off
after 20-30 minutes of inactivity. Whenever possible, turn off your PC,
monitor and printer. If you use a power strip, switch it off or unplug it
from the wall outlet.
Trade Up and Power Down
Today�s
PCs, monitors and printers can do much more but use much less energy
than older models. New Energy Star qualified models use up to 60% less
energy. When trading up, consider a notebook or laptop instead of a desktop
model or a flat panel LCD instead of a CRT monitor and enjoy even more
energy savings.
(Source: www.energystar.gov)
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Save
Energy the Natural Way: Plant Trees
Looking
for the ultimate and most natural way to save energy around your home?
Plant trees.
Not
only do trees beautify your landscape as the poet Joyce Kilmer wrote,
studies show that properly placed trees can cut your air conditioning costs
by 25% or more. In fact, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates that
�the net cooling effect of a young, healthy tree is equivalent to ten
room-size air conditioners operating twenty hours a day.�
During
the hot summer months, roofs absorb solar energy, paved driveways and
sidewalks reflect heat, and windows let in hot sunlight.
Trees not only provide shade that absorbs the sun�s rays, they also
help reduce air temperatures around your home by releasing water vapor.
Saving
energy is only part of the benefit of trees. They also help the environment
by naturally converting the dreaded �greenhouse gas� carbon dioxide
(CO2) into oxygen.
The
type of trees you plant and where you plant them are the keys to maximum
energy savings.
Deciduous
trees such as maples, oaks, and birches provide the most shade. Plus,
because they drop their leaves in the fall, they allow sunlight to reach
your home and provide solar heating during the winter months.
According
to the U.S. Department of Energy, �to get a tree�s maximum cooling
benefit, you plant it centrally and to the south of the house, or in the
southwest corner. In this location, a deciduous tree will shade out hot
afternoon sun in the summer while still allowing light to warm the house in
the winter.�
When
planting a tree near your house, you need to consider how large and how tall
the tree will become as it matures. Trees
should shade your house but not overhang it as during storms branches could
damage your roof or siding. You should also make sure
that as the tree grows, it will not affect electric and other utility lines
around your home or yard.
Before
planting any trees, the best advice is to do your homework. Find out what
types of trees are recommended for your area as the soils and climate
conditions can vary greatly across our state. Make sure you also get advice
as to the most advantageous locations and the recommended distance from your
home to plant a tree, too.
Visit
your local nurseries or garden centers or if you are not a do-it-yourselfer,
consult with a professional landscaper or arborist. Another excellent
resource is the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service. There is an
extension office in every county in the state and best of all, the
information they provide is free. To
contact your local office, look under Virginia Cooperative Extension in your
telephone directory or visit www.ext.vt.edu.
A
wealth of information is also available at www.arborday.org
, the web site of the National Arbor Day Foundation. The mission of the
Foundation is �to inspire people to plant, nurture and celebrate trees.�
April
25 is Arbor Day throughout Virginia. Why not celebrate the occasion
by planting trees around your home? The
trees you plant will not just help save energy, they will make a lasting
contribution to improving the environment for everyone for many years to
come.
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