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With the cost of fuel rising and the concerns about how our fuel consumption affect the environment, many of us are constantly looking for ways to conserve energy and save money. Some of these ideas you've no doubt heard about and may already be using.

Compact fluorescent light bulbs

CF light bulbs are one of the easiest ways to get started saving energy. You've probably seen these spiral-shaped light bulbs in the stores; recently, they've become more widely available. Lowe's and Home Depot have had them for a long time, but now even Schnuck's sells them, so it's easy to get started. Don't want to invest what it would cost to replace all your light bulbs at once? Just replace them as needed. I get mine in multi-packs from Costco.
A couple of things to get used to with CF bulbs: there is a little lag between the time you turn on the switch and the light going on and they initially are a little dimmer and then brighten up. I found these two quirks pretty easy to get used to.

Programmable Thermostat

This is an easy change to make with immediate, noticeable savings. I replaced my old dial-type thermostat for my forced-air gas furnace, with a 7-day programmable thermostat. I have mine set so that my furnace kicks on 15 minutes before my alarm goes off in the morning. It goes down again during the day (I don't have a set schedule of being at home or away) so if no one is in the house, it goes back down to around 60. Around 3, when we're all back in the house, it goes back up again. After we're all in bed for the night, it goes back down to 57. Try taking it down a few degrees - you might be surprised that you can keep it set lower and still be comfortable. Each degree cooler can save upto 5% in energy costs!

I installed mine myself. I have an old, 80+-year old house and I had no trouble wiring this, even after being forced to use a dime in place of the tiny screwdriver I couldn't find. The wires are standard color-coded and easy to match up and connect.

Thermal Replacement Windows

This is a more major investment, obviously, but well worth it, in my opinion. I had original windows from the 1920s and could see the curtains move with the breeze! I replaced them all with energy saving thermal windows, and the savings were big and immediate. This is also a great way to add value to your home for resale purposes. This is typically not a DIY project, but check around because prices vary for the same type of window. Until you replace them, keep curtains and blinds closed in very cold and hot weather to reduce drafts;

Tankless Water Heater

Tankless ( or "on demand) water heaters are an efficient replacement for older gas or electric water heaters. Traditional "tank" water heaters produce stand-by energy - heating the water even when it's not needed. Tankless water heaters only heat the water when it's needed. Cold water pass through the unit and the water is either heated from a gas burner or an electric element, depending on the type.

According the tankless water heating buying guide:
For homes that use 41 gallons or less of hot water daily, Tankless Water Heaters can be 24% – 34% more energy efficient than conventional storage tank water heaters. They can be 8% – 14% more energy efficient for homes that use a lot of hot water, around 86 gallons per day. You can achieve an even greater energy savings of 27% – 50% if you install a Tankless Water Heater at each hot water outlet.

Most people will need to consult a licensed electrician and/or plumber for installation. Tankless water heaters typically cost more
than traditional tank water heaters, but their life-span is 20+ years (as opposed to 10 or so for tank heaters) and they have easily replaceable parts that can extend their lifespan beyond that.

Want to go solar? Kits for solar water heaters are readily available.

How They Work

Solar water heating systems include storage tanks and solar collectors. There are two types of solar water heating systems: active, which have circulating pumps and controls, and passive, which don't.

Most solar water heaters require a well-insulated storage tank. Solar storage tanks have an additional outlet and inlet connected to and from the collector. In two-tank systems, the solar water heater preheats water before it enters the conventional water heater. In one-tank systems, the back-up heater is combined with the solar storage in one tank.

Three types of solar collectors are used for residential applications:

Flat-plate collector
Integral collector-storage systems
Evacuated-tube solar collectors

There are two types of active solar water heating systems:

Direct circulation systems
Indirect circulation systems

(click on the link above for more information about the different types of systems)

For bigger projects, room additions and new construction, consider using sustainable materials, such bamboo flooring, and radiant underfloor heating. I put underfloor radiant heating in my kitchen and master bath. This was mostly a DIY project except for the final electrical hookups, which probably need to be done by a licensed electrician, depending upon your municipality codes. They are programmable, so you can have it kick on to be warm by the time your are going to be using it (morning and evening for the kitchen and at night and early morning for the master bath, for instance) and have vacation settings so you're not wasting energy when you're away.

There are many ways, both big and small, in which we can reduce our energy consumption; simple things such as turning off lights and appliances when not in use, to bigger projects which might initially require a bigger investment but can help us save money and energy.

Easy things to do to save energy

Buy high-efficiency, Energy Star appliances. Replace old washing machines with front loading machines that use less water; these machines also spin more water out of your clothes the dryer doesn't have to work as hard or long to dry the clothes;
Wash most loads on the "Cold" setting;
Run the dishwasher only when it's full;
Don't leave kitchen and bathroom fans running longer than necessary - they pull the heat and cool air out of the house;
Plug and seal a chimney if you don't use the fireplace;
On fireplaces that you used, make sure you install glass doors and close them when not in use;
Change your furnace filters as indicated (many programmable thermostats have "filter" alerts;

WebsterGroves's Blog

Ideas for Saving Energy

WebsterGroves

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