One Habit at a Time – Heat Wisely

It’s hard to believe that summer is over, school has started, the days are getting shorter, the leaves are turning color. Soon we’ll be turning on our furnaces for the first time in months.  This year let’s take some actions to make our home heating use more energy-efficient. To put it poetically, with apologies to fellow Hoosier, James Whitcomb Riley:
 
They’s something kindo’ harty-like about the atmusfere
When the heat of summer’s over and the coolin’ fall is here—
Of course we miss the flowers, and the blossoms on the trees,
And the mumble of the hummin’-birds and buzzin’ of the bees;
But the air’s so appetizin’; and the landscape through the haze
Of a crisp and sunny morning of the airly autumn days,
‘Tis  time to clean our filters and reset our thermostats,
And maybe patch our houses so no heat goes out the cracks!

First some ideas that cost no money:

* Vacuum registers and vents regularly; don’t let furniture and draperies block the air flow from them.
* Keep curtains and blinds closed at night to keep cold air out; open them during the day to let the sun warm the room.  Wash windows to allow in more sunlight, especially south and west facing windows!
* Set your themostat 2 degrees lower and save ~500 pounds of CO2 a year. If you also set it down an extra 10 degrees for eight hours every night, you can lower your heating bills by ~10 percent. When you go away for even a few days, lower the thermostat to 50-55 degrees.
* When you come home to a cool house, don’t set the thermostat higher than you actually want it. It won’t heat your home any faster, and it will keep your furnace running longer than necessary.
* If you have a forced-air furnace, do NOT close off heat registers in unused rooms. Your furnace is designed to heat a specific square footage of space and can’t sense a register is closed – it will continue working at the same pace. In addition, the cold air from unheated rooms can escape into the rest of the house, reducing overall energy efficiency.
* When using the fireplace, turn down the furnace to keep its warm air from going right up the chimney. When the fireplace is not in use, shut fireplace dampers are tightly and keep glass fireplace doors closed.

Now some projects that cost a bit, but will quickly pay for themselves:

* Change or clean your furnace filter once a month. Dust and dirt can make your furnace run less efficiently.
* Have your heating system inspected regularly. A $50-100 annual tuneup can reduce heating costs by ~5%.
* Install a programmable thermostat. EnergyStar rated thermostats are in the $50-100 range.
* If you never use your fireplace, plug Schimney with fiberglass insulation and seal its doors with silicone caulk.
* Check for air leaks around doors, windows, electrical outlets and plumbing fixtures. One way to find air leaks is to hold a tissue between two fingers and hold it over the area – drafts will cause the tissue to blow around.  Another way is to hold a lit incense stick near the area. If the smoke does anything but float up, you’ve got a leak. A 1/16th-inch unsealed crack around a window can let in as much cold air as leaving the window open three inches!  Solutions run the gamut from outlet safety caps and gaskets to caulking and weatherstripping.

The big ticket items, such as installing double paned windows and insulating ceilings and/or walls, are best addressed by contractors. Use your savings on energy this season to fund these projects next year!

The following website provided many of these ideas and is a valuable resource for solutions:
     www.powerhousetv.com/stellent2/groups/public/documents/pub/phtv_se_we_index.hcsp
This site also has a lot of good information, including links to find rebates from your utility provider:
     www.flexyourpower.org/res/tools/energy_tips.html

First Presbyterian Church of Palo Alto
www.fprespa.org/coolplanet
October, 2007