Ways to save energy?

[clatoden99]

1. Automatic or smart thermostat to control your heating.
Look at the NEST thermostat as an example (It may not be available in your area for a while)

2. Get electric blankets for beds. That way, you can let whole house get colder during the night, with the automatic thermostat heating the house an hour before you get up.

3. Look at getting the newer LED bulbs, like the ones from Philips. Take replacing a 60 watt incandescent with an equivalent LED bulb that only uses 10 watts, saving 50 watts. If the LED bulb cost about 40 Euro, and your electricity is about 0.20 Euro per KWh, and it is on 24 hours a day, there should be a payback in about 5 1/2 months...

4. Buy wood early if you can burn it economically.

[FLA]

actually, I read in Consumer Reports that using the dishwasher is more economical than hand washing dishes. Provided you don't scrub them practically clean before you put them in the DW.

[disneysteve]

using the dishwasher is more economical than hand washing dishes.

Definitely. Just fill it up and run it. Uses less water/energy than hand washing.

[GoodSteward]

Definitely. Just fill it up and run it. Uses less water/energy than hand washing.

My wife would agree with you, but our electric bill after our dishwasher breaking doesn't. Decided to not bother with replacing it, and the power bill has gone down some.

[timothycobb]

Nice saving tips.

[Nutria]

2) turn down your water heater

Use a gas water heater.

3) keep your thermostat at 68 so you don't expend a lot of energy in the morning or evening with heating/cooling.

GoodSteward is right: people who post blanket "advice" like this this really should pay attention to season and geography.

Besides, gas heating is much more efficient.

Any others?

A gas stove+oven, and a gas clothes dryer.

Bottom line: gas is much more efficient at heating than is running electricity through wire.

[GoodSteward]

Use a gas water heater.

Besides, gas heating is much more efficient.



A gas stove+oven, and a gas clothes dryer.

Bottom line: gas is much more efficient at heating than is running electricity through wire.

It also comes at a premium. Gas is much more than electricity, at least in the cities I've dealt with it. And if you only have a gas furnace, then you have to pay a hookup charge all year long even if you don't use any gas. If you disconnect you have to pay a hookup fee, which is the same price as just leaving it connected all year. If you use propane, you have to make sure you don't run out. I prefer Electricity.

[Nutria]

It also comes at a premium. Gas is much more than electricity, at least in the cities I've dealt with it.

Hmm. Not in New Oreans.

And if you only have a gas furnace, then you have to pay a hookup charge all year long even if you don't use any gas.

There's no "hookup charge" line item in our bill. Just CCF used and fuel charge. Anyway, we have a gas water heater and dryer, so wouldn't notice if there were.

If you use propane, you have to make sure you don't run out.

Plan ahead...

I prefer Electricity.

Even you can be wrong occasionally...

[GoodSteward]

Even you can be wrong occasionally...

That is simply a fallacy of the most unrealistic sorts, sir. Your unfactual statement is misleading and displays a less than capable ability to comprehend even the most simplistic of understandings. Such rechortric has no place of habitation here.

[Nutria]

That is simply a fallacy of the most unrealistic sorts, sir. Your unfactual statement is misleading and displays a less than capable ability to comprehend even the most simplistic of understandings. Such rechortric[sic] has no place of habitation here.

Nuh uhhh!!

[GoodSteward]

[TexasHusker]

Hi Guys,

Okay - saving money is closely associated with saving energy.

What are some ways you can save energy in your day to day routine.

A couple are really obvious:

1) turn off the lights in rooms that you don't use or turn off the lights when you leave the house.

2) turn down your water heater

3) keep your thermostat at 68 so you don't expend a lot of energy in the morning or evening with heating/cooling.

Any others?

I pee in my backyard every day. That saves water.

[kork13]

I think my house must be very inefficient, so I'm pretty interested in figuring this out... The weather turned chill in October, and our gas & electric utilities more than tripled, in spite of keeping the thermostat between 58-65 (58 away, 60 sleep, 65 home). I recently turned down the water heater's temp as well, so we'll see what impact that has (and we'll also see if my wife can deal with the less-scalding-hot water... she somehow prefers scorching hot water)

The furnace seems to kick on every 10-15 minutes... I definitely need to figure out weather stripping for the doors (I can see sunlight around some edges of the doors), and try to isolate/plug any other heat leaks... But hard to know where to start. I think our hot water heater (way too large for our family, 2 adults & an infant) is also a big contributor to the problem. I've heard that you can insulate a water heater? Probably worth looking into as well...

Any idea how much it typically costs to get an energy audit done? My local utility doesn't have a discount/rebate for it like our previous city did, but I'm wondering if it'd be worth the cost just to get the utility costs under control.... at least during the winter. Come summertime when it's 21 hours of sunlight & fantastic weather, energy bills should plummet.

[rennigade]

I think my house must be very inefficient, so I'm pretty interested in figuring this out... The weather turned chill in October, and our gas & electric utilities more than tripled, in spite of keeping the thermostat between 58-65 (58 away, 60 sleep, 65 home). I recently turned down the water heater's temp as well, so we'll see what impact that has (and we'll also see if my wife can deal with the less-scalding-hot water... she somehow prefers scorching hot water)

The furnace seems to kick on every 10-15 minutes... I definitely need to figure out weather stripping for the doors (I can see sunlight around some edges of the doors), and try to isolate/plug any other heat leaks... But hard to know where to start. I think our hot water heater (way too large for our family, 2 adults & an infant) is also a big contributor to the problem. I've heard that you can insulate a water heater? Probably worth looking into as well...

Any idea how much it typically costs to get an energy audit done? My local utility doesn't have a discount/rebate for it like our previous city did, but I'm wondering if it'd be worth the cost just to get the utility costs under control.... at least during the winter. Come summertime when it's 21 hours of sunlight & fantastic weather, energy bills should plummet.

If you ever have to replace siding wrap your house and use that tape seal stuff around each window...it helps a lot!

[snafu]

...from icy Canada, check You Tube for DIY audit for starters. If you don't have separation from entry doors to main area of home [vestibule] suggest slide on, under door gizmo to fill the gap. In really bad weather [minus 24, wind chill factor minus 80] we staple an old quilt over the door to create a barrier.

The shrink wrap, self adhesive covers for sliding glass doors and windows work well but need to be installed after 1st snow fall, on a moderately warm day. They are reusable if removed carefully and are best bought, on sale, when winter has wained.

I'm sure you know the advantages of layering your clothes. We've just had a huge carbon tax imposed so in order to stay on our budget plan with utilities, we have added the step of wearing a light weight toque and fingerless gloves when the wind chill factor goes crazy [we live in a corner unit, the snow whips up against the doors making opening doors to leave a hilarious operation]