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Energy Adviser: Little steps can add up to big savings

The Columbian
Published: January 6, 2011, 12:00am

It’s again that time of year when our heating bills are going up. Is there anything I can do to cut my bill without spending a lot of money?

There are some low-cost things people can do to cut their home’s energy use during winter. Although some offer larger dividends than others, when done together the savings can add up.

Heating

Heating is a home’s largest energy user. Lower the thermostat to 68 degrees when you’re home and awake, and to even lower when you’re away or sleeping. For every degree you lower the thermostat you’ll save between 1 and 2 percent on your heating bill. If you have zonal heat, turn thermostats to low or off in unused rooms and close the door to the room. If you have a heat pump, check with the manufacturer’s recommendations or a heating specialist regarding lowering the thermostat.

“Be sure thermostats are accurate, especially if it’s zonal heat,” said Bob West, energy counselor. “We’ve seen older thermostats that are off by as much as 5 to 10 degrees.”

Keep furnace filters clean and make sure heating registers are not blocked by drapes or furniture.

“When it comes to inexpensive ways to save energy in your home, air sealing is probably the most cost-effective,” West said. “That means finding cold drafts and plugging them to keep more heat inside.”

West suggests using a stick of incense to detect where cold air is entering or heated air is escaping. Use foam, caulk or weatherstripping to block the air leak. Even a rug rolled up in front of a door will block drafts. Look for air leaks around doors and windows, where plumbing pipes or cables enter the house, around ceiling fixtures and exhaust fans, and where the foundation meets the sill plate.

Water heating

“Water heating is the second largest energy user in a home, so fix dripping faucets right away,” West said. “Otherwise you’ll be wasting water and the energy needed to heat it.”

After turning off electricity to the water heater at the service panel, set the water heater thermostat to 120 degrees. If your dishwasher does not preheat water, set it between 130 degrees and 150 degrees. You might want to experiment with gradually reducing the thermostat settings. “Most water heaters have two thermostats, so be sure to set them both,” West said.

Also, only run the dishwasher and clothes washer with full loads to avoid wasting energy and water.

Take showers instead of baths. Baths use twice as much hot water as a five-minute shower.

Lighting

Besides doing the obvious — turning off lights when they’re not needed — switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs that use only a quarter the amount of electricity as incandescent light bulbs. CFLs come in a variety of light colors and styles, including specialty fixtures such as pendants and recessed canisters.

The Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities energy counselors, who provide conservation and energy use information to utility customers. Send questions to energyadviser@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, in care of Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98668. Past topics are available at www.clarkpublicutilities.com.

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