As homeowners or home renters, many of us worry about making the monthly mortgage or rent payment. As winter closes in, we also face rising utility bills based on our higher consumption. Taking energy-conserving steps and changing behaviors are a means to lower those winter utility bills.
To conserve energy, we can shift to more energy-efficient products. One approach is upgrading to LED bulbs. Another is buying more energy-efficient appliances. Converting to a more energy-efficient heating system saves in the long run. Replacing your old windows with new energy-efficient ones can too. Admittedly, these solutions can be expensive. And depending on your home they might not even be the best place for you to start. So then, what are some simple and inexpensive steps can you take to lower your energy bills?
Here are several low-cost ways to conserve energy this winter. First, consider the places where cold air sneaks in — windows, doors, plugs on outside walls. Closing these leaks is an easy DIY project. With a tube of caulk or two (about $5) and a caulk gun (about $10), you can fill any gaps on the outside of your home in siding, around windows and doors. Inside, weather stripping (about $3 a 17-foot roll) around the exterior and garage doors can prevent heat leaking into cold areas.
Removing the covers off exterior outlets and inserting electrical outlet and wall plug foam insulation pads (about $2 a kit) can also stop heat from escaping to the outside.
Adding insulation to your home is moderately expensive but gives a big payback. Covering dirt in the crawl space with plastic (about $25 a roll) and insulating beneath your home’s floor (about $40 a roll) go a long way toward keeping the heat in. Putting insulation in your attic also helps.
But for a no-cost way to lower your bill, try modifying your energy habits. Most of us waste energy mindlessly. If you’re like many of us, after brushing our teeth in the morning you leave the bathroom, shuffle through the living room, switch that light on, and go to the kitchen where you turn another one on. Soon there’s a trail of light behind you. Check right now. How many lights are on in your home? Is anyone in those lighted rooms?
Every time we leave a room, we save money if we flip the light switch off. Even energy-efficient LED bulbs use some energy. The only light or device that uses no electricity is the one that’s off.
We can be equally mindless about electronic devices and leave them (or their dongles) plugged in or on even when we’re no longer using them. So, turn off your electric devices instead of letting them “sleep.”
On icy-cold days, don’t turn the thermostat up to 90 degrees to heat your home faster. (It doesn’t work anyway.) Put on a fleece or a sweater instead. Resist ratcheting your thermostat up and down throughout the winter. Instead, set it at a comfortable temperature (about 68 degrees) and leave it. Every degree above that shows up on your electric bill.
It’s easy to conserve energy. Changing our behavior less so. However, it requires no spending, just altering how we act. Why not create a few new energy habits? Turn the lights off when you leave a room. Shut down your computer equipment when you’re done surfing. Set the thermostat at 68 degrees in winter and 78 degrees in the summer. Then see if there’s a difference on your utility bill.
Energy Adviser is written by Clark Public Utilities. Send questions to ecod@clarkpud.com or to Energy Adviser, c/o Clark Public Utilities, P.O. Box 8900, Vancouver, WA 98688.
