Dear Elise,
Not to bring you down lower, but those high energy bills aren’t just a pain in the pocketbook, they’re also a bad indicator for your impact on the environment. (I’ve got some bad news, then some good news…stay tuned.) According to the Center for ReSource Conservation (CRC), over 90% of our residential energy needs in Colorado are met by burning coal and natural gas, energy sources that have significant impacts on our environment and on our health. Burning these fuels releases carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxides—pollutants that contribute to smog, acid rain, and climate change. Right, so now that I’ve kicked you while you’re down, let me pick you back up with some simple, low-cost ways to perform triage on your home energy drain.
Let’s start with lights: Turn them off when you leave the room (that’s a basic). Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFL). According to the EPA, if every household in the U.S. replaced one light bulb with an Energy Star qualified CFL bulb, it would prevent enough pollution to equal removing one million cars from the road.
For computers, set the power settings on your computer to turn off your hard drive and monitor after a certain period of inactivity . According to PC World Magazine, the sleep mode on your monitor can reduce energy use from 90-110 watts down to 15 watts. To learn how to adjust your power settings, visit http://www.energystar.gov.
Stop the slow leak from appliances not in use by unplugging them. Your house has many items with internal circuits that always use electricity even when they’re turned off, including televisions, VCRs, cable TV boxes and charging units like battery chargers, Dustbusters, cell phone chargers and baby monitors. Consider plugging some of these items into a communal power strip so you can switch them all off at once.
Set your water heater to the lowest setting to meet your hot water needs, typically 120°F (between low and medium on most units). According to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy (ACEEE), every 10° reduction saves 3-5% on water heating costs.
Look for the Energy Star label when installing new appliances from refrigerators to computers. The typical household spends $1,400 a year on energy bills. The EPA estimates that with Energy Star appliances, you can save up to 30% or more than $400 per year on your bills.
Finally, to curb your heating bill, change your furnace filter every 6-8 weeks in the winter for maximum efficiency. Check for drafts at windows, doors, outlets, and attic hatches and apply caulking, sealing, and weather stripping. Install a programmable thermostat to regulate your household’s temperature. According to ACEEE, you can save about 2% on your heating bill for every degree the thermostat is turned down.
These are just a few simple tips—many more can be found through local resources. CRC has a weatherization guide online at www.conservationcenter.org and this holiday season, they’ll have holiday gift baskets available for sale that come filled with a home energy kit, a water conservation kit, a composting bucket, and more. Call CRC at 303-441-3278 or stop by at 1702 Walnut in Boulder.
Visit www.xcelenergy.com or call 1-800-895-4999 for a free copy of “60 simple ways to save money on your energy bill.” The University of Colorado Environmental Center also offers energy tips for your home, dorm, or office at http://www.colorado.edu/ecenter/.
Click here for more resources to help you turn that home energy frown upside down.
