Dear Anne,
Couples everywhere are giving props to high energy prices for their renewed togetherness. Just in time for Valentine’s Day, it’s prompting shared showers, couch cuddling, and more time under the blankets.
Those are all good ways to heat things up, but there are some other simple steps you and your husband can take to maintain a warm and energy-efficient home. The easiest way to figure out where to begin is to determine how and where you are using the most energy so you can know how to minimize it. Typically, the bulk of your energy usage (and dollars) is being sucked down by three primary culprits: the furnace and air conditioner, the hot water heater, and your appliances. There is so much you can do in each of these areas, but here are a few quick tips, just to kick us off:
Cool it on the Space Heating: Turning the thermostat down and then up again to quickly warm up the house uses more resources than keeping a constant temperature. Keep it on a moderate temperature like 68F, and turn it down to 55F or off when you leave the house or while you sleep. Every degree above 70 will cost an additional 7 to 10 percent on heating bills.
Consider installing an Energy Star qualified programmable thermostat with time settings. When used correctly, it can save you $100 each year on energy costs.
Cleaning your furnace filters once a month helps conserve energy and reduce indoor air pollution.
Rebates are available to tackle both heat and cooling usage. Longmont residents can take part in Ka$h for Kilowatts, a rebate program on energy efficient heat pumps and central air conditioners. Visit www.ci.longmont.co.us/lpc. Xcel Energy is also offering rebates for central air conditioners and evaporative coolers at www.xcelenergy.com.
Get Out of Hot Water: Your water heater should be set at 120F, hot enough for your needs, but not so hot it uses excess energy. It’s also better for the durability of your water heater.
Keep your water heater cozy by insulating it and the first five feet of pipe coming out of the water heater, so it doesn’t have to work as hard to warm up. Talk to the folks at your local hardware store about insulation tips and supplies.
Unplug the Energy Suckers: Appliances, even when left idle, can be major energy users, so it’s useful to know how efficiently they’re working so you can judge if they should be adjusted or replaced. To help Boulder consumers better understand their appliances’ efficiency, the Center for Resource Conservation’s (CRC) offers a Kill A Watt Loan Program. You can borrow or buy a Kill A Watt Power Meter to help you measure the electricity consumed by any plug-in energy-using device. Visit their website at www.conservationcenter.org to compare your appliance’s efficiency and operating cost to that of a new ENERGY STAR® appliance and learn how much you could be saving. Call CRC at 303-999-3823.
Get Help: There are resources to help you do a home energy audit. Longs Peak Energy Conservation of Boulder County (LPEC) offers free home energy conservation retrofits (weatherization services) to low to moderate income residents of Boulder, Larimer and Gilpin counties. For more information, call LPEC at 303-441-1716 or visit http://www.co.boulder.co.us/cs/ho/weatherization/.
Longmont residents can check out the Longmont Power and Communications website for a toolbox of energy-saving tips and resources at http://www.ci.longmont.co.us/lpc. Many more resources and tips are available at the Center for Resource Conservation website at www.conservationcenter.org, at the city of Boulder’s website at www.environmentalaffairs.com, and at http://www.ecocycle.org/askeco-cycle/formoreinfo/energy.cfm.
That should help, but remember, Valentine’s Day or not, nothing beats the heart warming, energy-saving classics of blankets and candlelight.
