Saving Electricity

The first step towards saving electricity involves identifying all the power consuming items in your house. Then identify the electrical "guzzlers", replace or service them in order to reduce their consumption of power.

AIR CONDITIONING

If you live in Texas or Florida, your air conditioning is 60 to 70% of your summer electric bills. It doesn't get much better as you travel north, until you get to the M's (Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana).

It's possible to live without air conditioning. My grandparents did it.

A central AC system uses about 3500 watts. Depending on size, window units use between 500 and 1400 watts. A large floor fan only uses 100 watts on the highest speed, and table fans use between 15 and 90 watts, depending on speed and size.

Saving electricity with air conditioning alternatives is easy. Here are a few suggestions:

1. The most obvious is to raise the temperature on the thermostat. Every degree makes a difference.

2. Install ceiling fans. Make sure your fan spins the right way. Clockwise pulls up (summer); counter-clockwise pushes down (winter).

3. Use a bed fan. This is a small fan that works under the covers. It costs about $100. What a great idea!

4. Wear a wrung-out T shirt. This works great. If you want to feel goose bumps in the 90 degree heat, combine it with a fan.

5. Shower more often. Luke warm or cool showers will keep you cool for a couple of hours. The water-related costs are trivial compared to air conditioning.

6. Use a timer. For central air, install a programmable thermostat with a built-in timer. For window units, buy a plug-in timer. Set these to turn on about a half hour before you get home from work, and go off about an hour after you go to sleep. You will be saving electricity by not having the AC on while you're away.

7. Close the registers in unused rooms. Having the central system on several zones will probably accomplish the same thing.

8. Replace your old units. Today's air conditioners use 30% to 50% less electricity than 15 year old equipment.

9. Clean the filters. The more often you change them, the less energy your unit will use. Once a month is recommended.

10. Keep Your Condenser Unit Cool. Condensers in the shade use up to 10% less power than those in direct sunlight. Buy an AC mister. This cools with a water vapor as the condenser runs. Prices start at around $50.

11. Clean the condenser. Wash the coils on the outside with a garden hose, but leave the inside coils for your AC serviceman. Remove anything blocking the air flow. Tall grass and other debris can restrict air flow, using more electricity.

12. Plant shade trees. Well-placed shade trees can reduce indoor temperatures by up to 20 degrees, and help in saving electricity by up to 40%.

AROUND THE HOUSE

Install a simple attic fan to push hot air out of your attic. Attach it to your existing gable vent and you won't have to cut any holes. You can run it 24/7 for about $1 per month.

Install a radiant barrier. A layer of aluminum foil-like material covering the underside of your roof will block up to 95% of heat being radiated into the roof. There is also a special paint you can use instead of the foil.

2. Saving Electricity in the Basement.
According to the Los Angeles Times back in 2001, studies showed that 25% of homes lose up to 1/3 of their heating or cooling from leaky ducts. See if your local utility will perform a free duct test, and have any leaks sealed.

clean your furnace. A clean furnace works more efficiently. This is one of the most effective ways to save on home heating costs.

Insulate your hot water heater. If you have an older model, buy insulation wrap and wrap the water heater. This will reduce your energy bills by $20 per year. When you have to replace this unit (needless to say) buy a high-efficiency model.

3. Doors and Windows
Make sure you doors and windows are well sealed. Weather stripping for doors and caulking for windows are easy to install. Make sure to caulk any other holes in your exterior walls - like those made by plumbing pipes under your sinks.

Use drapes or blinds to block sunlight in the summer, or let it in during the winter. Direct sunlight can raise the temperature of a room by 10 degrees. The natural light will enable you to use less indoor lighting.

Use storm windows and doors. These can reduce the amount of cooling or heating lost through single pane glass by 50%.

Put reflective film on windows. 30% of a structure's cooling requirements are due to solar energy entering through glass. Reflective film reflects the sun's heat without blocking the light - so you can still have bright rooms. The payback period for this product is 3 to 5 years.

4. Saving Electricity in Other Ways
Appliances - turn them off when your not using them. When you use your washing machine or dishwasher, make sure that you only do full loads of laundry or dishes. If you don't run full loads, you'll be running your appliances more frequently, wasting energy in the process.

Use Compact Fluorescent Lighting. These bulbs last longer, use 75% less energy and create 70% less heat at the same time, thereby saving electricity to a greater extent than most people expect (including me).

If you intend painting the outside of the house, use a light color. They absorb 20% less heat than dark colors.

Reduce heat from cooking. Any heat you create from cooking has to be removed by your cooling system. Use the microwave oven instead of your gas or electric ovens as often as possible.

Turn it off. There's a recurring theme here. Whatever it is, when you're not using it, turn it off. This includes lights, TVs, appliances, cooling units, computers, phone chargers, etc.

Alone, each of these ideas will help with saving electricity by little bits. By combining some of these relatively cheap and easy home improvements, you can really reduce your energy bills.

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If you have a question, or just want to discuss an issue with me, contact me about saving electricity here.

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