1. Rating: +0

   

   I’d like to be saving energy, but I’ve got no idea where to start.

   You’ve asked exactly the right first question. For most of us, there are two places that account for most of our energy usage: our houses and our cars. Let’s tackle houses first, because they’re usually the biggest.

   So how do you use energy in your home? Mostly in three ways: heating and air conditioning, hot water, and electricity.

   Let’s start with heating. Depending on what type of heat you have, you’re likely using either oil, natural gas, or electricity to heat with -- but it makes absolutely no difference unless you’re buying a new furnace or adding solar. Why? Because, regardless of fuel, the amount of energy needed to heat your home depends mostly on two things: how warm you want to make the house, and how fast you lose the heat that’s inside.

   You can simply turn down the thermostat to save energy, which works very well, but most of us don’t really want to walk around the house feeling chilly all the time (though, admit it, you could probably get used to a degree or two). So let’s look at the other end.

   Houses lose heat mainly in two ways: directly through the walls, roof, doors, and windows, and by the infiltration of cold air. Direct heat loss can be reduced by adding insulation, which is a great way to start if you don’t have much. Attic insulation is the easiest and cheapest, for most homes, and is the place to start if you don’t already have enough. Walls can be expensive to insulate if you’re not already remodeling, but practically free if you are. Energy-efficient doors and windows are also a great idea, but again require some investment. But at today’s energy prices, many improvements will pay for themselves in just a few years, so if it’s within your financial reality, this is a good time to make energy upgrades. And tax incentives may be available.

   Air leaks, on the other hand, are mostly easy and cheap to fix, and will make a huge difference in the comfort of your room. Start with caulk around the windows and doors, and make sure the windows are in good condition with no loose glass. Curtains or shades can reduce heat loss considerably, especially on picture or bay windows.

   Of course, no matter what else you do, be sure to keep your heating system maintained regularly to make sure you’re getting as much out of it as possible. And an automatic-setback thermostat will allow you to use less energy when you’re not at home, or at night while sleeping.

2. Rating: +0

   

   The air conditioning is costing a fortune to run, but I’ve got to have it because of allergies. Is there anything I can do?

   For starters, everything we talked about for heating applies to A/C as well. Managing the heat gains and losses in your home is key. Heat is transferred across a barrier -- a wall or ceiling, or a window -- according to the difference in temperature and the insulating value of the barrier.

   Make sure your attic is well ventilated. An attic must allow free air movement in and out, or it will become damp and musty, so there is generally a louver at each end. In summer, a great deal of heat can build up, especially if the roof is not shaded. This heat is transferred to the room beneath. An attic fan will bring in fresh air, reducing the temperature and slowing the heat gain. Or, in English, it won’t get so hot upstairs, and the A/C won’t run as much.

   Close the window shades during the day to reflect the sunlight, especially on south-facing windows. Adjust the air outlets for the best distribution and evenness of cool air, but don’t restrict the air too much as it will reduce the efficiency of the whole system.

   Don’t over-cool; comfort lies more in controlling humidity than temperature. When buying room A/C units, bigger is not better; an oversized unit will cool too quickly to dehumidify, leaving you feeling cold and clammy, and it will run less efficiently than a properly-sized unit. Base your choice on the unobstructed floor area where it will circulate; no doorways allowed, not even big ones.

   And long-term, consider planting trees to provide shade on the roof of the house -- unless you’re planning on installing a solar roof. More on that on our discussion forum.

3. Rating: +0

   

   You’ve left out hot water. Where do I start?

   Here, too, it’s about reducing losses and finding ways to use less. An extra insulation blanket on the water heater may help, and if you’ve got exposed copper pipes in the basement, a layer of foam insulation is inexpensive and easy to apply.

   If you’re replacing your water heater, look for extra insulation or an Energy Star designation. Gas is generally less expensive to operate than electric in our area, where available. “On-demand” heaters are very efficient but not necessarily suitable for some locations. Another option is solar; we’ll cover that and other topics in our discussion area.

   The usual conservation rules apply: run the dishwasher on a full load whenever possible, use warm water, or cold, in the washing machine. Don’t hand-wash dishes under running water. If you’re buying new appliances, always try to get an Energy Star-rated model if you can. It will cost more up front, but the long term savings will more than offset the cost.

   Take shorter showers, and make sure your showerheads meet the new 2.5 gallons-per-minute (gpm) limit, or even lower. This may be an opportunity to make a nice bathroom upgrade at minimal cost.

   And while you’re thinking about it, don’t just limit your conservation efforts to the hot water side. Pay more attention to water that’s running, whether it’s while brushing your teeth or watering your lawn. Is it being used effectively? We all need to use water, but we maybe don’t need to use so much.

4. Rating: +0

   

   How about saving electricity? After the heat, that’s the biggest bill.

   Start by checking how much you actually use, and then find out where you’re using it. Your electric bill will list your monthly usage, in kilowatt-hours, or kWh -- that’s what you’re paying for. At the bottom of the bill, you’ll find a graph showing your usage over the past 12 months, which is a better way to track it as it will fluctuate greatly from month to month. Use the Average Monthly kWh figure to work from. You’ll be comparing this to the potential energy savings of various approaches.

   We’ll look for the easy pickings first, so let’s start with lighting.

   Absolutely the easiest and cheapest thing you can do is to turn the lights off when you’re not using them. Those of you with teenagers, you may get up off the floor now. It’s really all just a matter of habit.

   Sure, you say, but I was coming right back in the room. Doesn’t it cost more to turn them off and then on? Yes, if you’re really coming right back, so don’t go overboard. But if it’s going to be more than a few (very few) minutes, it’s better to turn them off.

5. Rating: +0

   

   I’ve heard a lot about compact fluorescent (CF) bulbs, but a lot of people don’t like them. What’s the story?

   The first thing you should know about CF lights is that they use only about ¼ as much power as regular incandescent bulbs, so there’s potential for substantial energy -- and money -- savings. But they’re not perfect.

   Like all fluorescent bulbs, the color of the light is less red than incandescent lamps, and can be harsher and less appealing, but all CFs aren’t the same. Bulbs may be marked “warm” (more red) or “cool” (more blue) to indicate color, which may also vary by manufacturer. The store may have samples on display, or try out a couple of different ones until you find something you like. And remember, that difference in color bothers you partly because it’s new; you’ll get used to it. After all, incandescent bulbs aren’t like sunlight, either.

   One other thing you need to know about CF bulbs, or any fluorescent lamp, for that matter: they contain mercury and are toxic. Do not dispose of CF bulbs in the trash. Delaware County provides a drop-off site at Rose Tree Park, and some retailers including IKEA and Home Depot are also offering free recycling.

   CF bulbs cost more than the incandescent bulbs they replace, so there’s a (modest) up-front cost. They last longer, so over the long run, they’re cheaper, even aside from the energy savings.

6. Rating: +0

   

   Do I need to replace all my lights with CFs to get any benefit?

   No. In fact, there are some places where you definitely don’t want to use them. The first of these is anything on a dimmer. Regular CF bulbs are absolutely not compatible with dimmers. They may appear to work (or not), but will in any case fail very rapidly. There are dimmable CF fixtures, but they are more expensive, and not as widely available. Unless a CF bulb specifically says it’s dimmable, it’s not.

   Another place you don’t want to use them is with outdoor motion-activated security lights. Because CFs take several seconds to come to full brightness (and much longer in cold weather), they don’t do a very good job on the security front. And, since these lights typically shut down after a few minutes, there’s not much energy savings to be had anyway. You can use 60W halogen floodlamps instead of traditional 75W incandescent floods, for the same amount of light with a 20% energy savings.

7. Rating: +0

   

   So where do I get the most bang for the buck?

   Good question. One of the easiest is also the least obvious: your outdoor lighting. Do you have outdoor floodlights? Just one double fixture, with 75-watt bulbs (some people even use 150W), running dusk-to-dawn, will use up about 54 kilowatt-hours (kWh) of electricity a month, on average -- about $8.00, at our local rates. If you’re using 1000 kWh per month total, that one fixture is eating more than 5% of your monthly bill. Outdoor-rated CF floods will save $6 of that $8.

   How about that post lamp out front? The 75W bulb is costing you $4.00 a month. Porch lamp? You get the picture. And these are great candidates for CF, since color doesn’t really matter, nor the slow warm-up.

   Indoors, look at lights that are on for long hours each day -- desk lamps, ceiling lights, perhaps the kitchen. Estimate each fixture’s power consumption by multiplying the total wattage by the average hours it’s on each day. Multiply by 30 days and divide by 1000, and you’ve got kWh per month. Add up all the fixtures, and you’ll save ¾ of that by going to CF.

   Some things probably aren’t worth the trouble. A closet light maybe, or that light in the basement next to the circuit breakers. You don’t need to go crazy.

8. Rating: +0

   

   I’ve done all of the above that I can reasonably manage to do. But I’d still like to save some more energy and money. What do I do next?

   Join our discussion group, where members and experts will be invited to ask questions and post ideas, personal experiences, and related material. We’re all in this together, and helping a neighbor reduce his energy use is almost as good as reducing your own, and sometimes better.

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