100+ Ways to Improve Your Electric Bill: Heating and Cooling (pt 2)

Welcome to the third portion of the series: 100+ Ways to Improve your Electric Bill.  Many of these are low cost and no cost tips, and easy to implement.

Two weeks ago we posted about Air Infiltration, and last week was the first part of the series on Heating and Cooling, today we’re wrapping up that series.

• Draw blinds, shades, or drapes to block the sunlight during the hottest part of the day, especially on south- and west-facing windows.
• In the cooling season, run kitchen and bath exhaust fans only long enough to rid the house of unwanted water vapor and odors.
• Don’t position heat-producing devices such as lamps and TV sets beneath a wall-mounted thermostat for a central cooling system. Heat rising from the equipment could cause the thermostat to read a temperature higher than the true room temperature and lead to over-cooling.
• If you are buying a new heating system, consider a high-efficiency electric air source or ground source heat pump. The energy efficiency is rated according to a federal standard called the Heating Seasonal Performance Factor, or HSPF. Heat pumps with an HSPF of 10 are almost three times more efficient than the most efficient gas furnaces. In January 2006, the new minimum efficiency for air source heat pumps rose to 7.7 HSPF, while efficiency levels for furnaces and boilers have not increased since 1992.
• Ground source heat pumps, or GeoExchange units, use the Earth as a heat source in the winter and as a heat sink in the summer. Ground source heat pumps are rated in terms of Coefficient of Performance (COP) for the winter. The higher the COP, the higher the efficiency. Where gas furnaces have COP values in the 0.78 to 0.94 range, ground source heat pumps have COP values in the 3.0 to 5.0 range.
• In the heating season, water vapors from bathing and cooking are beneficial because they help humidify the home. So, use kitchen and bath exhaust fans sparingly in the winter to keep as much heat as possible inside your house.
• Locate the heating thermostat on an inside wall and away from windows and doors. Cold drafts will cause the thermostat to keep the system running even when the rest of the house is warm enough.
• Set the heating thermostat as low as comfort permits. For instance, each degree above 68° F can add 3 percent to the amount of energy needed for heating. If you have a heat pump, make sure that the thermostat is designed to operate the heat pump efficiently when raising the temperature after it has been lowered.
• When entertaining a large group of people during the heating season, lower the thermostat a degree or two before the guests arrive. Otherwise, since people generate heat, the space may become wastefully overheated.
• Lubricate pump and blower bearings regularly in accordance with manufacturers’ recommendations to limit the amount of energy lost to friction and to extend equipment life as well. Close heating vents and radiator valves in unused rooms. Make sure that drapes, plants, or furniture do not block registers for supply or return air.

Thanks to our friends at the Edison Electric Institute for providing the list of 100+ Ways to Improve your Electric Bill.

100+ Ways to Improve Your Electric Bill: Heating and Cooling (pt1)

Welcome to the second portion of the series: 100+ Ways to Improve your Electric Bill.  Many of these are low cost and no cost tips, and easy to implement.

Last week was about Air Infiltration, this week (and next) we’re giving tips on Heating and Cooling.

• Air conditioners vary considerably in efficiency and in the amount of energy used. Therefore, select equipment based on its federal energy efficiency rating. For window units, this rating is the Energy Efficiency Ratio, or EER. For many types of room air conditioners, the minimum EER is 9.0 or 9.7. As a general rule, an EER of 11 or more is excellent.
• Central air conditioner units are rated on their Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio, or SEER. A rating of 14 SEER is excellent, and the minimum cooling efficiency for air conditioners and heat pumps is 13 SEER. All ENERGY STAR® units manufactured after January 1, 2009, have a SEER level of 14.5 and an EER of 12.0.
• Seek professional help in determining the size of cooling equipment needed. Oversized units should be avoided - not only because they draw more energy than is necessary, but also because they cannot dehumidify properly.
• Locate the compressor units of central air conditioning and heat pump systems in an outside area that is shaded by the house or by trees and plants. Units should be kept clean and free of any plant or tree overgrowth.
• Direct sunlight falling on a window air conditioning unit increases its workload. When a choice is possible, locate such units on the north or shady side of the house.
• Set the cooling thermostat as high as comfort will permit. The higher the setting, the more energy you will save.
• Attics must be ventilated to relieve heat buildup caused by the sun. When planning a new home, install vents of proper size and location to ensure attic ventilation by natural airflow. For existing homes, determine whether attic ventilation is adequate and, if necessary, improve airflow by adding or enlarging vents.
• Choose light-colored roof shingles for your house to reflect more of the sun’s heat. The darker the shingles, the more heat that will be absorbed during the summer season.
• Open windows during the moderate weather of spring and fall to admit outside air for cooling instead of operating air conditioning equipment.
• Close cooling vents and turn off window air conditioners in unused rooms. Keep doors to un-used rooms closed.

Be sure to check us out next week when we wrap up the Heating and Cooling tips!!

What day is today? An eco-friendly excuse.

When I got tasked with writing the Valentine’s Day blog post, all I could think about was this movie quote - “Valentine’s Day is a holiday created by greeting card companies to make people feel like crap.”

Now I am not that big of a skeptic, but I do think that Valentine’s Day is one of those holidays that produces a lot of useless junk.  They make it, we buy it.  Sure it’s nice to feel loved, but do you really need a giant singing teddy bear? 

I’m not going to do my usual post about eco-friendly gifts and where to buy them.  Nope, not going to do it…why?  In my opinion, you can forgo the usual gifts (or the unusual eco-friendly gifts) without making your loved ones feel like you forgot about the day (If you really want ideas, check out our post from last year).

One of my favorite things to do with my husband is make dinner together (ok, so this usually consists of him making dinner while I watch, but that isn’t the point).  This is a gift in itself.  Not only are you making dinner, hopefully from locally grown ingredients, but you are spending time with the special person in your life.  Spending time together FREE and it can be an environmentally-friendly way to celebrate the day.   

Make something for your special someone.  Chances are, whatever you make won’t end up in the trash, but be treasured for years to come.  Speaking of making something, if you have kids in elementary school, you probably know how much paper is wasted on the little Valentine’s Day cards your kid has to give to each kid in the class.  Just like what happens with most cards, these end up in the trash shortly after getting them.

This might be difficult, but see if your kids will make their own cards out of supplies they already have instead of purchasing cards.  You can have a family craft day, and I guarantee their cards will stand out amongst the others. 

If you feel you absolutely must buy something, try a potted plant and an e-card, or a plantable card.  And here’s a tip: if you forget about the day altogether, just use the “I’m being eco-friendly” excuse.   You’re welcome.

1st and Green

The biggest Sunday of the year, it’s time for the Big Game, a fierce rivalry between the New York Giants and the New England Patriots.

This year, the experience of the Big Game is going to be bigger than any other year: 30-second advertisements averaged $3.5 million, Madonna will be the halftime artist, and the game is becoming more ‘green’ than ever.

One of the newest endeavors of the Big Game is 1st and Green, a web-based program encouraging everyone to offset their carbon emissions and save water sponsored by the event’s host committee.  On the 1st and Green website, there are numerous tips, videos, and resources on conserving energy.

1st and Green even has a contest where taking steps to become more energy efficient increases your ranks of the 1st and Green Leader Board.  The teams that have the most points will be honored at the Super Bowl Village Stage.

And if you’re at the game, take notice of how green the stadium is:

• Composting stations
• Recycling stations
• Leftover food being donated to the local food bank
• Signs for the 15,000 MWh of Renewable Energy Certificates purchased on behalf of the game

If you’re like me, watching the game with a bunch of pals, you can still do your part to conserve energy:

• Make your appetizers instead of going for take-out.
• Fill up your growlers at the local pub and use reusable mugs
• Watch the game at your buddy’s place, the one who has the LED TVs
• And carpool to save gas

Have a great time this Sunday.  Be safe.