Saving Natural Gas in The Home
http://www.waterloo.il.us/BulletinBoard/HowToSaveNaturalGas.pdf
Heating Your Home
Keep your thermostat low. Each extra degree adds about 4% to 5% to your heating bill. When you leave for the day or over the weekend, lower the setting about 5°. For longer absences, lower the thermostat to 55° (but don’t set it lower because your pipes may freeze).
(if you have a boiler type heating unit, it wastes money and gas to lower the temperature for less than 6-8 hours)
Don’t place furniture in front of heating registers.
Open draperies on sunny days to allow sunlight to help heat your home. Close them at night to help keep out the cold.
Hot Water Heater
A water heater setting of "Normal" or "Low" is usually sufficient. (I do not advocate lowering the temperature below 140 degrees. Food industry preaches that bad things live between the temps of 40 and 140 (F). With the new illnesses such as Valley Fever and Non TB bacterium showing up in shower heads, stay safe, 140)
Wash full loads in dishwashers and washing machines.
Repair leaky faucets; constant dripping adds up to gallons of wasted hot water.
Gas Dryer
Dry a full load each time but avoid overloading.
Clean your lint trap before each load to improve dryer efficiency. (Wash the lint trap! I found it really does make a difference) (use those dryer balls you've seen in the catalogs - they cut our drying time down by at least 15% - yes, I tested it!)
From Alliance To Save Energy
http://www.ase.org/content/article/detail/936
Reducing Winter Heating Bills
Consumers can make their heating systems operate better and longer by having an annual professional “tune up” and by cleaning or replacing filters once a month.
Weather stripping and caulking are great ways to cut heating costs by plugging up energy “leaks.”
Properly insulated attics, walls, floors, basements, and ceilings can prevent loss of up to 20 or 30 percent of your home’s energy. Appropriate insulation will not only reduce your heating bills, but also lower your summer cooling bills. (See North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) consumer web site www.simplyinsulate.com ).
Use foam gaskets to seal leaks around light switches and electrical outlets on exterior walls.
In colder climates with a significant heating season, energy-efficient windows retain more heat, permit less air leakage, and provide warmer window surfaces for improved indoor comfort. Ask your supplier for ENERGY STAR certified windows with double panes and low-emissive coatings so you can star gaze in comfort this winter. For specifics to meet your climate and needs, visit www.efficientwindows.org.
Allow the sun to help heat your home by keeping blinds of sun-exposed windows open in the daytime; close them at night for maximum heat retention.
Consider planting evergreen trees on the north side of your home to block winter winds.
If your home is powered by natural gas, make sure that you have a high-efficiency gas furnace, water heater, and cooking equipment.
Replace continuously burning pilot lights with electronic ignitions to save gas in fireplaces, ovens, ranges, and outdoor lighting systems.
(we replaced our 50+ y.o. gas stove that still worked perfectly with a new one - saved 10% just by getting rid of those 3 pilot lights.)
Additional Resources:
View a consumer natural gas video with even more energy- and money-saving tips from Washington Gas, in collaboration with the Alliance to Save Energy.
Free Alliance to Save Energy resources. Obtain a free booklet, Power$mart: The Power Is in Your Hands, and visit the Consumer Web site.
Free Department of Energy resources. Obtain a free booklet, Energy Savers: Tips on Saving Energy and Money at Home, in English or Spanish by calling 1-877-337-3463 or online and view an animated version at www.energysavers.gov.
Free Environmental Protection Agency resources. Obtain a free copy of Guide to Energy-Efficient Cooling and Heating which is available at www.energystar.gov from the heating and cooling product pages or by calling 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937). Download the ENERGY STAR Action Guide 5 Steps You Can Take to Reduce Air Pollution. .
Free booklet for New Yorkers: It's Right. . . and Right at Home, a brochure with energy-saving tips. Contact 877.NY-SMART (877.697.6278) or residential@nyserda.org. For more tips, visit www.GetEnergySmart.org, the consumer web site of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
Heating Your Home
Keep your thermostat low. Each extra degree adds about 4% to 5% to your heating bill. When you leave for the day or over the weekend, lower the setting about 5°. For longer absences, lower the thermostat to 55° (but don’t set it lower because your pipes may freeze).
(if you have a boiler type heating unit, it wastes money and gas to lower the temperature for less than 6-8 hours)
Don’t place furniture in front of heating registers.
Open draperies on sunny days to allow sunlight to help heat your home. Close them at night to help keep out the cold.
Hot Water Heater
A water heater setting of "Normal" or "Low" is usually sufficient. (I do not advocate lowering the temperature below 140 degrees. Food industry preaches that bad things live between the temps of 40 and 140 (F). With the new illnesses such as Valley Fever and Non TB bacterium showing up in shower heads, stay safe, 140)
Wash full loads in dishwashers and washing machines.
Repair leaky faucets; constant dripping adds up to gallons of wasted hot water.
Gas Dryer
Dry a full load each time but avoid overloading.
Clean your lint trap before each load to improve dryer efficiency. (Wash the lint trap! I found it really does make a difference) (use those dryer balls you've seen in the catalogs - they cut our drying time down by at least 15% - yes, I tested it!)
From Alliance To Save Energy
http://www.ase.org/content/article/detail/936
Reducing Winter Heating Bills
Consumers can make their heating systems operate better and longer by having an annual professional “tune up” and by cleaning or replacing filters once a month.
Weather stripping and caulking are great ways to cut heating costs by plugging up energy “leaks.”
Properly insulated attics, walls, floors, basements, and ceilings can prevent loss of up to 20 or 30 percent of your home’s energy. Appropriate insulation will not only reduce your heating bills, but also lower your summer cooling bills. (See North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (NAIMA) consumer web site www.simplyinsulate.com ).
Use foam gaskets to seal leaks around light switches and electrical outlets on exterior walls.
In colder climates with a significant heating season, energy-efficient windows retain more heat, permit less air leakage, and provide warmer window surfaces for improved indoor comfort. Ask your supplier for ENERGY STAR certified windows with double panes and low-emissive coatings so you can star gaze in comfort this winter. For specifics to meet your climate and needs, visit www.efficientwindows.org.
Allow the sun to help heat your home by keeping blinds of sun-exposed windows open in the daytime; close them at night for maximum heat retention.
Consider planting evergreen trees on the north side of your home to block winter winds.
If your home is powered by natural gas, make sure that you have a high-efficiency gas furnace, water heater, and cooking equipment.
Replace continuously burning pilot lights with electronic ignitions to save gas in fireplaces, ovens, ranges, and outdoor lighting systems.
(we replaced our 50+ y.o. gas stove that still worked perfectly with a new one - saved 10% just by getting rid of those 3 pilot lights.)
Additional Resources:
View a consumer natural gas video with even more energy- and money-saving tips from Washington Gas, in collaboration with the Alliance to Save Energy.
Free Alliance to Save Energy resources. Obtain a free booklet, Power$mart: The Power Is in Your Hands, and visit the Consumer Web site.
Free Department of Energy resources. Obtain a free booklet, Energy Savers: Tips on Saving Energy and Money at Home, in English or Spanish by calling 1-877-337-3463 or online and view an animated version at www.energysavers.gov.
Free Environmental Protection Agency resources. Obtain a free copy of Guide to Energy-Efficient Cooling and Heating which is available at www.energystar.gov from the heating and cooling product pages or by calling 1-888-STAR-YES (1-888-782-7937). Download the ENERGY STAR Action Guide 5 Steps You Can Take to Reduce Air Pollution. .
Free booklet for New Yorkers: It's Right. . . and Right at Home, a brochure with energy-saving tips. Contact 877.NY-SMART (877.697.6278) or residential@nyserda.org. For more tips, visit www.GetEnergySmart.org, the consumer web site of the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
Labels: Conserve, energy conservation, energy star, Homeowner, natural gas
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