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Energy conservation is not only good for the environment, it saves you money on your energy bills. Month in and month out. In fact, conserving energy is the single most effective way to lower your energy bill—no matter what the season! Proper home insulation, controlling air leaks, upgrading appliances and proper insulation and maintenance of windows and doors can all contribute to making your home more comfortable, making it easier to heat and cool as well as saving you money.
Some Energy Conservation Tips for Your Home
1. Regularly clean or replace your filter to help your furnace run at full efficiency.
2. Keep the heat in by caulking, sealing and weather-stripping around your doors and windows.
3. Close fireplace dampers when they are not in use. Cleaning your fireplace and getting it checked by a professional every year keeps it operating safely and efficiently.
4. A programmable thermostat can maximize your energy savings, but make sure it is fully compatible with both your heating and cooling systems.
5. Significant energy savings are possible when thermostat settings are lowered during the sleep hours and when no one is home. Also, set your thermostat comfortably low in the winter and comfortably high in the summer for maximum efficiency and cost savings.
6. Set the thermostat back at an energy efficient setting (back 10-15%) can save as much as 10% a year on your heating and cooling bill.
7. Reverse the direction of your ceiling fan. By changing the direction to counter-clockwise in the winter, the fan will push rising warm air back into the room.
8. Consider adding attic insulation. Insulation increases comfort, reduces heating and cooling needs by up to 30 percent.
9. Pay particular attention to air leaks at doors, windows, and places where plumbing, ductwork, or electrical wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits over cabinets. Proper insulation and sealing leaks can help reduce your heating and cooling needs by up to 10%!
10. Be sure draperies or furniture do not block vents. Vents should be cleaned regularly with a broom or vacuum.
11. If your home has single-pane windows, as almost half of U.S. homes do, consider replacing them. New double-pane windows with high-performance glass can reduce heat loss and storm windows can reduce heat loss through windows by 25 to 50 percent.
12. Repair leaky hot water faucets immediately. A hot water faucet leaking one drop per second wastes 160 gallons per month—or 16 hot baths.
13. Wrap a water heater insulation blanket around your water heater to keep the heat from escaping. These kits are available at home improvement stores. Increase water-heating efficiency by insulating at least the first six feet of the hot water pipe and the first three feet of the cold water pipe that extends from the hot water tank.
14. Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 120-degrees Fahrenheit.
15. In gas appliances, look for blue flames. Yellow flames indicate the gas is burning inefficiently and an adjustment may be needed.
16. Wash only full loads of clothes.
17. During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your south facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
18. During the cooling season, keep the window coverings closed during the day to prevent solar gain.
For the complete list of energy conservation tips, visit the U.S. Department of Energy's "Energy Savers" web site.
Gas conservation tips courtesy of Vectren Source
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