As energy prices rise, we as individuals can't do a lot about the price of gasoline. But we can do something about expenditures at home.
Here are five savings that add up to real dollars from Lonnie Wibberding, author of Basics of Energy Efficient Living ($9.99 http://www.bigfishbooks.com).
-- Turn down the heat or air. Heat loss comes from trying to maintain the temperature difference between inside and outside. When this difference shrinks so does the heating or cooling bill. If the temperature outside is 40 degrees Fahrenheit and inside 70 degrees Fahrenheit, the difference is 30 degrees Fahrenheit. Just turning the heat down to 65 degrees Fahrenheit reduces the difference by 17%, and cuts your heating bill by the same amount.
Cost: Nothing
Total Savings: $17 for every $100 spent.
-- Seal air leaks. Some airflow from outside is healthy. However, older houses usually have far too much. A few cracks between a window and the frame can add up to a hole the size of a brick or two in the side of your house. Weather stripping and caulking at the right place can save a lot.
Cost: $50
Total Savings: $25 for every $100 spent.
-- Use less hot water. Each gallon of hot water costs between 1.2 to 1.7 cents to heat. This seems cheap until one considers an average shower uses 30 gallons of hot water. This equates to $15 a month per person. Cutting an average 12 minute shower to 6 minutes will cut shower costs in half.
Cost: Nothing
Total Savings: $7 per month per person
-- Dry clothes on a line. Clothes dryers are big energy consumers. Each load dried on the line will save about 50 cents.
Cost: $10 for clothesline
Total Savings: $15 per month (Family of four)
-- Make saving energy a game. Set energy goals for your family. When the family "wins" have a special treat. Most electric meters can be read daily. Take the money you save and spend some or all of it on the whole family. Then everyone enjoys the savings.
