DOE, Alliance to Save Energy Provide Consumers With Smart Energy Tips, Resources to Reduce Home Energy Bills During Heating Season

To help consumers reduce their home energy bills and the nation’s overall energy use this winter, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the Alliance to Save Energy, which have joined forces on a year-long Powerful Savings campaign, offer consumers tips on smart energy practices and energy-efficiency home improvements.

“This joint effort is designed to show consumers how they can lower their energy bills without sacrificing comfort,” said DOE Acting Under Secretary Dave Garman.“Once consumers realize the impact these energy-saving tips can have on their energy costs, they are eager to implement energy efficiency measures and see immediate savings.”

“Energy efficiency is the quickest, cheapest, cleanest way to reduce energy costs and extend our nation’s energy supplies,” added Alliance President Kateri Callahan.“Despite predictions of significantly higher winter energy costs this year, consumers can use smart energy practices and energy-efficiency technologies to save significantly on their monthly energy bills.”

Smart Energy Practices

Test your home for air leaks. You can save 10 percent or more on your energy bill by reducing the air leaks in your home. On a windy day, hold a lit candle next to windows, doors, electrical outlets, and light fixtures.If the smoke travels horizontally, you have found an air leak that may need caulking, sealing, or weather stripping.Also, tape clear plastic sheeting to the inside of your window frames if drafts, water condensation, or frost are present.

• Properly maintain your heating system. Heating can account for almost half of the average family’s winter energy bill. Make sure your furnace or heat pump receives professional maintenance each year.A heat pump can trim the amount of electricity you use for heating by as much as 30 to 40 percent.
• Close fireplace dampers when not in use. A chimney is designed specifically for smoke to escape, so until you close it, warm air escapes, too – 24 hours a day!
• Use kitchen, bath, and other ventilating fans wisely. In just one hour, these fans can pull out a houseful of warmed air. Turn fans off as soon as they have done the job.
• Open curtains on your south facing windows during the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home, and close them at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
• Turn off everything not in use – lights, TVs, VCRs, CD and DVD players, computers.

Energy Efficiency Home Improvements

• Check the insulation in your attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors, and crawlspaces to see if it meets the levels recommended for your geographical area. Remember, about one-third of air infiltrates your home through openings in your ceilings, walls, and floors. If your home is not adequately insulated, have additional insulation professionally installed. For more information, visit www.simplyinsulate.org.
• Install a programmable thermostat. The energy savings will offset the cost of a basic unit in less than a year. Programming your thermostat from 72 degrees to 65 degrees for eight hours a day while no one is home, or while everyone is tucked in bed, will cut your heating bill up to 10 percent.
• Insulate your hot water heater and hot water pipes to save energy and money.
• Insulate heating ducts and keep them in good repair to prevent heat loss.Your system can lose up to 60 percent of its warmed air before it reaches the register, if ducts are not properly insulated in unheated areas such as attics and crawlspaces.
• Cut your energy bills by up to 30 percent with Energy Star-labeled products. Look for the Energy Starlabel, the government’s symbol for energy efficiency, when replacing your heating and cooling systems – as well as appliances, lighting, windows, office equipment, and home electronics.Find retailers near you at www.energystar.gov.
• Install timers on lights inside your home to avoid coming home to a dark house on winter evenings.Motion detectors on exterior floodlights improve your home security while reducing energy costs.
• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) in place of comparable incandescent bulbs to save about 50 percent on your lighting costs.CFLs use only one-fourth the energy and last up to 10 times longer.
• Install storm windows over single-pane windows or replace them with double-pane windows with low-emissivity (low-e) coating.Low-e coating on the glass reflects heat back into the room during the winter months, reducing heat loss by 25 to 50 percent.Look for the Energy Star label to save even more. In cold climates, low-e windows can reduce your heating bills by 34 percent, compared to uncoated, single-pane windows.For more information, visit www.efficientwindows.org.
• A few carefully positioned trees around the house can cut as much as 25 percent off your household’s yearly energy consumption for heating and cooling.Just three strategically placed trees can save an average household between $100 and $250 in energy costs annually.

Print, Web Resources

Both DOE and the Alliance have popular, free consumer booklets and websites offering simple, practical ways to reduce home energy bills:

• DOE’s Energy Savers – Tips on Saving Energy & Money at Home is available in both English and Spanish versions at www.energysavers.gov or 1-877-337-3463.
• The Alliance’s PowerSmart – Easy Tips to Save Money and the Planet can be ordered by calling 1-888-878-3256.