Saving Home Energy and Heating Costs

1. Putting Knowledge to Work with the People of Maine A Member of the University of Maine System Saving Home Energy and Heating Costs Easy Ways to Help Yourself Part 2

2. Apartments and Homes Save energy now Energy saving methods • Low initial cost/no cost • Moderate initial cost

3. Apartments and Homes Human Thermal Comfort is determined by six variables: • air temperature • air velocity • relative humidity • clothing • metabolic rate (activity level) • mean radiant temperature Fanger, P.O., Thermal Comfort, McGraw Hill C., 1972, pag 256.

4. Apartments and Homes No cost ways to save energy • Personal attitude & behavior • Wear layered warm clothes indoors during winter • Take short showers instead of baths • Close windows & doors (train family)

5. Apartments and Homes No Cost… Low Cost • Reducing heating costs • Turn down thermostat • Programmable thermostat can do it for you • Unblock and clean heating ducts and return air vents • Place reflectors behind radiators • Leave south-facing window curtains open in winter and closed in summer to collect or prevent solar heat gain.

6. No Cost… Low Cost • More Keeping Warm Tips • Clean and inspect furnace or boiler annually • Use foil tape to repair heating ducts • Use ceiling fans to circulate warm air • Check hot air furnace filters every 1 to 3 months • Close off unused rooms* * Caution with baseboard heating systems

7. Checking for Drafts • Turn on a bathroom or kitchen exhaust fan • Attach a 6” piece of tissue paper to a pencil and hold next to a window or outlet. • Observe the paper moving slightly to show areas that need to be insulated.

8. Turn off power Remove outlet cover Gasket to be installed Install gasket Replace cover Installing Outlet Insulators(on exterior walls)

9. Weatherize Against Infiltration • Caulk at any joint or penetration to the exterior - wiring, pipes & duct penetrations in the attic, under floor & through walls • Caulk where dissimilar materials meet • Weatherstrip doors, windows, & sills • Vapor barriers: • 20 Gallons per day of moisture evaporates from crawl space into air of 1400 sq. ft. home • Install 4-6 mil plastic on “warm-in-winter” side of the living space

10. Caulking & Weather Stripping Caulking and Weatherstripping will payback in one year and make you more comfortable

11. Plastic sheeting Tar paper Bags of leaves Bales of straw or hay Solid foam board Combination Windows Glass Storm Windows Plastic Storm Windows (outside or inside) Storm Windows & Banking House Caution: Do not cover propane clothes dryer vent, or other gas fired appliance vents with banking material

12. Insulating the Perimeter of House

13. Apartments and Homes Effect of Window Treatments

14. Apartments and Homes Using Window Treatments • Heavy Drapes • Roman Shades • Insulation Boards

15. Apartments and Homes Door Draft Stoppers Window Draft Snakes • Fill with • Foam pipe insulation • Sand • Plastic bags

16. Turn down temperature on hot water heater to 120o F Drain a few gallons from the bottom of your hot water heating tank If leaving for more than two days, turn off water heater Install low flow showerheads and aerators in your faucets Repair all leaking faucets Insulate your water heater* and supply pipes *not recommended to insulate gas water heaters Apartments and Homes No Cost… Low Cost Water Heating

17. Kill-A-Watt Meter Use power strip for computer, television, VCR, recorders, satellite, etc. to turn them off completely when not in use. Keep lights clean Shut off when not in use Compact florescent bulbs Timers Apartments and Homes Low Cost – No Cost

18. Watt – amount of energy used Lumen – amount of light produced CFLs – great investment to replace incandescent, last 10x longer, saves $1/month/socket Lighting http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=cfls.pr_cfls

19. Apartments and Homes Holiday Lighting…Light Emitting Diode (LED) *typical amount of lighting used on the exterior and interior for one holiday season. ** Assuming 240 hours of use (6 hours of use for 40 days) at an electric rate of $0.16.kWh)

20. Apartments and Homes Refrigerator / Freezer • Remove frost from freezer • Replace worn gaskets • Keep freezers full • Clean the coils Consider replacing appliances that are over 20 years old and/or in need of major repairs with ENERGY STAR™ models

21. Energy Costs of Various Methods of Cooking

22. Apartments and Homes Save Energy in the Kitchen • Match pan size to burner size • When cooking small meal, use microwave, crock pot or toaster oven • Use the smallest pan necessary for the job • Keep the lid on to hold in heat • Reduce cooking time by defrosting food in refrigerator first • Avoid looking in the oven as you cook! Source:You Can Do It! Low Cost No Cost Saving Tips, Slide Notes, North Carolina Cooperative Extension

23. Apartments and Homes Save energy while doing dishes • Use energy saving cycles • Use no-heat dry cycle • Don’t pre-rinse • Wash full loads • Load dishes according to manufacturers instructions • If washing dishes by hand, turn water on only to rinse

24. Apartments and Homes Save energy in the laundry room • Use lower temperature settings • Wash in cold water whenever possible • Load the washer to capacity • Don’t over dry clothes • Dry two or more loads in a row • Clean dryer filter after each use • Dry full loads • Clean exhaust vents • Hang clothes outside! Source: You Can Do It! Low Cost No Cost Saving Tips, Slide Notes, North Carolina Cooperative Extension

25. Fireplaces • Put tight-fitting doors on open fireplaces • Insert inflatable “pillows” into fireplace to block off chimney but use caution • Use caution when planning to use the fireplace since wildlife may have plugged the chimney

26. Programmable Thermostats More convenient and accurate than manual thermostats and: • Improve comfort • Contain no mercury • Save energy and money on utility bills Save 1% annually for each degree setback for 8 hours per day

27. Rooms are too warm or too cold High summer and winter utility bills Little or no air flow from registers in some rooms Air filters gets dirty quickly Streaks of dust at registers or duct connections No insulation on visible ducts (attic or crawl space) Flexible ducts are tangled or kinked Repair Ductwork Ducts might need repair and sealing when:

28. Cost / Benefit of Attic Insulation

29. “Importance of Insulation” Video – If it doesn’t play please go to: http://extension.umaine.edu/energy/videos/index.htm

30. Insulation with ventilationto reduce ice dams • Ventilation Requirements- Roof • 1 square foot of ventilation opening per each 150 square foot of roof area • ½ at eave ½ at roof edge or higher area of roof is ideal

31. Doors and Windows National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) Labeling Furnace or boiler Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE) Water Heater EER is a measurement of the efficiency of the water heater based on 64 gallons of hot water per day Air Conditioner Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) Appliances Energy Star Rating Systems

32. Dollar Savings per $100 of Annual Fuel Cost AFUE of Existing System

33. Return on Investment (ROI)

34. Home Energy Loan Program (HELP) Low income home owners Improve efficiencies &/or replacements 3.95% loan up to $30,000 www.mainehousing.org For all energy incentives www.dsireusa.org Residential Energy Efficiency Tax Credit Improve efficiencies and/or replacements including stoves that use biomass. Amount of credit is 30% of cost for all technologies placed in service in 2009 and 2010 combined up to $1,500 www.irs.gov Financial Incentives

35. Energy Resources • University of Maine Cooperative Extension Energy Information • http://extension.umaine.edu/energy • Efficiency Maine • http://www.efficiencymaine.com/ • U. S. Department of Energy • http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/

36. Acknowledgement • Developed by University of Maine Cooperative Extension Associate Extension Professors Donna Coffin and Kathy Hopkins • Reviewed by Joy Adamson and Richard Bacon, Efficiency Maine Program Managers, Maine Public Utilities Commission