Update: We have a winner! Congratulations to Leslie Reed, randomly selected winner of a $200 Home Depot Gift Card for sharing her energy-saving tip. Thank you to everyone who submitted your great energy saving tips — we love all of your ideas!
Your suggestions are so helpful, we plan to share many of them again in upcoming Friday Efficiency Facts.
Here’s hoping your 2012 energy-saving techniques will help you save tons of cash and energy!
Happy New Year!
Two-Thousand-Twelve. What does that mean to you? For many, the start of a new year means a few things: Think clean slate. Think fresh start. Think new beginning. It’s the time of year many of us try to get back on track and set some goals to make some changes and improvements in our lives.
The top resolutions people make this time of year? The usual suspects: Lose weight, get fit, eat healthier, quit *insert bad habit here*, save money, save the planet. While we can’t promise you we can help you trim your waistline and put down that donut (we’re having trouble with that one, too), we can certainly lend a hand when it comes to saving money and the planet. Because at UGI, those are two very important concepts to us.
So here’s what we’re thinking:
First, by choosing natural gas, you automatically have an advantage, because this affordable, efficient fuel offers a great way to save money and conserve energy.
Natural gas is an affordable fuel, especially for UGI’s customers due to recent rate cuts (ranging from 4% to 13% effective Dec. 1, 2011):
- On average, customers who heat with natural gas save $1,000 per year over oil or electric. If you are not currently using natural gas for heating, use our free, online Home Heating Savings Calculator to find out how much you’ll save.
- Historically, natural gas has had more price stability than oil. Oil prices are at an all-time high, while natural gas prices continue to stabilize and decrease, in part due to Marcellus Shale development.
Natural gas is also the cleanest fossil fuel:
- When used for water heating and space heating, cooking and clothes drying, natural gas creates about 30% fewer greenhouse gas emissions than using electric.
- Annual carbon emissions are reduced by 66% by switching from oil heat to natural gas; 166% by switching from electric heat to natural gas.
To get even more bang for your buck, there are many ways for you to increase your $$ savings in your home by utilizing some simple energy savings tips and resources.
One of our favorites: The programmable thermostat. We’ve raved about these before, most recently in our Friday Efficiency post.
Did you know? According to the US Dept. of Energy, you can save about 10% per year on your heating and cooling bills by simply turning your thermostat back 10°–15° for eight hours. A programmable thermostat can help you do that by lowering your home’s temperature automatically while you are away and bringing it back up to your desired temperature when you return home.
Second, we’d like to offer you an even bigger leg up on your resolution keeping: Share your best tip for energy savings in the new year with a comment on this blog post by Friday, Jan. 13, and you will be entered into a chance to win a free programmable thermostat valued at $200 (or gift card equivalent).
Think of it as our way of cheering you on in your New Year’s resolution efforts. We applaud you!
In the meantime, we’ll join you in trying to put down those donuts…
[...] this simple way to save energy and money in the home when we asked for energy saving tips in our Programmable Thermostat contest in [...]
Put on more heavy clothing and turn the thermostat down! That, and use a programmable thermostat with a high efficiency furnace or boiler.
[...] so, you aren’t the only one with this problem. We received some great comments related to this subject on our blog post asking for your energy saving tips for a chance to win a [...]
I turn down the heat at night and use an electric blanket instead. Never thought about using appliances at off peak hours…great idea!!
I purchased an energy efficient infrared heater, that enables me to keep my thermostat turned down by at least 5 degrees, which results in big savings for me while keeping a comfortable room temperature even in really cold days.
I installed a programmable thermostat for my hot water heater so it only comes on at night right before I shower and run the diswasher.
Lowering the temperature at night or during the work day when no one is there can really help lower your heating bill.
Put draft guards at the door’s. Turn down the thermostat at night. And extra blanket’s.
Use plenty of blankets during the night so you can turn down the thermostat just a few degrees below your normal setting. Over a year’s time turning it down just 2 degrees will really help your heating bill.
Wrap your windows with the winterizing kit you can get for pennies. Cover the drafts on the bottom of your doors (They do have ones that slip under you door to stay on when the door opens or closes). Also check your seals around tour door frame tou may need to replace them. I had to this year since i mobes in. Check your schedule and if you don’t have one already get a thermostat that you can adjust the heat determining how long you are gone. Space heaters work great for small rooms and you can put them on a timer to shut off after a certain period. Heating blankets for at night in bed work wonders! I’m very picky with heat so here’s all my advice!
We have noticed our energy bills decrease by lowering our thermastat at night.
We have kept our bills down, but lowering the tempature before we go to bed at night.
I love my electric heated mattress pad…turn it on, and turn the heat way down at night…and the kitties love it!
I installed a programmable thermostat and I am seeing significant savings. Putting those fuzzy strips around door frames helps keep drafts out.
We plug all our entertainment devices into a power strip, then turn the strip off when we go to bed or leave the house!
We have a programmable thermostat and we turn down the heat during the night and hours of the day when we’re not home.
I have a few suggestions for those looking to save energy.
1) Don’t run major appliances until off peak hours; this includes laundry machines and dishwashers.
2) Wash your clothes in cold water, reduces the cost of gas/electric to run your water heater or washer.
3) Weather strip the bottom and top of your front and rear doors.
4) Buy a Water Heater Blanket with an R-10 or more rating, this will reduce the amount of energy needed to keep your hot water hot.
5) Buy Window insulation kits. They install in minutes also increase the insulation on all windows.
6) Switch to all CFL or LED bulbs because they cost very little to opperate and provide a much longer lifespan than a traditional florescent bulb.
7) Invest in wireless LED lighting. Mr Beams (available on amazon.com) makes many high quality indoor/outdoor lighting products which will save you money on lighting closets, halls, paths, workshops, etc.
8) Set your thermostat to 65-66 at night and any time you leave the house.
IMy husband and I help to conserve energy by running our dishwasher, washer and dryer after 7 PM. We also have a programable thermostat which allows us to set the heat to go on and off at certain times of the day. We usually set it so that we turn down our heat from 10 PM to 5 AM and then, since my husband is retired the heat goes on during the day from 5 AM to 10 PM—should it be needed (it also dies not kick on unless the temp in the house goes below 68 degrees). We have managed to be confortable and save money at the same time. We also use gas for cooking and it definately a more steady temperature to maintain. Gas is just a clean, comfortable and efficient way to keep our home going.
I make sure to run my dishwasher over night so the water is still hot in the morning for showers. I also turn down the thermostat when I am not home.
I have always used the programable thermostat as it allows me to decide the temperature for my house based on need. When I am not home I don’t need the temperature up so I set it to go down and then start a warm up about a half hour before I arrive home. I also use it to keep the night time a bit cooler for sleeping. The best thing I have learned is placement. This is the key to having the thermostat run efficiently. Make sure it is in an area that does not have drafts or air blockages because the thermostate won’t read correctly and can erase the benefits of a programable thermostat.
I have used a programmable thermostat for years, it drops at 10:30 pm and warms us up at 5:45 am. Then it is set to drop off while we are at work. It has worked wonders for our heating bills…but the best move has been our switch to gas heat and hot water. I previously used about 750 gallons of oil per year at $3.50/gal that is $2650.00 per year. This is our first year with gas (installed in July 2011) but we are on track to heat our 3000sf home for $ 1200.00 or less. Also my electric bill dropped at least $ 20.00/month because the electric water heater is gone, so we are looking to save about $ 1700.00 this year. If only my retirement accounts had this good of a return on investment….
I bought a Killawatt meter, and found tons of devices in my house that were ghosting current. For exacmple, my computer was pulling down 20 watts when shut off!!!! I unplug it now. 20watts * 24 hours = 480 watts a day. Thats 14,400 watts a month, or 172,800 watts a year. Divide by 1000 to get KW and you get about 175 KW per year savings.. at 12.5 cents a kw, thats 22 bucks a year! Don’t stop there. I found out my Direct tv boxes were using 25 watts while off. I had 4 of them. My subwoofer for my surround sound was leaking 10 watts, and there are tons of other things. I reduced my energy bills by about 15 a month by unplugging devices I’m not using. Sneaky electronics suck power when they’re not supposed to.
The biggest culprit, being the direct tv boxes. The power strips were feeding my tv, surround sound and tv, was showing 48 watts. So with the same math it worked out to about 50 bucks a year per entertainment system. I have them all unplugged now.
Buy a killowatt meter, and figure out which appliances are stealing energy when off. Also upgraded my 30 year old fridge which was a 2nd fridge in the garage to a new energy effecient one. That old one was using 20bucks a month worth of electricity, the new one uses about 5. pays for it self!
good luck.
wow Awesome find…..
If you have base board heat, pull furniture/beds, dressers away from it so that the heat can circulate better.
I keep my programmable thermostat down to 68 when I am at home and 62 when I am at work. Also, whenever possible I take advantage of passive solar heating by opening shades and drapes when the sun is out in the winter and close them in the Summer to keep the heat down. When I do need a space heater, I use a oil filled radiator, which is more efficient than an electric heating element. I’ve switched many of my incandescent bulbs to CFL or LED. I also recommend energy efficiaent comptuing devices for my clients.
I keep the thermostat down and use the dampers in the house to effectively control the rooms that are getting the heat.
one of my favorite and easier energy saving tips is to use a thin strip of caulking around the windows. To make it look as nice as possible, i like to choose a “ultra clear” or “crystal clear” so that it doesnt look like there is anything there. To avoid or doing the caulking, i like to make cut the tip as close to the top as possible to make it very thin and just hit the corners. This service is about $5 (if you already have the caulking gun) or about $10 if you need the caulking gun. This will seal up some of the possible drafts and keep the heat in the house… where it belongs.
I turn my thermostat to 60 when I leave the house and 55 at night in order to conserve energy.
If there was a directional fan installed at two or three locations thru out the duct word in the centeral heat units that can be program to turn on and blow the heated air stronger into a particular section of the house would be very energy efficient. example if your sleeping the fan would blow stronger in that section and during the day it will blow stronger in living room and kitchen. my home at 244 refuge circle drum P.A. 18222. my e-mail georgegarcia713@yahoo.com. I have this problem and it would help alot. I have to turn the temp up to 70 or 75 so that the heated air would reach the entire living area equally.
With Natural Gas hot air heat a damper to direct air to the rooms in use as well as using a humidifier keeps our house cozy and lowers our monthly bill.
Sweatpants and a sweatshirt do wonders!! Lets you turn down the thermostat a few degrees, which adds up!!
I make sure I close my chimney flume when it is not in use.
I have done several things to keep my energy costs down:
1) Shorter showers
2) We keep our thermostat set at 60 degrees during the day when we are not home and then only turn it up when home for work and back down at night again. This has saved us approx $15.00/month. (sure would be nice to have a programmable thermostat)
3) Only do large loads of laundry instead of numerous small ones.
Here are some of the things I have done over the years to save energy in my home. I have gas heat forced hot air, gas heated hot water, gas dryer and a gas stove.
1. Installed Electric Switch Sealers (they are fire retardant plastic foam). They go between the back of the switch plate and the outlet. Once installed on all outlets that are located on outside facing walls, they reduce drafts and heat loss. They make these for regular outlets and switch plates.
2. Put child safety plugs in all outlets that did not have a plug in them and are on walls that are outside facing. This further reduces the airflow coming in around the outlets.
3. In between the storm door and my front door I have a draft guard. It is a thick heavy fabric tube that blocks air from coming in from under the doors. I have one in between my back doors as well.
4. The living room is the coldest room in my house because it faces the North. This year, I purchased thermal backed curtains for use in the winter. They are working really well to keep the cold air out.
5. I close the vents in rooms that we don’t use a lot and keep those doors closed.
6. We have attic stairs that fold up in to the ceiling. We have a large lightweight insulated box that fits over the opening in the ceiling when the stairs are closed. It sits in the attic. Whenever we need access to the attic we just push the box to the side from the top of the stairs. This prevents drafts from the attic and heat escaping from upstairs.
7. I use indoor drying racks in the winter to dry our clothes instead of using the dryer. I also have a tension bar in the bathroom that I use to dry things on hangers. It’s puts moisture back in to the air and saves energy. I hang clothes outside to dry when it’s warm enough, year round.
8. My programmable thermostat is awesome! I set the heat lower when we are not at home during the day and late at night when we are sleeping. I rarely set the heat above 65. We snuggle up with extra blankets and afghans as well as wear fleece and sweaters. We also use flannel sheets in the winter.
I already have a programmable thermostat, and it has definitely saved me a lot of money each year. Other things I have or do to save energy are using florescent light bulbs, installing storm doors and storm windows, unplugging electronics when they aren’t being used, and letting clothes and dishes air dry instead of using the dryer or drying feature on the dishwasher. All of these things have helped me save a ton of money!
Does anyone use a steam humidifier? I can’t seem to keep the moisture in my house…
Adding a steam humidifier to your existing heating unit can help not only increase the moisture in your home, but it will also allow you to reduce the temperature setting on your thermostat, because the air will feel warmer – which will help you save energy and money. Contact your HVAC professional for an estimate, but price range is between $800 and $1200. Good luck!
Having recently bought an older home, I see many areas where there are heating losses. The heat is forced air and since not all of the bedrooms are used, I shut the registers and close the doors. I try to remember to lower the thermostat when I leave for work, but since I do not yet have a programmable thermostat, I sometimes forget. I have replaced the rubber thresholds at the doors after feeling how much cold air was coming in through the gaps.
While I can’t compare a regular to programmable thermostat since I’ve only had programmable and lived in my home 2 years, I know adjusting the temp. throughout the day when you’re not home saves money. Days we’re not home I drop down to 65, and about 1/2 hour before I get home I turn it back up 2 degrees. Weekends are set, but if I have to leave I also drop down and use the HOLD function. I also have a natural gas furnace, so I can’t complain too much on my costs compared to others I know that are forced to have elec. or oil in the country. I did find a large gap in a window, so be sure to “feel around” for any drafts in your home as well.
We use a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust our home temperature when we wake up and sleep. Additionally, we installed a high efficiency natural gas forced air furnace, which significantly cut down on our monthly bill. We close the registers in our spare bedrooms that are not in use.
Our master bedroom has a vaulted ceiling, and our main room has a cathedral ceiling. When we spend time in the rooms with high ceilings, we turn on the ceiling fans to help circulate and push down the warm air. A good winter energy savings tip is to lower your thermostat setting down by a couple degrees and dress warmer when inside your house (e.g. sweatshirt instead of tee-shirt).
Also, make sure the temperature set point on our hot water heater (ours is also natural gas) is not set too high – what is the point of having to mix cold water with your hot water to take a shower or wash your hands? That’s a waste of energy.
We rarely turn on our natural gas fireplace, but when we do for occasions like holidays, we make sure that the centrifugal blower installed underneath the fireplace is turned on and sending heat generated from the fireplace into our home.
Our natural gas piping has a small extension to our deck, including an on/off valve and quick disconnect fitting so we can cook on our grill with natural gas. You can buy a natural gas conversion kit for your grill at a home improvement store. Grilling with natural gas is more economical than using propane, and it’s more convenient too.
Finally, we converted our cook-top to natural gas. This saves on our electric bill, is more economical, and we prefer the advantages of cooking with natural gas.
In the winter, opening curtains and blinds that are facing the sun and then closing them before it gets dark is very helpful. We used to live in a house that had two dense evergreen trees – one in the front yard and one in back yard. When one of the trees was cut down our heating bill increased significantly. I learned afterwards that strategically placed/grown trees and shrubs can significantly reduce energy costs during the winter.
All these tips have keep us very energy efficient and will lower your monthly bills.
As many do, we keep the thermostat down in the winter and dress heavier and use layered covers at night.
In the summer we keep any unnecessary lights turned off to reduce the extra heat and keep the curtains closed to keep out daylight heat. Year round I make sure the computer is in hibernate when not being used.
We try to do most of our baking in the winter when the heat can be used to help heat the house, and use the grill during the summer to reduce the heat in the house.
In the summer, circulating fans help to distribute the AC and reduce the need for it to be running as much
We put in a programmable thermostat last year. In the winter we keep the temp at around 67-70 degrees. I prefer it cooler, but many of my family members would like it a little warmer. It’s so nice having a programmable thermostat. We can set it for just what we need or want at any time during the week.
We turn down the thermostat when we are leaving the house and dress a little warmer during the cold months like everyone else, but one of our biggest energy savers is using insulated curtains. Boscov’s has a sale at the end of the winter last year for 80-90% off of all their curtains. We bought insulated ones for almost every window of our house and no longer feel a draft near the windows.
My son put in a programmable thermostat for me last fall and it has been amazing to watch my bills go down this winter. I always turned the thermostat back at night prior to having a programmable thermostat and tried to do it also when I would be away for an extended times, but I know there were times I forgot. Having a programmable thermostat doesn’t rely on my memory. I also keep the temp down and wear warmer clothing inside, piling extra blankets on at night.
I’VE REDUCED THE OVERALL TEMPERATURE I KEEP MY THERMOSTAT AT FROM 68 -> 65 DEGREES… JUST PUTTING ON EXTRA LAYERS OF CLOTHING HELPS. I ALSO, LIKE MOST, TURN THE THERMOSTAT DOWN EVEN MORE OVERNIGHT & WHEN LEAVING THE HOUSE TO 60-62 DEGREES. I KNOW I PROBABLY KEEP MY HOUSE COOLER THAN MOST, BUT I ALSO THINK IT HELPS THAT I OWN A CENTER TOWNHOUSE & HAVE PEOPLE ON EITHER SIDE OF ME.
HAVING A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT WOULD BE AWESOME!!!
RENEE M.
Keep energy savings in mind in going about your life and in all your purchases. Consider where you can get the most savings for the least cost/effort and start there. Don’t stop there though. Keep working on it. It all adds up. We have a programmable thermostat, but since Mom and kids are home all day it only goes to energy conservation mode at night. Other steps we’ve taken to save energy include: using mostly cfl bulbs; adding insulation to the attic; adding a whole-house humidifier so we are more comfortable at lower temperatures, and this also keeps us healthier; adding ceiling fans so we can set the thermostat warmer in the summer; and replacing washer/dryer to reduce water/energy use.
Get an energy audit of your house and install Honeywell 7 day programmable thermostat. These 2 will save you 500 a year
My husband and I keep the house cooler while we are at work, and he bundles up when he is in the basement rather than using a space heater. We also keep the house cooler at night, because we like to have lots of blankets when we sleep anyway and are unable to sleep when we are too warm anyway.
Of course, use CFLs in the entire house helps. We keep the thermostat set at 65 during the winter, closing doors on rooms we don’t use, and shutting vents in smaller rooms, such as bathrooms to increase heat in the bedrooms. We simply pile on the blankets and layers of clothing. Keeping our furnace clean and filters changed regularly also helps the furnace run more efficiently and keep the air quality cleaner.
I do not have a programmable thermostat in my home but I find turning down the temperture in my home by 5-10 degrees before I leave the house really helps to reduce my consumption. I also close off rooms not in use and use plastic on the windows. It seems to really help!
Inexpensive programmable theromostats are also available to regulate secondary heat sources, like simple electric space heaters. Simply plug thermostat into an outlet, program, and plug space heater into into it for energy savings. It’s an easy supplement to our primary NG heat and I also use mine in the summertime to regulate an old school window AC unit.
with the kid’s raised and out on their own, we have a large house and use the programmable thermostat to maintain heat during the day and cut it back at night. it goes on at 4:30 am and cuts the heat back at 7:30 am and doesn’t kick in until 3:00 pm when we are heading home. we know that it is saving us a lot of money and in these economic times it sure helps.
I work from home and during cold days, I am still able to save heating costs by turning the thermostat down and using a small space heater in the room I’m in. At night, we also leave the thermostat down because we use a heated mattress pad that stays heated for 10 hours. This way, we are not heating the whole house. We also use a clothes drying rack.
We don’t have a programmable thermostat yet, but it’s a great idea. When we leave in the morning I have been changing the temperatures a little bit lower and bring it back up at night. We also lowered our overall temperature from 72 to 70 degrees and use a blanket or a sweater and that helped a lot.
Keep temperature as low as you can comfortably stand in winter (bring on the blankets! Lol); higher in summer and supplement cooling with fans. Also, we have 3 drying racks that we let clothes mostly dry on and either finish or just “fluff” (dewrinkle) in the dryer. If it was a gas dryer we would probably use it more but it’s electric. It takes some getting used to but both your wallet and the earth will thank you!!
One of the of the biggest things we’ve done this year is to add thermal curtains to all of our windows and glass doors. During the day when the sun is shining we open the curtains to get heat from the sun in, and then close at night to keep heat in. In addition, we had a gap around our front door and thanks to Lowe’s I was able to fix that so that the door shuts securely and the cold air stays out. And of course when we are planning a trip for any extended amount of time, we turn the heat down at least 5 degrees. We put a programmable thermostat in our other place and that helped with things tremendously, we just haven’t had a chance to do so here yet.
These are great tips. In my vacation house, I use a programmable thermostat to keep the temperature at 50 when we’re not home. I also have the temperature on the hot water heater, which is gas, set below 110 degrees.
We have forced hot air, which can be so inefficient. It will get really warm then the temperature drops very rapidly. We keep the thermostat set low (60) throughout the day and will turn it up temporarily. as needed. It is set even lower (58)at night and we all use down comforters.
I turn down the thermostat to 60 degrees from from 7:30 AM to 5:00PM. It is set at 62 degrees for 2 hours in the morning from 5:30AM to 7:30AM and in the evening from 5PM to 7PM. I turned down the hot water heater thermostat. Use only the short wash cycle on the dishwasher. Dry cloths on a lower dryer setting and use cold water to wash cloths. Turn lights on when I want to read, and use window candles (4 watt bulbs) to highlight the living area along with candles.
have been able to keep gas, electric well under $100 each per month.
Anytime I leave the house, I turn the thermostat down at least 5-10 degrees. I also try to wait as long as I can in the fall/winter to turn on the heat. I just bought my first home in March 2011 and my girlfriend moved in with me. She has a lot of major health problems which requires her to be home all day so my usual methods don’t work. Lately I’ve been turning down the thermostat when going to bed and adding blankets to help keep the heat bill down. I’ve read other comments here and am fascinated by everyone’s recommendations and methods for lowering the costs of their monthly heating bill.
We keep out thermostat at 68, and 65 when we are not home. We keep doors closed to rooms that have poor ventilation or none at all as a means to keep the furnace from being on all the time.
We had a home energy audit conducted on our home. The Auditor performed a blower door test to show us where air was entering and exiting our home. We sealed up the areas of concern and noticed a big difference. We no longer use plug in air freshners as they are a constant running of energy. We actually unplug our washer and dryer when it is not in use as well as lamps, tvs, etc. It is a pain, but in the long run I feel that it is worth it. We also use cold water for our wash and hang dry our clothes whenever possible.
Opening up the blinds in the house to allow the sunshine in will help warm up the house.
We turn the heat down during the day to 60 and only turn it up one degree at a time when we get home in order to not overwork the system. We keep it at 65 at night and bundle up.
I keep the thermostat at 68 when at home and at 65 at nite. I also turn the thermostat down when leaving the house for extended periods of time and at vacation time. I have put plastic at the lower level windows which help.
I also insulate with foam layer between bilco basement door and concrete and
utilize an older insulated curtain at the bottom of the basement steps next to
the entrance door to help keep some of the cold air outside since that is located at the cold side of the house. I surely could use a programmable thermostat.
We have done are trying a few “new” things…we upgraded old appliances to energy efficient models (dishwasher, fridge, washing machine & dryer). In addition we just installed a new patio door…the old one was never installed properly and we could feel cold air coming directly off of the glass. WOW what a difference an energy efficient door has made
A great energy saver for our household was to add interior window insulation. King Frost makes the shrinkable plastic clear cover for your windows. We then use the insulated curtains to help keep the heat in and the cold out. This has help tremendously with our energy bill.
We always remove air conditioners and sealing windows. This year we replaced our gas hot water heater for better efficiency. Also using Basins when washing wishes will reduce the gas consumption as well as save water.
Never used natural gas before. Very clean and good for the enviroment. As always turn heat down when not at home for long periods of time. Close all doors in rooms not being used. Keep the tempature constant at one temp. for best results. Enjoy the clean heat.
best tip for energy savings in the new year:
Put a sweater on instead of adjusting the thermostat. Also, I hang my clothing outside to dry….my budget payment lowered about $20 a month.
we have lived in our house for 13 years and we used to have one oil burner for the front and rear unit . we recently purcherd two high efficienty gas boilers and replaced alot of the 3 inch gravity feed pipes to smaller copper pipes. Also insulted the house and replaced most of the windows.we keep our heat around 64 degrees and we are now saving to get programbles theromasts,it would be nice if we would win one.
have a blessed day
george & sue w
This is the real copy I wanted to send, You got the draft copy____________________________________
We have lived in our house for 13 years and we used to have one oil burner for the front and rear unit . We recently purchased two high efficiency gas boilers and replaced a lot of the 3 inch gravity feed pipes to smaller copper pipes. Also we insulted the house and replaced most of the windows. We keep our heat around 64 degrees and we are now saving to buy programmable thermostats, it would be nice if we would win one.
Have a Blessed Day
George & Sue Wirth
Heck with saving energy. Turn up those thermostats and burn more of that American produced natural gas. More jobs will be created and I will stop losing my investment in natural gas futures.
Seal off cool draft Spots also get a door runner to place in front of your door. A programmable thermostat would help save plenty thru the year also lowering your max temperature by a degree or two will help a lot.
We had a new boiler installed! Now, with our boiler working more efficiently, our gas bill is back to normal and our electric bill is too! No more electric heaters running 24/7. We spent over $5,000, but this winter we’re saving over $100 a month so far (between both bills)!
We put in new patio doors recently because we could feel the air coming through on the side and weather stripping didn’t even help!
Without my programmable thermostat, my heating bills would be astronomical!
The first energy saving improvement we made to our home was insulate it. We were appalled to find out there wasn’t an ounce of insulation anywhere. We started in the attic, insulating the floor & perimeter, careful not to prevent the roof from “breathing.” Then we insulated each room as we remodeled. We also switched to CFL bulbs everywhere. I think in our situation, a programmable thermostat is the next logical step to energy savings.
[...] By the way, as I was just finishing up this post, I noticed Pennsylvania’s UGI Gas company is offering a chance to win a programmable thermostat. Simply read and comment on the most recent post on their blog ‘The UGI Connection‘. [...]
We are not saving much energy because we don’t have a programmable thermostat. Our heater is very old (1970′s) and it still works but only efficient as a heater that old can. Getting newer thermostat will help with tempeture control until we can afford a more efficient heating unit.
We do wash clothing in cold water as much as possible and have newer windows.
We have been trying to save energy in many ways. We have installed programmable thermostats in the bedrooms and our living area. We still need to install one in the finished basement. We have put in new windows, insulated our attic,put new doors on and caulked any holes where air could sneak in. I have been keeping the thermostat at 65 most of the time and am very used to that temperature. I have also been washing with cold water and only drying the clothes partially and then hanging them to finish drying,this also saves on ironing!!!
Since I have been an adult and have had the ability to chose; I have been using gas since the mid 60′s. Gas gives me comfort and is easy on my pocket. Gas is there, with my ventless stove, when the power is out and it is cold outside. Gas gives an even heat throughout the house and is the best to cook with. Gas is dependable and doesn’t leave you cold like electricity does in ice storms and snow storms.
Plastic on windows, weather stripping and lots of blankets
Power Saving Tips:
- I use mostly CFL’s around the house.
- I use a laptop instead of a desktop pc (less power consumption)
- I use a high efficiency newer natural gas water heater, forced air heater, and cook stove
- I live in a 3 story townhouse (better efficiency than ‘rancher-style house’)
- I keep temps in house at 68 and drop them to 60 at night
- I turn heat down to 55 when going away for any length of time
- I keep hot water heater on as low a temp as possible while still taking warm showers
Programable thermostats are awesome! You can save hundreds by setting to a lower temperature when you are not home and then adjusting it to turn to a high temperature just before you return home.
i keep my heat at 68 during the day at 5;30 my heat goes down to 53 at night and back up at 8;30 in the morning. also if it is in the high 30′s or higher i shut my heat off durring the day. the turn it back on about 9;00 at night. this has worked for years with the prograble themest satate is great i highly recomend one of you don’t already have one thanks
I changed all the bulbs to CFLs a few years ago. I use the clothesline as much as possible, weather permitting of course.
As another poster said, I cuddle up with my dog for warmth at night. If it’s especially chilly, I may jump on my elliptical stepper for a few minutes or run the vacuum cleaner to warm up. I saw a video of The Nest programmable thermostat and I thought it was the coolest thing ever! I’m very busy running errands so I’m in and out of the house a lot. I never remember to turn down the heat, so that would be perfect for me!
you know you can hang your clothes inside the house to dry them in the winter over a heat vent or hang them in the bathroom and shut the door at night…fyi
This year I bought a new, much more energy efficient gas furnace. The old one was around 20 years old and hadn’t been maintained too well by the previous owners. I added more insulation to my attic and replaced a bad storm door. I have a fireplace in my house and started using that more often and use fans to circulate the heat throughout the house. In the summer I hang all my clothes outside or in the laundry room on rainy days. My average gas bill for the year, if I were on a budget, would be $31 per month.
I got myself a programmable thermostat. It makes a lot of difference. I don’t need the temperature set to high when I am in warm bed sleeping or when I am at work. I just have it set to turn on before I am expected to be home.
We changed to a new TV that uses much less power than our old one. To get the lowest power TV look for one that’s LCD with an LED backlight. This uses about half the power of a CCFL (Cold Cathode Florecent Lamp) and much more less than a Plasma. Plasma’s also generate much more heat.
Though not “home” energy saving another major way we saved money and resources this year was by car pooling. It saved probably around $25/week of car pooling which adds up in gas used as well as money spent.
We put a programmable thermostat in our old house after we had insulated, and replaced windows and doors. Our heating bill went from $400 a month in the winter to $70 a month all year round. Amazing savings!!!! I love our gas heat. If you take the proper steps such as insulating, replacing windows, and getting a programmable thermostat, you can save soooooo much like we did. When we moved to a larger home, we made similar changes and have continued to save money on our gas bill!
I would love to have a programmable thermostat in my home. I live alone, with my beautiful St. Bernard who is very protective of house and home! In addition, she’s a wonderful heat source for me, in these times of economic uncertainty, and financial hardship! Like a lot of people, I work all day, and ensure that the thermostat is turned down. In addition, I bundle up well, even when I’m in the house, and keep the heat at low to mid-sixties. At night, I have my dog as my bed warmer, so I turn down the temperature accordingly. So…bottom line…get a dog to save on utility bills…a very BIG DOG!!
****Living in Pennsylvania i have a 3 bedroom home built in 1901, approx. 1700 sq.ft, i converted from oil to gas, overall i save $65.00 a month … best move ever!! along with … *****
1. Caulking the inside & outside of the windows, this saved me at least $20.00 a month…you can go to the Family Dollar, a tube of caulk & gun is $1.00 each.
…Also, Caulk all baseboards in your home, this will seal the spaces between the walls and the baseboards saving even more money & energy.
2. I bought 1 roll of fiberglass insulation from Lowes & placed it in the ceiling of my basement and around the old Porch cellar Door, i spent $13.00, my bill dropped $10.00 a month
3. I bought 2 cans of instant foam insulation from Lowes, @ $3.42 = $6.84 & went around the home on the outside & filled all holes & gaps in the bricks, the bill dropped approx. $2.65 a month.
4. I bought 4 tubes of cement sealant/caulk @ $6.00=$24.00 and caulked around the home where the walkways/concrete meets the house and around the porches, this saved me $3.04 a month
5. I bought 5lb.’s plumbing putty and placed it around every sink pipe going into the wall, $6.34 @ Lowes & that saved approx. $5.65 a month.
6. One of the 2nd Most Energy Saving Ideas i came up with was, I eliminated my Electric Clothes Dryer, I use hangers to hang my clothes on a retractable clothes line from Lowes @ 14.95, i save $35.00 a month off my Electric bill all year round, i am very proud of this Energy & Financial savings, my clothes are fresh smelling and the fabric last longer.
7. I also invested in heat substitutions, i bought 2 portable indoor/outdoor fireplaces from Overstock.com, that uses the fireglo gell fuel cans, in 2 bedrooms, over the winter months, i have not turned my thermostat past 62 degrees and it is currently January 2012 in Pennsylvania and my home is comfy toasty!
8. For the Doors in your home, Add Storm doors or if your doors are really gappy, invest in replacing the door jams (Lowes has prehung door jam kits less than $50.00) to make them square for your opening, then your doors will fit properly eliminating gaps, because the felt door strips is a waste of money they dont work, your house settles so the jams move from settling.
9. I turn the thermostat down when i go to work to 60, although a programmable thermostat would be ideal, “I hope i win”….
These few inexpensive improvements helps me save approximately $142.00 to $150.00 a month! and you dont have to buy everything at once, i bought a few items in stages every payday, that is how i know what each item saved me off my bills. Remember, you must invest to be able to save.
Sincerely MsWv. Energy Saver!!
My housemates and I are college students in Bethlehem. Thankfully, our landlord installed a programmable thermostat just before we moved in. We’re saving noticeable amounts on our monthly bill by having it turn off during the day when we have classes, on Friday and Saturday evenings when we’re out with friends, and during the hours when the sun is naturally hitting our windows. It’s pretty great.
Install an in-line water heater which heats water as needed instead of keeping the whole tank heating even when it is not in use.
My husband and I save energy by lowering the temperature in our house during the day while we are at work. We also avoid turning our heat on as much as possible. We use our gas fireplace to heat our primary living area because it does not use electricity like our heat. Even when we go to bed we turn the temp in the house down and cuddle under the covers to stay warm. Hopefully this winter will be as mild as the fall and we can avoid turning the heat on as much as possible. Same with the summer! If it stays mild we can avoid our AC and keep the windows open
By far, utilizing a programable thermostat has help save on our energy usage more than anything else.
We set the thermostat only at 65 degrees while going to bed and use space heater at 68 degrees only in the bedroom. In that way we can save more gas for heating the entire home and use little power for the space heater only in the bedroom.
My best energy saving tips are to unplug unused appliances and chargers when they are not in use. We have a lot of automatic off appliances for those that aren’t as easy to unplug. We don’t turn on lights when they aren’t needed and use energy-saving bulbs. We also turn the temperature down in our house when we are not home and at night when we will be covered up. We seal up our windows in the winter and check to make sure doors and windows are closed tightly. We also dont’ try a lot of our clothing which saves on dryer use and helps keep the air in our house less dry without having to run a humidifier. Finally, we warm clothes around the house in the winter and less clothing in the summer so we can adjust the temperature settings to be colder in the winter and warmer in the summer, thus saving on energy.
In addition to my programmable thermostat I use motorized window coverings to add a barrier between windows and the house that help keep the house cool in the summer and warmer in the winter. I’ve also conserved energy by installing dimmers on most light sources in the house. By dimming just a little I save quite a bit as compared to a switched light.
We keep our heat at about 60 during the day and at night when we are sleeping. 62-64 when we are awake and home, I love to snuggle up in a blanket and it keeps the gas bill lower.
My home is a 1950 cape cod. Replacement windows helped but I’ve also added foam draft seals in all exterior wall outlets and switch boxes. New, blown-in insulation installed this summer has improved the comfort level of the house a great deal, both for the remainder of the summer and thus far this fall and winter (especially the upstairs). I have been able to keep the thermostat set back several degrees compared to the last few years and I’m still comfortable. But making sure it’s set right and only changing 3-4 degrees up or down keeps the boiler (or A/C in summer)from having to catch up a great deal.
Some things that we do to keep our energy costs low….I only run the dishwasher when it is FULL. Also, I only do full loads of laundry in our front loader washer/dryer. I try to air dry clothes as much as possible. We also turn down the heat when we are not at the house….dress in layers @ the house when we are home. I also make sure that all the lights are turned off when we leave a room.
We use power strips for our high energy areas (tv and computer areas) and turn them off at night and when we’re not home. We’ve noticed a $75.00 a month savings from doing this
We find it helpful to be sure that all of our windows are locked, providing a better airtight seal. Also we use our programable thermostat to its fullest. Our temperture is set back during our away from home times by 2-4 degrees, daily. Also we make use of our ceiling fan to recirculate the air that rises into the catherderal ceiling of our living room while our gas fireplace is being used. We also keep our blinds and curtain down/closed during really damp and windy days to keep any draft to a minimum. On very sunny days we take advantage of the nautral energy and keep the blinds up allowing the nautral sunlight to heat parts of our home.
Here’s what I’ve done to my house (built in 1960) in the last 2 years:
- added insulation to the attic
- installed energy efficient windows
- installed over 1kWh of solar panels & inverters
- insulated water heater and put a timer on it
- switched from oil to gas heat (after the oil furnace failed)
- weather stripped all doors (including attic access)
- insulated the basement rim joists
- insulated exterior wall outlets and switches
- already had a programmable thermostat
- a couple of my favorites for electricity reduction: Bye-Bye Standby (on my entertainment center) and smart power strip (on my computer center). I also like Belkin’s plug timer. These all save electricity not just by shutting appliances off but also by killing the ghost electricity used for ‘instant-on’ appliances like TVs.
I have a very old house. The basement windows, Bilco doors to the outside and the seam between the foundation and the exterior wall are very drafty. In put fiberglass in the space between the foundation and the floor joist. In the winter I also seal the basement windows the Bilco doors with insulation board. This has reduced by heating bill by about 5%.
We used to have oil heating in our home; not anymore! UGI came out to our home, did a great review of our needs, and then installed a really nice NATURAL GAS furnace, with a new water heater, and a really nice air conditioner. The savings has been well worth the effort, and has cut our bills nearly in half. Sure, our natural gas usage went up, due to the new furnace, but the savings from not having to pay $800-1000 for oil each year was the best part. My tip, to anyone using oil heating, and has a gas stove ~ get that oil furnace out, and put a natural gas furnace in!
Don’t forget to add some new insulation in your attic, and if needed, under the first floor flooring.
We live in an older home and not all of the windows have storm windows yet. We found that the clear plastic works great to keep the drafts out and the heat in. We are working on replacing the older windows as we can.
Combination of turning down thermostat when not at home; closing off room not be used on a regular basis; ensuring that windows and doors are tight; turning off lights when leave a room; lower thermostat and more sweaters.
I am on a budget, just like many people these days….
I turn the thermostat down before I go to sleep and nudge it a little in the morning. I turn it down when I’m not home or when I’m cleaning. Also, I turn off the vents in rooms that I do not use like the spare bedroom & the extra bathroom. This has helped bring down my heating bills.
We used spray foam insullation to insulate our rooms as we remodel! It really saves on the energy costs
I use a programmable thermostat, keeping it at 54 degrees at night and when everyone is at work/school. I also use the energy saving lightbulbs, air dry the dishes instead of using the dry setting on the dishwasher, wash only full loads of clothes and dishes. I put plastic over the stained glass window (the only window not newish and energy efficient). I also buy energy efficient appliances.
- We generally are very good at turning our heat down when leaving for the work day, and this is a good way to save energy.
- Also, in the winter make sure to keep your blinds/curtains open to let as much light in as possible, and therefore get the most possible natural heat!
- And we also use the fan settings for summer/winter, which can reduce energy comsumption as well.
Programmable Thermostats are definitely the way to go..i have had one for about 5 years, and. i know it saves me money every year….:-)
Unplug unused appliances. Wear a warm pair of socks and keep the heat down when you go to bed. snuggle up with the one you love:)
We have installed energy efficient windows and doors, installed a little over the recommended amount of insulation, using a dehumidifier in the basement, and installed a digital thermostat. Dressing warmer during the winter months allows us to keep the thermostat setting a little lower than normal. All of these items help tremendously on reducing the amount of heating costs.
I keep my heat at 60 when I’m at home (and bundle up, keeping a hat on helps). Whenever I leave, I turn the heat off. I’ve never had an issue with pipes freezing (no matter how horribly cold it gets), so this works for me. Others may just want to keep the heat at 45 while away. This practice does require regular attention to your thermostat. Since i have a predictable schedule, a programmable thermostat could greatly benefit someone like me.
If you have an older home, the recommendations for insulation have changed and odds are you do not have enough insulation in your attic, etc. It would be useful to add an extra layer of insulation in the attic which is what we did in our home and you can feel the difference in the winter and summer.
My excellent method of reducing energy consumption and cost of gas. — turn the heat down a few degrees and put on a sweater! Staying active throughout the day also helps to create natural warmth within our bodies so we don’t need so much external heat. Simple, free solutions that just plain make sense.
Keeping every gap insulated like doors and windows. Also turn the heat down when coking or sleeping
*cooking
Despite a relatively new house with low-e windows and built with a house wrap there are still areas to prevent cold air from coming in during the winter. I stuffed any outlets and wall switches on exterior walls with insulation to reduce the amount of air blowing inside the house.
New window helps. Also, making sure you have a newer thermostat is a big help. An old one may no longer be accurate.
We have put plastic over back windows that are not insulated. We also keep our thermostat at 58 until 30 minutes before we get home, even then, it only goes up to 68. We are adding foam insulation where possible to keep heat in as well.
We have a very old house and installed new windows and a programmable thermostat. The windows stop any drafts, and the thermostat keeps the temp low when we are at work, and at night! It’s nice to not have to remember to turn the heat down yourself.
We bought a thermostat that you can control from the internet or smart phone. If we go away for extended periods we drop it to the lowest setting possible (55 degrees) and kick it back up to normal when we are returning.
The biggest tip to energy saving is to switch to natural gas. Living in Maine, oil is the biggest annual expense that we have. That way other energy saving tips, like melting plastic wrap with a hairdryer around windows to prevent drafts, would become unnecessary. Yes, we have resorted to all kinds of measures to cut the oil expense.
turn the heat down when your not home during the day. A programmable thermostat would be the right way to go. you could set it to adjust the temperature during off/peak hours. then you could have it nice and toasty for when you’re home
Turn off the lights when you leave the room!
My husband and I bought a historical home that was built in 1748. We recently changed to natural gas and we have found some helpful tips that have saved us money. We keep our thermostat set at 68 degrees or cooler with the thermostat fan switched to “auto”. We have our thermostat set automatically to lower to 65 degrees or cooler at night and when you’re away from home.
Programmable thermostats are great! I use one in my home and one at my rental property! My wife stays happy with the home temp and my tenants are thrilled with the savings at their new place! We also put towels by some big windows behind our couch for added insulation that no one can see. Thermal curtains by our patio door helps in the summer and the winter.
I turn the temperture down when not at home and while sleeping.
I turn the temperture down when I leave for work and go to bed at night.
We bought a 90 year old house 2 years ago and have been plugging various holes all over it since. One thing we found was that above some of the drop ceilings, the plaster ceiling was missing and there was no insulation, so basically there was nothing but rafters and the roof to hold in the heat! We fixed that and have seen a big difference in comfort and expense. If you buy an older house, remember to look where you don’t think you should have to!
We have put up some thermal curtains across doorways we don’t use much in the winter to block the draft, turned out heat down 2 more degrees, & have started hanging our clothes on racks to dry instead of using the dryer.
I have purchased weatherstrips to place in the cracks around my exterior doors. This seems to help keep cold drafts from coming through.
I changed to gas after two years of home ownership after dealing with oil …and minimum delivery of over $120…. i save by insultating, they didnt have insulation in the 1920′s and by cutting the thermostate to what barley keeps the pipes from freezing, and going to other peoples houses who can afford to heat there homes.
I’m saving energy in 2012 with my new more energy efficient gas furnace & air conditioner, gas hot water heater, & programmable thermostat which were all installed at the end of 2011.
Having an older home, i find every possible way to conserve energy. Last year we installed new windows which made such a big difference!! We also use draft blockers, extra insulation between the basement and first floor, and keep the thermostat(which definitely needs to be updated) at a reasonable setting. We even seal off the older front door for the season and just use the back door.
We rent our home so some energy tips r not an option (ie new windows), but there r still some we take advantage of. We cover the windows w/plastic, close curtains & turn down the temp wen away (make sure ur pets hav comfy areas 2 go into!). We also do laundry after 5pm & put “bumpers” @ the bottom of doors 2 the outside. Hope this helps.
Happy winter!!
Our family is on a really tight budget all year round and that budget is always challenged in the winter month’s when the heat must be turned on to keep the house warm. We have found that by turning our thermostat back to 60 degrees at night we have been able to maintain our monthly budget payment that has been the same since the summer, and what a blessing that is! We turn the heat up periodically throughout the day to warm the house but thankfully we have radiators that really hold the heat. Other ways we have attempted to keep our heating costs down is by closing off our living room with the pocket doors. This keeps the dining and living room areas toasty warm which is wonderful because these two rooms are used heavily by our family. Likewise, an open back staircase has been closed off with two heavy curtains (at the top and bottom of the staircase) to keep this cooler air from finding its way into the kitchen and other first floor rooms. Finally, I swear by a good, heavy sweater for the coldest months. I’m amazed that it is really possible to keep the thermostat at a reasonable setting and still feel comfortable and warm.
We save energy by keeping the house a bit cooler in the winter. We would love to have it at 70 but we keep it around 65. We also put plastic over our windows to help eliminate drafts and heat escaping out our windows. Finally we close all of the vents upstairs since heat rises and that also helps in keeping the temp warmer downstairs.
I use heat/cold blocking curtains, which really make a difference in the cold weather. They also make the bedroom completely dark, which is healthier for a good night’s sleep. I also make sure to use draft guards on all external doors to keep the cold/heat out.
Check the weather seal on all the exterior doors.
We installed weather stripping around all of our doors and covered all of our windows with plastic to help keep the cold out.
Install self-closing hinges on all exterior doors. They close by themselves!
Keep the thermostat set low and layer up on the clothing. Also, make sure to open up window curtains/shades when the sun in shining that direction to get some natural heating.
Some energy saving tips we use are a programmable thermostat, using cold water for wash and opening door to dishwasher after wash cycle so the dishes can air dry.
Install self-closing hinges on all exterior doors. They close immediately by themselves!
Replaced Windows to reduce the drafts.
To save energy I installed low flow sink and shower heads. We also lower the thermostat while away for the day.
We have added a whole house humidifier and make sure that we have our water heater dial set at 120 degrees plus we check and change the filters in our furnace every 30 days plus have our furnace serviced every 2 years.
I already do a lot of the tips that were left by other users! Awesome stuff. I have thermal curtains to keep out the drafts AND Ihave a programmable Thermostat that lets me drop the temp while I’m at work (i don’t know how much my cat appreciates that).
I also make sure to keep the seal between my garage door and my home tight so none of that cold air comes in either.
Here’s a pretty wholesome tip….spend time with your family all in one room, even if it means just watching TV together. Instead of being split up in different rooms and using seperate computers, tvs, lights and other appliances; spend some time all together in one room. Family bonding AND family saving.
In the winter we cover our windows with plastic and change to thicker curtains.uSe turn the heat down when we are not home and also change to heavier blankets. We also keep the doors closed in rooms that we don’t really go into. In the summer we mostly cook outside on the grill since our oven and stove are also gas.
I just moved this summer from a house with oil heat to a home with gas heat, cooking and hot water and I havn’t regretted it once. I used to dread filling my oil tank but now I get my ugi bill and can’t believe how cheap it is. I always turn down the thermastat at night, plus we have blinds from blinds-to-go that cut out any draft we may have
We turn our heat down at night (use a heating blanket) and when we leave the house.
We use heavy drapes and curtains (black out curtains) to keep the heat in.
I shop around for companies who generate my gas and electricity, and I am more conscious about turning off and unplugging small appliances when they are not being used.
Do google searches on “Bye-Bye Standby” and smart power strips. They make turning off any electricity plug-in devices either one-step by remote or automatic. Better still, they shut down the ‘ghost’ electricity used for instant-on convenience.
In addition to using our programmable thermostat, we use heavy insulating curtains.
Remember to set heat lower when you will be away from home.
We still cover our windows with plastic during the winter.
Convert your propane gas grill to natural gas and never worry about an empty tank again. It also burns better.
Happy too have Natural gas as my heating source. Very affordable pricing.
Battalion gas its self is s much more economical way to hear your home. I used to have oil, and now I Dave over s $1000 a year in heating costs. I try to lower my bill even more by, keeping all outside doors tightly shut. Making sure there was no heat loss by caulking cracks around doors and Windows. And slightly turning down the temp. during the day when no one is home. You don’t want to turn it down to low, because it just makes the furnace work harding and burn more gas to heat it back up to a good temp.
We try to save in many ways including using insulated curtains, preparing the food first and then turning on the stove right when we are ready to cook and keeping up to date with changing filters and having our equipment serviced.
Replace blinds with thermal curtains, particularly with large glass windows or sliding glass doors. Prevents drafts and insulates at the same time.
Open curtains and blinds during the day to use the sun to warm your home or space.
One thing we do is lower our thermostat while we are away from the house for the day. This is better than always turning it off then on again. When we get home, we turn it back up!
We do a number of things to try and save during the winter…. we absolutely use a programmable theromostat for starters! You can set the heat to a low temp while you are away, and then bring it back up to a comfortable temp for when you’re home. We also close off rooms that we don’t use a lot, and shut the dampers off for those areas. And we installed a humidifier on our furnace, as well as use them in the main rooms. Make sure the windows and doors are sealed properly, and another one is the outlets….you’d be surprised how much cold air seeps through an outlet that isn’t insulated correctly.
My best energy saving tip: Unplug unused electrical components. Especially TVs and Micorwaves and Computers. AND ESPECIALLY when you are not home. these appliances use electricity even if they are not turned on. By doing this, We cut our electrical bill from $120 a month to $60-$70 a month. I cant believe how much it saved.
Program your thermostat lower when you are away from the house and when you are sleeping to lower heating and cooling bills.
Habit can be your best friend or your worst enemy. I have learnt this fact from my elders years ago and always follow this simple trick for everything I do. At day time I let the sun and outside light come in and help to maintain the temperature. Also natural light keep bugs (if any) stay away.
I always make sure I change my filters on time and keep the temperature maintained at a moderate level.
It is very hard to conserve on energy in a house with 5 children, however I can share these tips.
1) I RUN around all day turning lights off after the kids.
2) Time our showers. Imagine there are 7 off us, so this is very important!!
3) Plastic all our windows.
4) Set the heat at 68 degrees and wear more clothing.
5) Insulate my water heater.
I set my thermostate lower when im sleep and not home
I had insulation blown in my outer walls, and energy efficaint windows it was a little expensive but now the gas heat stays in the house. If I set the temperature at 65 it stays 65 in the house and the furnace is’nt coming on every 5 minutes.
Gas is much cheaper than Oil or Electric
Weather stripping the doors has helped save heat, but the biggest savings is the Window Insulator Kits. You use a hair dryer to shrink wrap your windows! It’s a beautiful thing…
If you don’t have proper returns in your house, that might cause a chimney effect where air is pulled from gaps in your basement and pushed through your attic. You want to use returns installed low in rooms to pull warm air downward, and high returns in the summer to pull cool air upward. If you have a hot upstairs in the summer or a cool downstairs in the winter, this may be to blame.
A ceiling fan can help with this as well. It can push air down in the tradition way to cool a room, or reversed to pull air upwards to better distribute the hot air that gathers at the ceiling! Most people never think to use a fan in the winter, but revere it and put it on a low setting and you’ll be amazed how much warmer it gets when you’re sitting down. The higher your ceilings are the more you’ll notice.
Also, do you get icicles more than other houses in your neighborhood? Does the snow on your roof melt long before your neighbors? You need more attic insulation or you need to plug air leaks that might be found around pot lights or ceiling vents for instance.
Additionally, tape or calk around your furnace and exposed ductwork to prevent leaks. To test for leaks, use a long match, incense stick, or long lighter. Wave it slowly around any seams and if the flame/smoke is being sucked into the return, flickering or being blown out then you need to seal that area. This will stop conditioned air from being wasted in unconditioned space, which makes the furnace have to work less hard to achieve the same result in your conditioned space.
turn down the heat to 59 during the day and around 68 when home.
I am with everyone who loves gas! I bought my house as a single mother which was built in 1975. So as you know lots of heat getting wasted out cracks and such. Anyways one of my first purchases was a gas fireplace to warm up my living room(it was the furthest room from the thermostat and furnace) so you can imagine it is the most chilly. Anyways can I just say thank you God for an appliance that quickly heats this room when it is chilly. I do all the small things to save gas and be more efficient. Well on my list next is to have a more efficient thermostat (a programmable one) and a gas stove to have more efficient cooking.
We are new home owners, and as such are learning as we go on reducing energy use in our home. We have sinced caulked all the windows to reduce the amount of cold that was previously leaking through. This changed the temperature of the downstairs significantly. Upstairs we use heavy curtains to block the cold.
The thermostat is set around 67 during the evenings, and turned off during the day. We all wear warm clothing to lounge and have blankets to keep warm at night. We are teaching our children that there is a great need to reduce the amount of resources used in our home. (turn off lights when leaving a room, turn off the tv, turn the water off when brushing teeth etc.)
The front door was a significant issue with letting in cold air. We bought and installed a new weather strip. This reduce the amount of air coming through the door. I have friends that install spray foam insulation. They insulated my garage, which significantly reduce the amount of cold coming through that entrance.
All in all we really helped decrease the amount of heat we use in our home.
We live in a townhouse and have found that our gas fireplace does an excellent job of heating our home. We only turn it on when we are in our living room and themselves shut it off before bed. Pile on an extra blanket and you’ll be fine! We haven’t had agas bill over $25 yet this winter!
I also put up plastic on my windows since mine are the original windows from the 50′s , I also keep my thermostat at 69 , I have oil heat but want to convert to all gas as soon as I have enough money to do that , and I keep plenty of blankets handy . I keep curtans closed after the sun moves to keep the heat in the rooms .
To save on energy cost, we turn down the temperature 10 to 15 degrees or so at night and while at work. It helps to sleep better and keep the heating cost down. Also we have turned down our gas hot water heater back a few notches. The water was too hot anyhow and it helps conserve energy. Also we use draft dodgers on a few of our doors to keep the cool air from seeping inside. Close doors and vents to rooms that are not in use. Also we have room space heaters in living room and bedroom to use if there is a chill in the room we are occupying. We have new windows which really help to keep the heat in and drafts out!
I wish that we had the money for a programmable thermostat. We turn the heat down or off when we leave the house, but it’s so cold when we return. Our bills are still more than we can afford to pay even with my step-father helping out every month.
Life is hard with 4 kids in a 2 bedroom 1 bath home with a disabled husband. We do what we can, but our home needs so many upgrades. All the windows leak air and the side door is still damaged from when we were broken into – it leaks cold air really bad. The kitchen cabinets are 62 years old and so is the stove.
My husband had surgery yesterday to clear a blockage in his lungs and the surgery failed. The gas wall-heater we use to keep the living room warmer broke yesterday too.
My tip on saving energy is to wear a sweater. Have plenty of blankets to keep warm when watching TV.
We place plastic sheets on our windows to provide an additional layer of insulation, air, between the glass and the room.
I have been trying to use my gas stove less. Or at least getting two uses out of what I’m doing. When I boil water for tea or coffee I use the water to sterilize tooth brushes (everyone is sick), I rinse out my bathroom sink and tub (believe it or not, this helps with soap scum) or I let it cool enough to put the water into my bucket, add cleaner and wash the bathroom floor. Whenever the oven is used I always leave it open a bit when cooking is done which helps to heat up my kitchen (which is the coldest place in my house) and if I’m lucky I have some washed clothes that I can hang in the kitchen door way to dry which saves from using my dryer.
Keep the heat at a steady level (this year 67 degrees to see the difference) – a sweater goes a long way!
Installed a storm door on the front.
Use as many energy-efficient appliances as possible – upgrades save money in the long run.
I have an end-unit townhouse, so I make use of as much natural light as possible to keep the electric down.
Weatherize your home by caulking and weather-stripping all doors and windows. Also use locks on your windows to make them tighter and draft resistant. Have your heating system serviced once a year and regularly replace furnace filters. During the heating season, change or clean furnace filters once a month.
I set my thermostate lower when im sleep and not home, also i put plastic on all my windows. Also unplugging appliances around the house that are not being used.
We have found that using insulated curtains and heavy blinds blocks a lot of cold air. We also close the window treatments at night and when it’s windy, then re-open them to let the warm sunlight come through during the day. We keep our thermosat around 60, 24/7, and turn it back to 45 when we are away on vacation. We close off rooms that are not in use and close the vents to those rooms. We also use small space heaters in the rooms, when we are watching tv. These few things has made our 2500 sq.ft. home comfortable and we are quite pleased with the energy we are conserving not only to the environment, but the savings to our wallet too.
program your thermostat back 4 degrees when going to bed and gradually up to regular temp when morning comes, this has helped our natural gas bill
Tips for 2012? I keep the temperature down when I’m at work and when I come home, I make it comfortable. I also change out the door screens to glass to further insulate the house.
Use curtains to block the winter cold air.
We also turn down the heat when we are not home and at night. We also put plastic over the windows to prevent heat escape and door guards under the doors to the warm air stays inside. We have also just purchased a new hot water heater that we are hoping will reduce the cost of heating the water. We are always looking for ways to reduce our electric/water/gas costs.
I live in a home that was built in 1901, so I’ve had to be very creative on ways to keep my home insulated, it’s very drafty.
I’ve had to:
1. Major chalking inside and outside my home
2. Weather stripping
3. replacing insulation in the ceiling and walls
3. New water heater
4. New furnace, installed by UGI and I have the maintenance plan
5. I unplug appliances not being used during the day
6. Leaving my thermostat at 65 degrees while Im at work
This is just few things that I’ve done to save on energy. It’s hasn’t been easy, and every year I’m always thinking of new ways by keeping up with the UGI News letter.
During the day when I’m active around the house I keep the thermostat at 62 and only turn it up to 68 in the evenings when I’m sedentary, reading or watching television.
Me and my fiancé just moved into an apartment with gas heat and I wanted to budget how much we spend on heat so I always turn the thermostat off on days when it’s warmer than usual that way I let the sun heat the house. Also I turn it down when I’m not home and try to cuddle in a blanket and keep warm rather thank use my heat and waste more money
We found that ZONING the heat makes a HUGE difference. Plus we have a vent free gas fireplace that we got from UGI years ago LOVE THAT FIREPLACE! Anyway, we utilize a small fan with that fire placewhich moves the warm air around more efficiently.
I’ve used many different types of heat over the years and natural gas has been my favorite. I have a very basic and inexpensive programmable thermostat that I installed myself a few years ago. I didn’t splurge on a more pricy model at the time because I wanted to see if it really helped. Well, it has! And its nice to have a little extra cash in my pocket.I have it set to automatically lower my heat before bedtime- because I always used to forget. Now I wish I bought one that lets me set it to also adjust the temp while I’m at work and even set different schedules for weekend days so I can save even more!
The best tip? Get Gas! OMGoodness — going from all electric (heat pump) to gas heat enables me to keep the thermostat lower than last year by 5 degrees and it feels warmer! Turn it down at night or while I’m not home and it heats back up within minutes not hours. Love it.
Next on the list — gas dryer!
Money doesn’t grow on trees, in fact nothing does in the winter time save our heating expenses. My husband and I thwart the billing blues by turning down our thermostat while we are at work. We wake at the 5:30am, turn the thermostat down to 58 and return home at 6:00pm. and turn it back up but to only 66 degrees because we will soon be sleeping and won’t need the extra heat at that time. A programmable thermostat would be a blessing as we wouldn’t have to remember to do this ritual every day. When I have my children on Wednesdays and Thursdays and every other weekend, we adjust the home to be a little warmer. A NEST thermostat would be ideal as it would remember when we have them and when we don’t and could therefore do all the “worrying” for us.
We turn down the heat whenever possible and also installed a programmable thermostat. This year we plan on installing new windows in the entire house – that should really help!
We insulated our attic and leave our thermostat turned to about 62 all winter. It’s more efficient to wear layers! We also bundle up and ride our bikes when we have to make short trips, which saves gas and wear and tear on our car.
turn it off leave it off til you can’t stand it ..put on extra layers in house
We just bought a newer home with excellent insulation. Adding a storm door also helped with the windy days where the house can get cold quick. Good windows and doors make a huge difference in a home…we can shut our heat off and the house will stay warm for many hours afterwards
Install foam gaskets behind cover plates for outlets and light switches in outside walls.
Seal around pipes that go through outside walls.
Keep the clothes dryer filter clean.
We use shades and draperies to insulate the windows–open in the day so the sun warms the house, but closed at night so the chill doesn’t radiate into the room. We also close the heat vents in rooms and places we don’t use, like the guest bedroom and dining room, so the heat flows to the spaces we are in.
Install a programmable thermostat.
Keep doors closed for room that are not in use and close vent in that room.
Short Showers(Less use of gas to heat water)
Timers on lights.
Turn appliances off when not in use(TV’s and Computer)
Keep garage door shut in winter.
There is no one great tip, but, several small things can make a huge improvement: 1. Turn the thermostat down and space heat only the room(s) you are using or wear a sweater. 2. Humidify the air in your house, it feels warmer. 3. Put that plastic film over your windows to create an additional air gap between inside and outside. (Windows provide very little thermal resistance) 4. Make sure your doors and windows have a good seal and close tightly so that cold air doesn’t breeze through.
Having trees around our house provides shade in summer to help keep house cooler. In the winter, when the leaves are off, the sun warms the house, especially in the living room where we have a bay window. It’s a natural way to reduce energy use and benefit the environment.
We replaced our windows and doors. And turned down the temp during the day when no one is home. Definitely saving money.
I do manually what a programmable thermostat would do. Turn down the temp wehn I leave for work, turn it up when I get hone and also turn it down a little when I go to bed. In addition, I have insulated curtains to help keep the heat in. And on the electricity side I’ve installed CFLs in all my fixtures.
Unplug electronics (like cable box) when not in use. Leaving them on uses energy. Caulking windows helps, and switching from electric heat to gas heat really saves money.
My husband and I are planning on replacing the doors in our house, as it appears that they are the original doors and we can feel cold air seeping through some gaps. We are also looking into insulating our attic.
We added some additional insulation to spots in our basement that needed it. We also don’t heat rooms in our house that we don’t use a lot and keep those doors shut.
I NEVER HAD AN EFFICIENT THERMOSTAT, I STILL HAVE THE OLD CIRCLE ONE. I REALLY NEED TO UPGRADE AND READING THE THINGS IT CAN DO TO CONSERVE HEAT, IS WHAT I NEED. I HAVE NEW WINDOWS WHICH HELPS A LITTLE, BUT HAVING AUTOMATIC CONTROL OF THE THERMOSTAT WILL BE GREAT AND, AND MY KIDS WONT HAVE TO KEEP ADJUSTING THE TEMPERATURE AND WILL CUT DOWN ON MY GAS BILL.
THE BEST TIP TO CONSERVE ENERGY IS WHAT UGI IS OFFERING “A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT”.
ANOTHER ONE IS TO UNPLUG ALL ITEMS THAT ARE CURRENTLY NOT IN USE, DUE TO THEY ARE STILL USING POWER.
WE TURN DOWN THE HEAT WHEN WE ARE GOING TO BED , DUE TO YOUR UNDER THE COVERS AND IT IS WARMER THEN .
AND DURING THE DAY WHEN WE ARE OUT WE TURN IT DOWN AS WELL.
WE USE PLASTIC TO COVER THE OLDER WINDOWS THAT TEND TO LEAVE COLD AIR INSIDE.
For the last 20 years I had to move 6 times due to job requirement. One of the first things I look for in a house is natural gas heat. It saves a lot of money on heating and helps the economy. With very simple adjustments and settings you can achieve a balance between comfort and savings. Always look for homes with natural gas heat and if not install it.
We did multiple things:
Installed a programmable thermostat the have it set to be lower during the workweek.
Installed energy saving light bulbs
Installed new windows and doors and chalked those which were not replaced
Purchased a new gas dryer and washer
Installed power outlets which we turned off when not in use (TV, VCR, Sound Sound, etc).
Unplug cell phone charger, etc when not in use.
Insulate
Comparison shp for utility provides (gas and electric)
Our home use less eletric and our gas bill is also low!
We keep our house set at a lower temperature (low 60′s) and use a small (efficient) space heater in the room we are in. This has lowered our bill by close to 15% in the past year.
We replaced windows and put up plastic around the window with our air conditioner in it to prevent any draft and loss of heat.
I installed a programmable thermostat on each of my 3 zones. This way the house isn’t heated while we’re not in it, and only the zone we are in is heated up. HUGE savings on my gas bill.
We’ve done 3 big things this year to save energy costs: Bought a programmable thermostat and keep it turned down except from 5-9 pm when we’re awake and at home; insulate the attic with recycled newspaper insulation; and (most surprising) only running our basement dehumidifier 6-8 hours/day (1 bucket full) versus 24 hours –> this has been the biggest decrease in costs of all!
Replace the weatherstripping around your door. This is a big source of air leaks, and wears out over time.
We have changed to a gas furnace instead of oil – what a smart idea – we save money and stay warm.
I had new energy efficient windows installed this summer from Window World and it has really help with both my heating and electric bills. Last winter when you were anywhere near our windows you could just feel the draft coming in but not this year.
I always leave my thermostat @ 63 degrees ; if it is warm outside I don’t have to do anything, but when it gets colder I just put on a sweater. It makes for a comfortable day
I’ve found I can leave the temps at 60 all the time except 7-8am, and 5-10pm. I think I’m saving over 20% from last year
I have had a programmable therm for about 5 years, and I honestly think it saves me money. My tip: Hang things on a clothesline in the summer….i love the smell of towels, blankets, and sheets dried in the sun, and it saves running the dryer.
Save energy by using timers on lights and turning down the heat at night or when no one is home. Also opening the window blinds to let the sun warm the rooms.
The BEST tip for energy savings: Install gas. We installed gas just over a month ago. It looks like we’re going to save between $100 & $200 per month! And now, we’re heating the whole house instead of just the rooms we are currently in. We’re thrilled with our new gas heat system.
I’ve installed a natural gas wall unit in my living room – keeps the room I use most, the warmest. I keep the whole house heating system turned way down.
my tip is to make sure you caulk around your windows , over time the cauld cracks and leaks alot of cold air .
I use a programmable thermostat and love it. It is set for three different temps a day, one at night when we are asleep, a lower one during the day when we aren’t home and in the evening is a little warmer when we are up and moving. It has saved us a lot of money over the years since we installed it
We are getting our humidifier back in working order. Moist air feels warmer and you are more comfortable at lower temps in the winter.