Print
E-mail
Comment
Energy saving tips for the holidays
By YVETTE OROZCO
Even as the U.S. faces economic uncertainty and with the holidays already here, residents can still make a difference in their energy spending.
The cooler weather has an impact on those energy costs, but there are other ways people can lessen the burden even more, according to John Allen, an energy expert for Reliant Energy.
“Our climate is dominated by air conditioning, so we don’t really have much of a heating season to speak of,” he said. “That’s not to say that there aren’t things consumers can do to reduce their wintertime electric bills.”
There are many “low-cost, no-costs” ways to do that, said Allen.
“These are really common sense, but a lot of people tend to forget about them,” he said.
The fireplace can be an integral, traditional fixture during the winter season, but residents can cut down on the energy consumed.
Close the fireplace damper when the fireplace is not being used, as warm air will escape when the fireplace damper is open, emitting up to 20 percent of the heat inside a home.
When the fireplace is in use, open the damper for safety purposes and when using a heater, contact a professional to make sure the system is working properly and efficiently.
Residents, said Allen, should also try to take advantage of natural lighting by several things: opening shades or drapes during the day and allowing sunlight to enter and close shades at night to decrease the chill from cold windows.
Compact fluorescent lighting, CFL, can also help to make a home more energy-efficient, said Allen.
“They use about one-third of the electricity of incandescent bulbs and last 10 times longer,” he said.
Proper home insulation is always important.
“Up to 40 percent of heating and cooling dollars can be lost if a home is not properly insulated,” said Allen.
One easy remedy to cutting down on energy costs is something most people are unaware of, said Allen.
“Ceiling fans should rotate clockwise during winter and counter-clockwise during summer,” he said. “If the fan is set for summertime rotation, the breeze felt will be stronger directly under the fan. Turn off ceiling fans in unoccupied rooms year-round because fans are designed to increase the comfort of those in the room.”
Consumers can cut up to 3 to 5 percent of their heating costs by installing a programmable thermostat which regulates temperature settings.
“It’s a terrible economic time we’re in right now, so we’re hoping some of the tips we give out will certainly help people save money on their winter-time electric bills,” said Allen.
The cooler weather has an impact on those energy costs, but there are other ways people can lessen the burden even more, according to John Allen, an energy expert for Reliant Energy.
“Our climate is dominated by air conditioning, so we don’t really have much of a heating season to speak of,” he said. “That’s not to say that there aren’t things consumers can do to reduce their wintertime electric bills.”
There are many “low-cost, no-costs” ways to do that, said Allen.
“These are really common sense, but a lot of people tend to forget about them,” he said.
The fireplace can be an integral, traditional fixture during the winter season, but residents can cut down on the energy consumed.
Close the fireplace damper when the fireplace is not being used, as warm air will escape when the fireplace damper is open, emitting up to 20 percent of the heat inside a home.
When the fireplace is in use, open the damper for safety purposes and when using a heater, contact a professional to make sure the system is working properly and efficiently.
Residents, said Allen, should also try to take advantage of natural lighting by several things: opening shades or drapes during the day and allowing sunlight to enter and close shades at night to decrease the chill from cold windows.
Compact fluorescent lighting, CFL, can also help to make a home more energy-efficient, said Allen.
“They use about one-third of the electricity of incandescent bulbs and last 10 times longer,” he said.
Proper home insulation is always important.
“Up to 40 percent of heating and cooling dollars can be lost if a home is not properly insulated,” said Allen.
One easy remedy to cutting down on energy costs is something most people are unaware of, said Allen.
“Ceiling fans should rotate clockwise during winter and counter-clockwise during summer,” he said. “If the fan is set for summertime rotation, the breeze felt will be stronger directly under the fan. Turn off ceiling fans in unoccupied rooms year-round because fans are designed to increase the comfort of those in the room.”
Consumers can cut up to 3 to 5 percent of their heating costs by installing a programmable thermostat which regulates temperature settings.
“It’s a terrible economic time we’re in right now, so we’re hoping some of the tips we give out will certainly help people save money on their winter-time electric bills,” said Allen.
Submit a Comment
|
You must be logged in to post a comment.
|
Not yet a registered member?
Click here to become one. Comments to stories and articles on the Web site are not edited or pre-approved before appearing online. Readers posting comments are solely responsible for those comments. Comments must be germane to the story to which they apply. Online comments that are libelous, profane or personally attack another site participant can be reported as abuse using the link provided on each comment. Comments reported as abusive will be reviewed and may be removed from view, as will off-topic comments. BE CIVIL. Individuals continually posting abusive comments to the site may have their registrations revoked. |
