According to the Department of Energy, household energy costs have increased a whopping 12 percent from 2004. Even more startling is the price of natural gas, which rose by 23 percent.
The good news is that there are many actions Americans can take to lower their energy bills, and at the same time help the nation become more energy independent.
Keep Your Cool This Summer
• Use a microwave oven instead of a conventional oven.
• Use a power strip to control your electricity use. A large number of electrical products-especially home electronics-can't be switched off completely without being unplugged. These products draw power 24 hours a day. Plugging them into a power strip to shut them off will save you money.
• Lower the thermostat on your hot water heater to 115° and take showers instead of baths.
• Wash only full loads of dishes and laundry.
Landscape For Efficiency
• The shelter from three trees, properly planted around a house, can cut annual heating/cooling costs up to $250.
• Grow vines on trellises to shade windows, the side of a house or AC units.
AC, Appliances And Lighting
• Open windows, when conditions permit, and use fans instead of air-conditioning. Use a fan to maximize and spread the cooled air from air conditioner units.
• Use a programmable thermostat with the AC to adjust the unit at night or when no one is home.
• Keep lamps and TVs away from the thermostat. Heat from appliances and lamps could cause the air conditioner to run longer.
Shade The Windows
• Install white shades, drapes or blinds to reflect heat. Close curtains on southwest-facing windows during the day. Sunny windows can make an air conditioner work three times harder.
• Replace single- and double-paned windows with Energy Star-labeled windows to save energy and money for years to come. Install them before December 31, 2007, and qualify for a tax credit.
Weatherize
• Caulking and weather stripping will help keep out hot outside air, thus keeping indoor air cool. If you see holes in ducts, hire a professional to repair them.
• Add insulation around AC ducts in attics and crawl spaces.
• Consider investing in insulation for the whole house.
Whenever possible, purchase products with the Energy Star label. The label means you are investing in energy efficiency, value, comfort and high performance.
Homeowners can save an estimated 30 percent (about $450) a year on their home energy bill by using Energy Star-qualified products.
Window Replacement
windows
In the winter your home heating cost may rise almost each year. There are many reasons for this rise in heating costs for all types of heat whether you have electric, gas, or oil heat in your house. There are several things to save money and get ready for the rise of energy costs in your home environment.
Check out these tips to see how you can keep your bills lower this winter:
Make sure your windows are insulated. Examine every room in your house to make sure your windows are sealed well. You can see if there is a leak by lighting a match and producing smoke near a shut window. If there is a leak you can see the smoke go towards that part of the window. You can buy kits to patch up your windows and make them better for the winter.
A ceiling fan can help bring warm air closer to where you, since warm air always goes up the fan can help bring it down. You can get some that will help you out in the summer to keep cool too.
Keep your doors closed when you aren’t in the room. This will help you to keep cold air from escaping to the areas of the house that you use more often. This will also help you save money when you just heat the areas of the room that you are using.
Use curtains and blinds to keep heat in. During the day open your blinds so you get sunlight and then close them when it is dark to keep heat inside. You can really feel the difference when you use the sun’s own safe energy to help you heat the rooms in your house and then close your curtains at night to keep the cold air out.
Make sure that your doors are weather proofed too and make sure you caulk your windows. You don’t to feel a draft if you don’t’ have to. Check the bottoms of doors to make sure that they aren’t drafty. You can use caulk to seal up windows and if the seal is broken on your windows make sure that you fix it wherever it is damaged.
You can realign your doors because they can begin to sag and lose shape. You should do this before winter so you can have them fitting snuggly to keep you warm.
Make sure your furnace is in prime working order. You can hire someone to help you with this project and make sure that you are saving money by getting the most out of your furnace. When it is running poorly you will be losing money and you can have real issues with safety.
Window Replacement
windows
Report
Check out these tips to see how you can keep your bills lower this winter:
Make sure your windows are insulated. Examine every room in your house to make sure your windows are sealed well. You can see if there is a leak by lighting a match and producing smoke near a shut window. If there is a leak you can see the smoke go towards that part of the window. You can buy kits to patch up your windows and make them better for the winter.
A ceiling fan can help bring warm air closer to where you, since warm air always goes up the fan can help bring it down. You can get some that will help you out in the summer to keep cool too.
Keep your doors closed when you aren’t in the room. This will help you to keep cold air from escaping to the areas of the house that you use more often. This will also help you save money when you just heat the areas of the room that you are using.
Use curtains and blinds to keep heat in. During the day open your blinds so you get sunlight and then close them when it is dark to keep heat inside. You can really feel the difference when you use the sun’s own safe energy to help you heat the rooms in your house and then close your curtains at night to keep the cold air out.
Make sure that your doors are weather proofed too and make sure you caulk your windows. You don’t to feel a draft if you don’t’ have to. Check the bottoms of doors to make sure that they aren’t drafty. You can use caulk to seal up windows and if the seal is broken on your windows make sure that you fix it wherever it is damaged.
You can realign your doors because they can begin to sag and lose shape. You should do this before winter so you can have them fitting snuggly to keep you warm.
Make sure your furnace is in prime working order. You can hire someone to help you with this project and make sure that you are saving money by getting the most out of your furnace. When it is running poorly you will be losing money and you can have real issues with safety.
Window Replacement
windows
If you are in the market to purchase a home, it can be easy to fall in love at first sight. Do so at your own risk. While the overall appearance of a home is important, the quality is in the details. In this article, I provide a checklist of window issues you should consider when viewing a home.
Windows
If you are considering buying a home, you should have a checklist of things to review for the property. There is an old cliché that eyes are the window to a person’ soul. In the case of a home, they can be a clue to the quality of the home building if you check the following:
1. The first item to check is whether the windows open and close properly. Quality windows should slide easily and with little noise. Cheap windows tend to stick and make grinding noises. If any window will not open or close at all, careful attention needs to be paid to why. Is it the quality of the window or has the house started moving because of foundation problems? Make sure you know the cause.
2. The second item to check is soft or mushy sills at the base of the window. Often you can identify a soft sill by a “rotted” look, but make sure to run your hand across the sills with light pressure to see if there are any soft spots. If you find a problem, warning lights should be going off in your mind. A mushy sill means there is a water penetration problem. More importantly, it also means the problem has existed for some time. Long-term water problems can mean the existence of mold and mold can be an expensive problem to fix. If you are really interested in the home, demand an inspection paid for by the seller. If the seller refuses, walk away from the home.
3. Water stains are the final window item to check for during your viewing. Just because the sills are not soft, doesn’t mean there isn’t a leakage problem. Stains around a window frame are sure signs of water problems. If a room has been painted, try to find one that hasn’t. If the entire interior has been painted, ask the seller to state in the sales agreement there were no water stains before the house was repainted.
Windows are almost always an indicator of the quality of workmanship for a home. Giving them a good “once over” should tell you a lot about the house you are considering.
Window Replacement
windows
Report
Windows
If you are considering buying a home, you should have a checklist of things to review for the property. There is an old cliché that eyes are the window to a person’ soul. In the case of a home, they can be a clue to the quality of the home building if you check the following:
1. The first item to check is whether the windows open and close properly. Quality windows should slide easily and with little noise. Cheap windows tend to stick and make grinding noises. If any window will not open or close at all, careful attention needs to be paid to why. Is it the quality of the window or has the house started moving because of foundation problems? Make sure you know the cause.
2. The second item to check is soft or mushy sills at the base of the window. Often you can identify a soft sill by a “rotted” look, but make sure to run your hand across the sills with light pressure to see if there are any soft spots. If you find a problem, warning lights should be going off in your mind. A mushy sill means there is a water penetration problem. More importantly, it also means the problem has existed for some time. Long-term water problems can mean the existence of mold and mold can be an expensive problem to fix. If you are really interested in the home, demand an inspection paid for by the seller. If the seller refuses, walk away from the home.
3. Water stains are the final window item to check for during your viewing. Just because the sills are not soft, doesn’t mean there isn’t a leakage problem. Stains around a window frame are sure signs of water problems. If a room has been painted, try to find one that hasn’t. If the entire interior has been painted, ask the seller to state in the sales agreement there were no water stains before the house was repainted.
Windows are almost always an indicator of the quality of workmanship for a home. Giving them a good “once over” should tell you a lot about the house you are considering.
Window Replacement
windows
