Slash Your Energy Bill

By: By Sid Kirchheimer Source: AARP The Magazine Date Posted:

Here’s money in your pocket: if you think you squeezed all you possibly could from your fuel costs last winter, the following ten surprising strategies will save you even more this time around.

  1. Automate your energy use: One easy way to lower heating bills is with a programmable thermostat, says David Schiff, editor of The Complete Guide to Reducing Energy Costs (Consumer Reports, 2006). These devices, which can cost $30 to $75, reduce the temperature while you’re out, saving up to $100 a year. Motion detectors and light timers are even less expensive, and both save on juice by turning on lights only when needed.
  2. Be a wet blanket: Every degree you lower your thermostat can cut 3 percent from your fuel bill. Does that mean shivering until spring? Not if there’s enough moisture in the air, says Sarma Pisupati, Ph.D., of Pennsylvania State University. Humid air retains heat better than dry air does, but an average heated room has only 15 percent relative humidity—that’s as dry as Death Valley. Keep pans of water near vents or on top of radiators and you’ll feel comfortable at a lower temperature, Pisupati says.
  3. Pull the plug: Most TVs, stereos, and other electronics are used only a few hours per day. But because of their displays and memory chips, they consume energy round the clock. In fact, inactive electronics account for a whopping 5 percent of the nation’s total energy use, reports the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. When you’ll be gone for longer than a week, unplug these devices, suggests Ronnie Kweller, deputy director of communications for the Alliance to Save Energy, a nonprofit group in Washington, D.C., that promotes energy efficiency. A power strip with an on-off switch provides one-touch control.
  4. Cover the door to your attic: When insulating your attic to hold in heat, don’t forget the panel that allows attic access. Uninsulated, this thin sheet of plywood has a heat-resistance value of squat. But in about 15 minutes you can build a removable insulator. Just measure your attic opening, then cut a sheet of rigid, half-inch-thick insulation about two inches longer on each side. Use two-by-two boards and box nails to make a rectangular frame of the same size, and attach the insulation to the frame with screws. Then place this frame over the floor joists on either side of the attic opening.
  5. Slow the flow: A shower is more energy efficient than a bath. Yet showers still account for up to 40 percent of hot-water energy costs. By installing low-flow showerheads and aerators on kitchen and bathroom faucets, you can reduce hot-water usage by as much as 50 percent—and that lowers your fuel bill. Not sure how low your flow is? Place a bucket in the shower. If it takes less than 20 seconds to reach the one-gallon mark, go shopping: a low-flow showerhead costs as little as $15.
  6. Dust off the fridge: When dust accumulates on the coils at the bottom or back of your refrigerator, it insulates them, making it more difficult for the fridge to expel heat and keep food cold. The fix: vacuum these coils every three months—or more often if you have pets—to boost your fridge’s efficiency by up to 30 percent. (While you’ve got the vacuum out, disconnect your dryer’s exhaust hose and clean it of lint, too, for efficiency.)
  7. Stop being the dishwasher: A fully loaded dishwasher can use 40 percent less hot water than hand washing the same number of dishes. And it will save you not only money but that most precious commodity: time.
  8. Cook up some savings: For reheating food, microwave ovens use up to 60 percent less energy than conventional electric ovens. But if you’re cooking a large meal, you’re better off using the stove. Make sure pans fully cover the heating elements—using a four-inch pan on an eight-inch burner lets 30 percent of the energy escape. And if you turn off an electric stove a few minutes early, the appliance will stay hot enough to finish its job.
  9. Stay pumped: Cold weather reduces your car’s tire pressure, and underinflated tires reduce fuel efficiency by as much as two miles for each gallon of gas, says Lon Anderson, director of public and government relations for AAA Mid-Atlantic. Also, check your car’s air filter regularly. Replacing a dirty filter can mean a 10 percent increase in mileage.
  10.  Play the market: To get the best price on gas in these volatile times, ask when your gas station gets its shipment (usually during the wee hours on a particular night). “When prices are spiraling upward, buy gas in the late afternoon or the evening, just before the next delivery arrives,” says Anderson. “When prices are coming down, it’s better to buy before lunchtime, just after the new shipment comes.

Sid Kirchheimer, a contributing editor for AARP The Magazine, frequently writes on consumer issues.

 

 

 

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