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Five Action Steps to Cut Natural Gas
Use
With the possibility of higher natural gas prices
this winter, you can take some steps to reduce the amount of gas you're
using. Here are some suggestions. |
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1 |
Turn down your
thermostat to 68 degrees. For every degree you lower your heat in
the 60-degree to 70-degree range, you'll save up to 5 percent on
heating costs. Wear warm clothing like a sweater and set your
thermostat to 68 degrees or lower during the day and evening, health
permitting. Set the thermostat back to 55 degrees or off at night or
when leaving home for an extended time saving 5-20 percent of your
heating costs (heat pumps should only be set back two degrees to
prevent unneeded use of backup strip heating). |
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2 |
Replace or clean
furnace filters once a month. Dirty filters restrict airflow and
increase energy use. Now is also the time for a furnace "tune-up."
Keeping your furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted will
reduce energy use. Savings up to 5 percent of heating costs.
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3 |
Reduce hot water
temperature. Set your water heater to the "normal" setting or 120º,
unless the owner's manual for your dishwasher requires a higher
setting. Savings are 7-11 percent of water heating costs. Insulate
the first five feet of pipe coming out of the top of your water
heater or the whole length until the pipe goes into the wall if that
is less than five feet. Pipe insulation is available from your
hardware store. |
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4 |
Seal up the leaks.
Caulk leaks around windows and doors. Look for places where you have
pipes, vents or electrical conduits that go through the wall,
ceiling or floor. Check the bathroom, underneath the kitchen sink,
pipes inside a closet, etc. If you find a gap at the point where the
pipe or vents goes through the wall, seal it up. Caulk works best on
small gaps. Your hardware store should have products to close the
larger gaps. |
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5 |
Consider replacing your
old gas appliances with an ENERGY STAR® water heater or furnace. If
your gas water heater is over 12 years old, consider replacing it
with a newer, more efficient model. The best indicator of a water
heater's efficiency is the Energy Factor (EF). The higher the EF,
the more efficient the water heater. The minimum EF required for gas
utility rebates in California is 0.62. If your furnace is over 15
years old, consider replacing it with an newer ENERGY STAR rated
model that is about 15 percent more efficient than standard models.
Also, new Title 24 Energy Efficiency regulations about duct
inspections during furnace replacement took effect October 1, 2005.
See the Energy Commission's web page on furnace change-outs. |
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Cutting back unnecessary energy use is an
easy way to keep your hard earned money in your pocket. Here are some
suggestions you can do at home, at absolutely no cost to you.
Let the sunshine in. Open drapes and let the sun heat your home for free
(get them closed again at sundown so they help insulate).
Rearrange your rooms. Move your furniture around so you are sitting near
interior walls - exterior walls and older windows are likely to be drafty -
don't sit in the draft.
Keep it shut.
traditional fireplaces are an energy loser - it's best not to use them
because they pull heated air out of the house and up the chimney. When not
in use, make absolutely sure the damper is closed. Before closing the
damper, make sure that you don't have any smoldering embers. If you decide
not to use a fireplace, then block off the chimney with a piece of rigid
insulation from the hardware store that fits snugly into the space (dampers
don't shut fully without some leaking).
Eliminate wasted energy.
Turn off lights in unoccupied rooms. Unplug that spare refrigerator in the
garage if you don't truly need it - this seemingly convenient way to keep
extra drinks cold adds 10-25 percent to your electric bill. Turn off kitchen
and bath-ventilating fans after they've done their job - these fans can blow
out a house-full of heated air if inadvertently left on. Keep your fireplace
damper closed unless a fire is burning to prevent up to 8 percent of your
furnace-heated air from going up the chimney.
Shorten showers.
Simply reducing that lingering time by a few minutes can save hundreds
of gallons of hot water per month for a family of four. Showers account for
2/3 of your water heating costs. Cutting your showers in half will reduce
your water heating costs by 33 percent.
Use appliances efficiently.
Do only full loads when using your dishwasher and clothes washer. Use the
cold water setting on your clothes washer when you can. Using cold water
reduces your washer's energy use by 75 percent. Be sure to clean your
clothes dryer's lint trap after each use. Use the moisture-sensing automatic
drying setting on your dryer if you have one.
Put your computer and monitor to sleep.
Most computers come with the power management features turned off. On
computers using Windows, open your power management software and set it so
your computer goes to sleep if you're away from your machine for 5 to 15
minutes. Those who use Macintosh computers look for the setting in your
Control Panels called "Energy Saver" and set it accordingly. When you're
done using your computer, turn it off (see next tip). Do not leave it in
sleep mode overnight as it is still drawing a small amount of power.
Plug "leaking energy" in electronics.
Many new TVs, VCRs, chargers, computer peripherals and other electronics use
electricity even when they are switched "off." Although these "standby
losses" are only a few watts each, they add up to over 50 watts in a typical
home that is consumed all the time. If possible, unplug electronic devices
and chargers that have a block-shaped transformer on the plug when they are
not in use. For computer scanners, printers and other devices that are
plugged into a power strip, simply switch off the power strip after shutting
down your computer. The best way to minimize these losses of electricity is
to purchase ENERGY STAR® products.
Information from: http://www.consumerenergycenter.org/flex/tips.html |
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