So what if you weren't especially eco-conscious before glaring electric bills landed in your mailbox? Now you can act the concerned terrestrial by minding the green in your wallet and saving energy in the bargain.
But before you spend money to save money by upgrading to the latest energy-efficient gizmos, check out the list of "no-cost-or-low-cost" tips for saving energy from EnergyIdeas.org in the links at left. The strategies listed maximize your "sweat equity" in reducing home energy consumption, including unplugging unused appliances, lowering the temperature on your electric water heater to 120 degrees F, and washing only full loads of dishes and air drying them.
You can also use free online calculators to get customized tips for improving your home's energy efficiency at Home Energy Saver, a Web site sponsored by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of Energy (DOE).
Spending hundreds to save pennies generally doesn't make sense, but if you're already in the market for a new appliance, or even light bulbs, consider the Web your first energy-savings tool.
Below you'll find a list of some of the best online deals we could find, presented in order of greatest potential impact on your electricity bill. To find the best level of efficiency for all products, it's a good idea to start with those labeled "Energy Star" by the EPA and the DOE. Use the links at left to
search for qualifying products.
Climate control
A typical household uses the bulk of its energy for heating and cooling -- up to 44% of the utility bill, according to the DOE's Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network (EREN).
Programmable thermostats can reduce energy wasted heating or cooling a house when no one is home or everyone's asleep.
According to the Home Energy Saver site, Energy Star programmable thermostats can save as much as 20% to 30% on your heating or cooling costs by allowing for multiple daily settings and automatically adjusting when the outside temperature changes. Participating manufacturers include Honeywell, Hunter Fan and Smart Systems International. Unfortunately, it's not easy to
search for programmable thermostats by Energy Star status. Instead, keep an eye out for those with features typical of the Energy Star thermostats: temperature recovery systems, two programs and four temperature settings.
I found Honeywell's 3600 programmable thermostat (model CT3600A1002) for $125 on TrueValue's site. Honeywell-thermostat.com also had one on sale for just under $70, but it had been repackaged.
Ceiling fans: Moving air tends to feel cooler, allowing for higher summertime thermostat settings. According to EREN, the effect is equivalent to lowering the air temperature by about 4° F (2° C), and using less energy than air conditioners in doing so. I found the best prices for 52-inch models by Hunter Fan at Hansen Wholesale, though there is a $28.50 "handling" fee that includes shipping.
Lighting, cooking and other appliances
The next-biggest household energy use after climate control is for lighting and appliances. Not counting the fridge, these comprise about 33% of a typical utility bill.
Compact fluorescent lamps (CFL's): CFL's use up to 75% less energy than standard incandescent bulbs and last up to 10 times longer, according to Home Energy Saver. This is good, because they're also more expensive initially. I found the best prices at bulbs.com, both for individual bulbs and through its discounts for orders of 10 or more bulbs. Its price for an individual Phillips 13-watt, 2-Pin 840-lumen bulb is $2.77. The flat-rate $7.90 shipping charge is an added reason to order in bulk here.
Check your local utility for ideas. Recently, my local utility was offering a free "Conservation Kit", containing among other things, two CFL's. This, of course, proved to be the best deal for me, albeit a one-time-only opportunity.
Energy-efficient appliances: Using the Energy Star site as a starting point, I decided to
search for Maytag washing machines. I found the Atlantis MAV9600 high-efficiency model for $689 at Best Maytag. With a $100 rebate from my utility's WashWise program, the price drops to $589.
Among household appliances, the refrigerator is likely your biggest energy consumer, especially if it's more than 15 years old. It can account for up to 9% of your energy costs alone. Again, use the Energy Star site for a list of energy-efficient models if you're looking to replace yours.
Water heating
Heating water is the third-biggest home-energy cost and typically accounts for 14%-20% of your energy bill.
Hot water jackets: Because hot water jackets usually sell for $10 to $20, shipping charges for buying them online can easily increase their cost by 50% or more. It's best to use the Web to find offline deals in this case. At the Home Depot site, I found a $10 Frost King vinyl-cased fiberglass jacket for water heaters up to 60 gallons and used the online site to find the closest store. (If I'd needed to purchase an entirely new electric water heater, I could have taken advantage of yet another local rebate from my utility -- this one for $30 for one of the qualified models.)
Aerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads: Since a bathroom faucet aerator came in that free conservation kit with the compact fluorescent bulbs, I hunted for deals on efficient showerheads. Both Niagara and AM Conservation models popped up on a variety of environmental sites, including EnergyGuide, which also had the best price for the four-way adjustable Niagara showerhead at $6.75. The nice thing about ordering from EnergyGuide is that it automatically searches for any rebates based on the ZIP code you enter. It didn't help me with this purchase, but your
search may prove more successful.
Finally, if you haven't yet bought a home, or you're considering buying a new one, you can plan for energy savings from the ground up with an energy-efficient homebuilding project. Check the DOE's Building America and the EPA sites to find projects near you.
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Slash your electric bill 6 easy ways
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