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Citizens Gas, Energy Saving Tips!

Posted by kim carpenter on November 17, 2008
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We all need to find ways to save money this winter, see Citizens Gas Energy Saving Tips!

Energy Saving Tips

Citizens Gas wants you to be comfortable in your home. But we also want you to be efficient and pay the least amount for the energy required to keep you warm on cold winter days. Simple conservation measures and weatherization practices can amount to significant savings. Here are some simple tips for keeping the heat inside your home while helping to save money on your gas bill.

20 Tips to Save Energy During Winter

1. Dial it down – Turn your thermostat setting down to 65º F during the day, especially when you’re not home. You may be able to set it even lower at night, but do not shut the furnace off if the temperature is expected to drop below 45 degrees that night. Under any conditions, keep thermostat adjustments to a minimum and do them gradually to give yourself time to adjust.

2. Check your furnace filter – A clean filter helps your furnace do its job more efficiently and effectively. So change the filter each time you pay your gas bill. (Never remove the filter without replacing it.)

3. Turn down your water heater thermostat – At 120º F your water heater will be more energy efficient than at higher temperatures and still produce enough hot water for daily needs.

4. Wrap your water heater – Wrap an insulating blanket around your water heater to keep the heat from escaping. You can also save on your water heating bill by insulating at least the first six feet of the hot water pipe and the first three feet of the cold water pipe that extends from your hot water tank.

5. Close the flue – Make sure the flue/damper on your fireplace is closed when not in use. Keeping your flue open is like keeping a window open and allowing warm air to shoot right up the chimney.

6. Caulk and weather strip – One of the quickest dollar-saving tasks you can do is to caulk, seal and weather strip where drafts are detected such as seams, cracks and openings to the outside. The materials you need to caulk and weather strip are inexpensive and available at your local hardware store.

7. Check insulation – Make sure you have insulation in your attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors and crawl spaces. Adding insulation where it doesn’t exist will create a more uniform temperature all yearlong.

8. Be sure appliances are operating efficiently – Check to see that your natural gas appliances are in tip-top shape. Appliances that aren’t working properly can run inefficiently and cost you money. To find a licensed technician in your area, visit the ACCA of Central Indiana Web Site.

9. Replace old furnaces – If your furnace is more than 10 years old, it’s likely only about 60-70 percent efficient, meaning you lose about 45 cents of every heating dollar you spend. Most new furnaces are more than 80 percent efficient. To find a licensed technician in your area, visit the ACCA of Central Indiana Web Site.

10. Keep heat registers clear – Avoid blocking heat registers and air returns with furniture, draperies or rugs.

11. Let the sun help heat your home in cold weather – Keep your window shades up on sunny days. One part of your home may get direct sunlight in the morning, another in the afternoon. Also, close your draperies or blinds at night to help insulate the window.

12. Dress appropriately for cold weather – Keeping comfortable has a lot to do with how well you insulate or ventilate your own body. Try wearing layers of clothes.

13. Keep the air moist – Moist air feels warmer. Use a humidifier to keep the air in the 40 percent humidity range (substantially more moisture can lead to mold and mildew problems).

14. Use less hot water in the bathroom, kitchen and laundry – When you shower, keep it short. Showers can use less hot water than baths, but only if they’re short. Don’t let the hot water tap run unnecessarily while you wash or shave. For clothes and automatic dishwashing, try to wash only full loads.

15. Don’t heat or partially heat unused rooms – Shut registers and close unused rooms. Registers in upstairs rooms can often be partially closed since hot air rises.

16. Don’t use exhaust fans – Use kitchen, bath and other ventilating fans sparingly in cold weather. In just one hour, these fans can blow out a house full of warm air.

17. Reverse ceiling fans – By changing the direction of your ceiling fan to counter-clockwise in the winter, the fan will push rising warm air back into the living space.

18. Replace single-pane windows – If your home has single-pane windows, as almost half of U.S. homes do, consider replacing them. New double-pane windows with high-performance glass can reduce heat loss. Storm windows can reduce your heat loss through windows by 25% to 50%.

19. Repair leaky hot water faucets immediately – A hot water faucet leaking one drop per second wastes 160 gallons per month – or 16 hot baths!

20. Close closets and cabinets – Closets and cabinets on outside walls can leak a great deal of cold air, so make sure the doors fit snuggly and keep them closed.

External Link:
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

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