You already know that you should be caulking your house to cut drafts; installing a programmable thermostat for household heating and cooling; upgrading insulation, doors and windows; and switching to CFL light bulbs and Energy Star-rated appliances. What else can you do?
Wash your clothes in cold water. We've done it for 30 years, saving a pile of money in the process, and we look as spiffy as anyone else. Use a clothesline, not a dryer, as often as possible.
Turn heat down two degrees during the day and three at night. You'll save up to eight per cent on your bill. Turn up your air conditioner a couple of degrees or better yet, buy a couple of electric fans for all but the steamiest days.
Televisions, stereos and computers draw a small but steady amount of "phantom power" even when turned off; together, they can suck up the equivalent of a 100-watt light bulb running round-the-clock. Put them on surge-protecting power bars, and turn off the bar when not in use.
Enable the sleep and hibernate modes on your computer, which still allows you to restart quickly.
Could the food in your chest freezer fit in your refrigerator freezer? Even high-efficiency chest freezers cost upwards of $50 a year to operate.
Set your water heater at 49 C.
Check your refrigerator's air tightness by closing a $5 bill between the door gaskets; if it slides out easily, replace the gaskets. Don't forget to vacuum or dust the coils on the back of the refrigerator every six months to reduce their workload.
Check your furnace filter every month and clean or replace it regularly.
Keep the heat out or in depending on the season with windows coverings. They could save you a bundle in cooling and heating costs by reflecting the sun's UV rays back outside in the summer and radiant heat back inside in the winter.
Plant deciduous trees on the south and west sides of your home to provide shade in the summer and allow the sun through in the winter. Coniferous trees on the north side will protect your home from cold winter winds.
-- Canwest News Service
