Simple ways to reduce heating and cooling costs

  • Associated Press
  • Saturday, August 14, 2004 9:00pm
  • Business

NEW YORK – While consumers fret this summer about rising gasoline prices, they may be missing the fact that their homes are also guzzling fuel.

The average family spends about $1,400 a year to power their house, about half of it for heating and cooling, the Department of Energy estimates.

There are many steps families can take – some at no cost – to keep home energy spending in check, said Rozanne Weissman of the nonprofit Alliance to Save Energy in Washington, D.C.

“Electricity prices are going up in many parts of the country because there’s a natural gas crunch, and natural gas powers most of the new power plants,” she said. “But the average consumer can cut home energy use without losing comfort – and help the environment at the same time.”

And the savings can be substantial. An air conditioner set at 78 degrees will cost 20 percent less to operate than a setting of 72 degrees, utility companies say.

Most of the no-cost steps are no-brainers:

* Turn off lights, computers and other electronic devices when not in use.

* Use fans instead of air conditioners.

* Keep air conditioner filters clean.

* Close blinds or shades on south- and west-facing windows – or plant trees outside – to reduce afternoon sun.

* Take quick showers instead of baths.

Weissman says consumers also can save by taking advantage of new technologies that put energy efficiency on autopilot.

“I have sensors in my office,” she said. “When I walk in, the light goes on. When I leave, after a few minutes, the light goes off.”

Similar motion or light sensors can be used in homes and outdoors to keep lights off when they’re not needed, she said.

Weissman is also a fan of programmable thermostats, which can be set to turn air conditioners on when they’re needed and off when they’re not.

“You can set them so they’re off during the day while you’re out at work and on an hour before you come home,” she said. “It doesn’t require work on your part. The thermostat remembers to do it.”

The Center for a New American Dream in Tacoma Park, Md., has long had a campaign urging families to replace standard light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights, not only to cut energy costs but also to reduce the release of carbon dioxide, which contributes to global warming.

Replacing just four bulbs – out of the 30 most families use – can save $100 on a home electricity bill over the life of the lights, said the center’s Sarah Roberts.

The center also recommends some back-to-nature energy savers such as drying clothes on a line outside instead of in a dryer, grilling outdoors instead of ramping up the oven, and walking or biking to run errands.

When it is time to buy new appliances, one way to determine their energy efficiency is by looking for the government’s Energy Star designation. Energy-efficient appliances generally cost less to operate.

Wendy Reed, a spokeswoman for the Environmental Protection Agency, which runs the Energy Star program with the Department of Energy, said hundreds of products in 40 different categories carry Energy Star designations certifying that they exceed federal guidelines for energy efficiency.

A new air conditioner with an Energy Star rating should be 20 percent more efficient than its standard counterpart, Reed said.

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