Tag Archives: saving energy

Quick Window Insulation

My son’s room has a problem. It gets cold in there. Very cold. As in “same temperature inside as outside” cold, despite the rest of the house being, oh, in the 50-60 degree F range.

As you can imagine, window insulation is at least a part of the problem. We rent, and it’s an old casement window, which means repair is up to the landlord, and I just don’t see that happening. Odd thing is that it’s one of two windows in the entire house that has clearly never been replaced. The other’s in a bathroom. Every other window is much newer.

We’ve taken the simplest solution for now. We got some of the large size bubble wrap, and cut and taped it to fit the window.

No, plastic bubble wrap isn’t all that green, but if you can get it used you aren’t doing half bad. I understand you can get it free from furniture stores that would otherwise throw it away. And of course at this time of year it’s not completely impossible you’ll get some in one of the packages you get for Christmas to protect a gift. Perfect for reuse if you get enough!

I have to admit, I’m impressed already. Just one layer of the large size bubble wrap, and his room is staying 5-10 degrees warmer overnight than it had been. That’s looking at the thermometer in his room first thing in the morning.

Still cold, but better.

I want to put up fabric insulation. My husband worries about it cutting the light that comes in, but realistically, it doesn’t get any direct sunlight, being on the wrong side of the house for that. The blinds are rarely opened, so I don’t think the difference would be significant in therms of lighting the room or natural heat.

It would last better, and I could make some choices as to what was used. Put a little batting between two layers with some light quilting, and I think it would do pretty well, maybe even in combination with the bubble wrap up already.

It’s just so nice to be able to keep my poor son from freezing at night. 3 year olds are so good at kicking off blankets, not so good at pulling them back on.

Is a Programmable Thermostat for You?

One of the big tips I often read about for cutting your bills is to install a programmable thermostat in your home. And they can certainly be convenient. But are they for everyone?

I’ve lived with and without one. Many times, they have indeed been a good idea. If your home gets too cold at night, for example, it’s nice to have the house warming up a little before everyone has to get out of bed.

On the other hand, I currently don’t have one and don’t feel the need. I work at home, so I’m here all the time, and I know quite a bit about how much heat I tend to use in winter, and how much air conditioning I use in the summer.

Not a whole lot, actually.

Being in southern California, we don’t get the extremes that other places do. Our hottest is pretty hot, but our coldest is nothing compared to a lot of places. That means sweaters do an awfully good job of keeping me and my family warm in winter. It’s a lot cheaper to warm our bodies than to warm our house.

In summer we learn to adapt to the heat. That and fans allow us to minimize the use of an air conditioner.

Of course, I’m not at all opposed to programmable thermostats for most people. Many places you quite simply do need to heat or cool your home, and it’s probably on a predictable schedule. It saves a lot of trouble to have the thermostat turn itself up and down by the times you are going to need the house to be a particular temperature.

We can all forget little details like turning down the heater before leaving, after all. And that wastes a lot of energy. Much better to have it turn itself down at those times that you know you won’t need it.

Even if you have one, of course, you should be considering ways to use less heat and air conditioning, depending on the season. Even a few degrees difference in how you set it can save you quite a bit of money. How much you do depends on personal tolerance.

6 Simple Ways to Save Energy at Home

Saving energy may be one of the simplest things you can do to go green. While you may spend a little money for some of these ideas, many are simply a change of habit.

1. Switch to CFLs as old bulbs burn out.

While compact fluorescent bulbs do typically cost more than incandescent bulbs, you can get them more affordably in many places.

Some electric companies offer discounts on them. These may be available in local stores. I can often get my CFLs for about $1 per bulb. This is of course just for the basic ones, and if you have dimmer switches, ceiling fan lights or closed fixtures you may have to pay more.

However, each CFL should save you money over the life of the bulb. They use significantly less energy than incandescent bulbs and last longer in most cases.

2. Turn off unneeded lights.

Old advice, but still good. Even young children can be taught to turn off lights in rooms that aren’t being used. Takes just a moment, it’s free to do, saves money and energy.

3. Unplug appliances.

Many appliances use power even when they’re turned off. Many of them really don’t need it, unless you need the clock still running or something.

If unplugging is too much effort, consider buying a smart power strip. These will shut down the power to electronics that are connected to each other. You can set one up so that shutting down the computer cuts to power to your monitor, printer and any other accessories, for example. Or turn off the TV and have the DVD player shut completely down. You’ll probably want cable boxes and/or DVRs on a separate strip if they need power while the TV is off.

4. Use fans instead of the air conditioner.

Summer’s over in some places, but not near me. We’re still getting plenty of weather into the 90s.

A good fan works wonders for cutting down our use of air conditioning. It still gets plenty hot in the house, but by combining existing fans with building a tolerance for warmer weather we use the AC relatively little.

You can also figure out which of the windows allow the worst of the heat in. We block those windows with Mylar, and in one case even have a shade on the outside of the house to keep the heat out. Simple, but it makes a huge difference.

Similarly, in winter you can cut down on your heater use by dressing more warmly.

5. Buy Energy Star appliances when you need new ones.

It can be hard to say when it’s worthwhile to replace an appliance that hasn’t yet broken down. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn’t. But when it’s time, get the most efficient one that meets your needs. Energy Star products cost you a bit more upfront, but over time they will save you money.

6. Use a clothesline.

Yes, old fashioned, and yes, it is forbidden in some areas to have clotheslines in your back yard. Silly rule in my opinion, but a reality some people have to deal with.

When the weather permits, a clothesline dries clothes fairly quickly and can be gentler on them than the dryer. It takes a bit of extra effort to get everything on the line and back down when it’s dry, but you’re not using any electricity by doing so.

Some people put clotheslines in their garage as well. This means you can line dry clothes regardless of the weather or HOA regulations.

It’s amazing what you can do to save energy without spending a lot of money. But even more amazing is how quickly you can save enough to pay for what you’ve spent. Doing your bit for the environment can have some great advantages.