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ENERGY SAVING TIPS: Season Specific Ideas

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ENERGY SAVING TIPS:

Season Specific Ideas

This article is a continuation of www.calamitypolitics.com 10/16/19 article, “ENERGY SAVING TIPS THAT COST NOTHING.

ENERGY SAVING TIPS: Season Specific

By D. S. Mitchell

FALL AND WINTER SPECIFIC OPTIONS

Saving energy and money is a great dual purpose. As the weather begins to cool it is important to take control of your energy use. Check out the following energy saving tips to start today. Most of these tips are referred to in Part One of this article.

  • Add or repair weatherstripping on windows and doors to reduce heat loss and drafts.
  • Reverse the direction of your ceiling fan in colder weather. Running the fan in reverse pulls the warm air off the ceiling and disperses it throughout the room.
  • Check your air filters every month to improve air quality, reduce heating costs, and improve the efficiency of your heating system. Be sure to change the filters regularly to keep the system running properly.
  • If you have a programmable thermostat, program it to automatically change to the temperature at set times for each day. Temperature is a personal/household decision, but the U.S. Department of Energy suggests setting your thermostat to 68 degrees F while you are awake and at home and lower it while you’re asleep or away from home.
  • Take advantage of winter sunlight by opening your shades, allowing for natural light and capturing the warmth from the sun.
  • Keep furniture, drapes, carpets, and other objects from blocking the vents or registers.  Blocked wall/baseboard heaters or register vents prevent heated air from circulating freely around the room and may cause your heating system to work harder and prevents rooms from warming up to the set temperature on the thermostat.
  • Lower your thermostat when using your fireplace and close the damper when not in use.
  • Holiday lighting can increase your energy bill, so consider using LED holiday lighting instead of standard incandescent bulbs. They use less energy, stay cooler to reduce the risk of fire and injury, and last longer.

SPRING AND SUMMER SPECIFIC OPTIONS

As spring and summer months start heating up, many of us look for ways to keep cool without breaking the bank. Consider adopting some of these tips to increase your comfort while saving.

  • Block heat from entering your home in the warmer months by keeping your shades closed. Sunlight passing through windows heats your home and makes your air conditioner work harder.
  • Consider installing shade screens, awnings, or window film or blinds to prevent solar heat gain.
  • Hang laundry outside when weather permits. Not only does it save energy, but reduces the wear and tear on your clothes to help them last longer.
  • Switch to LED light bulbs. They use a fifth of the energy used by regular bulbs and keep your home cooler on warm days.
  • Well-placed trees and landscaping can help reduce heat gain and increase your comfort on warm days.
  • If you need to replace your window air conditioning unit, consider investing in an efficient Energy Star certified unit. They typically use about 10% less energy than conventional models.  (1) Make sure the unit you purchase is the right size for the area you are cooling; a unit that is too large will operate less efficiently. (2) Before cold weather hits, make sure to remove your unit from the window to help it last longer.
  • Use fans instead of air conditioning to stay cool on warm days. This can be more cost effective than cooling your entire home because they target a specific area. It’s important to have the blades spinning in the right direction to improve cooling.

Household Helps: Cleaning Schedule

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Cleaning Schedule

By D. S. Mitchell

Helpful Hints

I love saving helpful hints. You know the stuff you see on the side bars of Good Housekeeping. I’ve had some things saved so long they may have been written in cuneiform. These little hints and helps are often preserved written on the back of an envelope, or a crumpled magazine page I snatched from a magazine at my doctor’s office. I have an entire filing cabinet drawer memorializing “helpful hints”.

Rolodex Mind

John S., my second husband was a very organized fellow. He had a schedule for nearly everything. You know, those things a conscientious hubby tends to do around the house. He kept track of oil changes for the cars, Spring window washing, furnace filter changes, gutter cleaning. You get the idea. Anyway, I often miss his “already done” attitude toward household tasks. When I saw this household cleaning schedule I just knew I had to have it….and pass it on, of course.

When Lights Come On

Seriously, without this list how would you know that the coffee maker that I haven’t cleaned since I took it out of the box should have been cleaned every day.  That I should be cleaning the mirrors weekly but instead I clear them after they steam up from the shower with my bath towel.  Monthly cleaning includes maintenance on the vacuum cleaner instead of changing the bag when the light comes on.  Ovens aren’t cleaned when you want your deposit back, you’re supposed to do it every 3 to 6 months.  And finally, I’m pretty sure that none of my homes have ever been pressure washed, let alone annually.

Now you can refer to this list in order to better ignore important tasks around your home too!

Enjoy your weekend checking off chores on your cleaning schedule.

 

Seasonal Cheer

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Seasonal Cheer

By Ross Turner

 

Gather ‘Round The Fire

It seems to happen every year; the crisp air rolls in, the coats come out, the trees put on their show, and lo, the holidays are upon us. The holiday season is a time of celebration, togetherness, and generosity.  Starting with Thanksgiving, peaking with the December biggies of Hanukkah and Christmas, and capping off with the ever-rowdy New Year’s we give thanks, reunite with family and friends, and spread as much seasonal cheer as possible.

Fruits of our Labor

As it has for thousands of years, the cold of fall and winter tended to draw people indoors and into close proximity with one another. Huddled inside and harvest gathered, there was little to do but tell stories, play games, cook and eat together, and generally enjoy the fruits of the year’s labor. The Danish have a word for this: hygge, or “a mood of coziness and comfortable conviviality with feelings of wellness and contentment.” Though many of us don’t farm for a living anymore, we carry on this tradition symbolically in our yearly coming-together for the winter. Yet for those without a warm den to retreat to, or people to fill it, these times can feel anything but cheerful.

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