at home energy conservation

“I just got our first electric bill after re-insulating our attic. The prior owner left 23 rolls of insulation in the attic, I just had to unroll it. We keep our A/C at 74-75 around the clock. The last month we have set records for the highest Aug temps on record. Our last bill was $59, not too shabby at all. $14 less than the month prior even though it was way hotter. Pretty good return for 3hours work.

I also recently swapped out most of our incandescent lamps with fluorescent lamps. That helped a bit too, plus there is very little heat as a by product.
last edited: 8/15/05 3:43:20 PM”

“I saw dramatic results when I replaced my 1970s single pane windows with modern double-pane windows. No infiltration (the old ones were in BAD shape) and you no longer roast in the sun as you stand in front of the kitchen window washing dishes in the afternoon. The dogs don't appreciate that ... can't sun themselves like they used to.”

“Yeah, going double-pane from single makes a big difference. Also, the windows we put in have some reflectivity, so our breakfast area no longer cooks on sunny mornings. (And we don't have air conditioning!)”

“I have original windows in my house. Built in 1951!

I am having some estimates coming soon.”

“I got wooden windows with aluminum cladding. There is no exposed wood. They look quite convincing and are very pretty. That said, I have a brown house and the windows are brown on the outside... so it's going to stay a brown house. That's one way to win that argument with the wife.”

“I have a solar water heater. It makes especially good sense for me. Instead of using electricity to keep 40 gallons of water heated all the time, I use the power of the sun to keep it hot. And wow is it hot!

I cut about 25-30% off my electric bill”

“Good deal man!

Here's more great ways to save.”

“we did the windows a few years back. My next biggy will be an "on demand" water heater. No tank, it is a series of metal lines like a radiator that run over a series of flames heating the water ONLY when its turned on, never runs out either...

Great link nigal.”

“I looked for an on demand hot water heater when my last one gave out. I could not find one that I would have been able to install. In desperation (my wife would not have hot water the next morning for her shower) I went with the standard gas unit. Perhaps next time!”

“The new thermostats that allow you to program temps when you are at home or away help conserve as well.”

“Tango, a long time ago we had a solar panels that was used to heat our water heater. You are right about that water being hot, almost to the point of scalding you.

Nigal, I agree with birch, good site”

“another advantage of new digital thermostats is the "setback" when your old thermostat was set at 70degrees in the winter its calibration was poor enough that it may not actually register the need for heat till its like 71.5-72, its doesnt sound like much but heat that volume of air can get pricey per degree, the new digital units can be as accurate as .5 degrees.

Also if you are getting a new furnace, look into an ultra-high efficiency unit with a two stage blower. When the furnace first fires up it burns at max temp and blows at high speed, when the thermostat is satisfied the flame is extinguished and the blower slows to about 40-60% of top speed recirculating the warm are removing cold spots. A good example of how this saves money is this. In a typical 1900sqft home you would need a 100,000BTU furance if it was a basic 60-70% model. If you increase the efficiency to 90=% and go with a two stage blower the BTU drops to 70,000 thats a 30,000btu saving in natural gas.”

“we used to supplement our heat with a woodstove but dam that is work.”

“Mmmmmm...two stage blower.”

“My house had single pane windows. The previous owner added a retrofit that put a 2nd pc of glass onto the existing double hung. Seems to work but makes them heavy. I added storm windows to all. so actually all my windows are triple pane except the basement which are double. My un-heated porch has single pane. Some day we'll replace them all....prob when I re-side. I added extra insulation to the attic & insulated the basement ceiling. Most (98%) of my house uses flourescent bulbs. Most of my appliances have been replaced with high efficiency units incl a front load washer which uses a LOT less water. I have 2 monitor type kerosene space heaters. (one's in the basement) These are computer operated & vent thru the walls. I can heat comfortably with them cheaper than burning wood. I use window AC units which I normally need about a week or two a year EXCEPT this year when we used them a LOT. My son-in-law is a HVAC contractor & has offered several times to put in central air.....someday. My house ussually keeps a foot of snow on the roof thru winter too. My hilltop house is surrounded by trees, mountain laurel & rhoderdendren which blocks much of the winter wind.”

“catshiker, sounds like a beautiful location for a home, get the new A/C you'll love it and the price should be right.”

“

Peter Ash, of Lawford, Somerset, attached a generator to his hamster's exercise wheel and connected it to his phone charger.

Elvis does the legwork while Peter charges his phone in an economically and environmentally friendly way.

He came up with the idea after his sister Sarah complained that Elvis was keeping her awake at night by playing for hours on his exercise wheel.

"I thought the wheel could be made to do something useful so I connected a system of gears and a turbine," he said.

"Every two minutes Elvis spends on his wheel gives me about thirty minutes talk time on my phone."

The teenage inventor was given a C for his project and has been awarded a D overall for the course.


http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1513938.html”

“I'm guessing there must have been some specific requirements for the project that he didn't meet. Seems like that should have been worth at least a B.”

“"Every two minutes Elvis spends on his wheel gives me about thirty minutes talk time on my phone."


As an Electrical Engineer, I find this very hard to believe. 30 minutes of wheeltime for two minutes of talk time is maybe more likely.
I want to see the calculations. ;-)

Maybe that's why the kid got a C.
last edited: 8/26/05 2:41:10 PM”

“hey stove, you ever see those things run on that wheel, they can fly. How much juice would be needed to charge a phone for 30 minutes?”

“There's prolly a hidden wire running round to the power outlet.”

““There's prolly a hidden wire running round to the power outlet.”
Y2
3:01:07 PM

LOL, or another battery more likely.

There's no free lunch Ewker.
To generate power, one must have a greater power to turn the generator.
There are always losses in the system.

I seriously doubt that a 'D' student has made any breakthroughs in electrical power generation.
last edited: 8/26/05 3:34:12 PM”

“Economy faces tough winter: Bodman By Tom Doggett
38 minutes ago (off yahoo news)

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy will face a tough winter due to high energy prices caused partly by a disruption in oil and natural gas supplies from Hurricane Katrina, U.S. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman warned on Thursday.

"There is no doubt that this is going to be a very tough winter season for the American economy (and) for American homeowners," Bodman said in an interview on the "Fox & Friends" television news program.

The Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday Americans who warm their homes with natural gas could see their fuel costs jump by as much as 71 percent this winter in some parts of the country.

Residential heating bills for heating oil will increase by 31 percent, and electricity users will see their costs rise by 17 percent, the Energy Department's analytical arm said in its latest monthly energy forecast.

Katrina slammed into Louisiana and Mississippi 10 days ago with 140 mph winds and flooding. The storm initially halted most Gulf of Mexico crude oil and natural gas production and shut nearly a dozen refineries.

Separately, Bodman said he expected the sharp drop in crude oil prices from last week's record of $70.85 a barrel to be passed on to consumers in the form of lower gasoline costs.

"We would expect that over time that would be reflected at the pump," Bodman said.

On Thursday, oil futures initially fell more than $1.00 to $63.10 a barrel after the EIA reported that the U.S. gasoline stockpile was not drained as much as expected after Hurricane Katrina. Crude prices have dropped by about 9 percent since last week, when the United States and other industrialized nations began to tap emergency reserves.

The national retail price for regular unleaded gasoline jumped 46 cents over the past week to hit a record high of $3.07 a gallon on Tuesday, according to the EIA.

Pump costs have since started falling after two major pipelines that ship gasoline returned to full capacity and many of the refineries shut by the hurricane are back online.

Still, the White House said Thursday that gasoline prices remain too high.

"Some of those prices have come down a little bit since last week, but they're still too high and that's why we took immediate action to address some of these supply issues," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. "We view this as a temporary disruption," he said.

The Bush administration has loaned some 12.6 million barrels of crude from the nation's emergency oil stockpile to six refiners, including Exxon Mobil.

The Energy Department is also accepting bids for 30 million barrels of crude oil from energy companies that want to buy oil directly from the government. President George W. Bush ordered the sale from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve as part of a massive 60 million barrel release of crude and gasoline from the United States and other member nations of the International Energy Agency.

Even though the major Colonial and Plantation pipelines that supply the East Coast with gasoline are running again, it will still be difficult to provide them with gasoline if major oil refineries that make the motor fuel aren't operating, the EIA said.

"Supplying the pipelines with products may become an issue as long as some of the refineries that supply product into these pipelines remain shut down or running at reduced rates," the agency said in its latest assessment on the lingering effects of Katrina on the U.S. energy sector.



nothing like buying a house and natural gas prices will go thru the roof =(”

“Yikes.
I guess we will have to keep the thermostat down and wear layers of clothing this winter!”

“I'm going to look into solar panels. My state pays for about 60% of the cost so the break-even point is like 7 or 8 years - less if the price of electricity goes up.”

“I was at a major manufacturing facility of solar panels yesterday, lining up to do the engineering on a fast-track expansion project. They expect their markets to expand greatly. Which is good news for several reasons, not the least of which is, as volume increases, prices will decrease, driving more volume increases, etc.
Manufacturing solar panels is a very expensive process, partly because of the high cost (read: sole source) of the raw materials.

It's refreshing to work on a project that I can believe in, for a change.”

“my heating bill is going to be more than my rent this winter.”

“I got my first gas bill ($18.00) and I thought it was a little high since the only thing using gas right now is my water heater. I haven't had gas heat in yrs so I have no idea as what it will be this winter.

Guess I will buy a blanket for my water heater today.

My electric bill ($39.00) wasn't any more than my bill when I lived in the apt.

Water bill was $ 8.00..I can live with that each month”

“Ewker, natural gas prices are supposed to go up 75% this year. As I work for the natural gas company in my area, I know this is hitting people hard. As for putting a blanket around your water heater, that does nothing, really. If you can, adjust the temperature control to a lower setting. Your water heater only heats up water when you use hot water. And it will only warm it up to what the temperature control is set for. The higher the temp, the longer the main burner runs.

The other thing is if you have a small gas leak on your fuel line past the meter, you are being charged for that. You can call the gas company and have them check for a leak. There shouldn't be a charge for that. But, you also want someone who is going to really check your lines. You would be surprised at what a small leak can cost you.
last edited: 10/10/05 11:35:54 AM”

“We just bought a new washer and dryer to fit in our soon-to-be-completed laundry room. They cost an arm and a leg, but they're so energy efficient, they'll pay for themselves. Plus, we'll get a couple of rebates, one from the water company and probably another from the gas company.

The best thing we've ever done was replace all of the windows in our house with modern, double-glazed ones. It doesn't get all that cold here, so people get lulled into a false sense of security just hanging onto their old single-glazed windows. What a difference, though!

The area we're remodeling is getting completely insulated, too! Heck, I think we'll start selling heat to our neighbors!”

“I am having new windows put in in about 3 weeks. That should help me.

House built in 1951 - window are original!”

“Yeah, ours was built in 1939 and had the original windows....”

“Wow, I was getting ready to bring this thread back up. I put in a programmable thermostat and got a water heater insulation jacket. Next up is insulating the hot water pipes and insulating the ductwork.”

“Wow things are cheaper where you live. The water bill's base is $36.00. The electric rate's gone up 3 times this year alone, and we're still the cheapest rate in the state.”

“Note on the programable thermostat: Be sure to check the batteries in it before you call for any service repair for your furnace. Low batteries can make your furnace do some strange stuff. Also, make sure the filter is always clean. A dirty filter can shut your furnace down again, making you think your furnace is not working.”

“I am going to pick up one of those hot water heater blankets this weekend. On sale at Lowes!”

“And I get to go to work today and tell all my customers the same thing I am telling you here. LOL! It is amazing how these newer furnaces are built...the newer the furnace, the more repair calls. Sad thing is, usually, a repair is not needed. It is usually something the manufacturer built into it to keep their profits up.”

“my house was built in 1935. Luckily the people replaced them with the double pane/tilting windows. I haven't checked to see if any air is getting through the window sills yet but I will soon.

Wolfeyes, thanks I will check that out. I have steps from the kitchen to the root cellar. I feels kind of odd when all you see is dirt walls and the rock foundation of your house.”

“I think the only other thing I can really do is insulate my roof between the studs. I have really good windows and doors seals are good. I'll have to check out that web site again and see where else I can improve.

Does anyone else have a gas company that lets you lock in your price?”

“Nigal, a guy at work once told me this "If you are out snow-blowing 2 feet of snow, and you have no snow on your roof, your insulation sucks."”

“It's unbelieveable that America is only just waking up to this stuff. Insulate whatever you can and you save a huge amount on energy bills.”

“This weekend I just replaced the last of the original 1959 single glazed, ugly as sin, aluminum framed windows with new Andersen casements. Our seller had replaced some, but I did 14.

I found that most of the walls had no insulation. Our seller had foam board installed when she vinyl sided but since I put in larger windows and had to tear out so much drywall to reframe the openings, I just went ahead and tore the drywall off the outside walls and will insulate those. I’ll have cellulose blown into the walls I didn’t touch.

One of the first things we did upon moving in was to put in a high efficiency furnace and water heater. We got hefty rebates from the utility company for those.

I added insulation in the attic.

We replaced a bunch of incandescent bulbs with those screw-in fluorescents. They look better than what was available a decade ago.

I plan to seal off, insulate and climate control the 4.5 foot crawl space we have under half the house. The aim is to add storage but it will tighten up the house.

I expect we’ll use a lot less energy next year than we did the first.


That’s a good tip on checking the gas lines, Wolfeyes. I hadn’t thought of it, but I’ll definitely look into it. Thanks.”

“Don't use a flame.”

“For those who want to check their gas lines, a mixture of dish soap and water will do the trick in a spray bottle. Make sure the consistency of the soap and water is more soap. Just spray on all fittings, couplings, etc., and if you see any kind of bubbles, it's a leak. To repair, re-pipe dope the fitting and check your work. DO NOT use piping tape, like you use on water pipes. Get pipe dope. Comes in all sizes, and I usually use the 1/4 pint can. Most common leak areas are at the unions at the water heater and furnace. Also, the pilot nut on the pilot line at the water heater, underneath the temp. control. Almost always, customers will have new water heaters installed and the installer leaves that leaking. It leaks more when there is a call for burner gas. Also, if you have any hidden fuel line, especially in cement, and there is no sleeving, there could be small pinhole leaks on that pipe. Cement will eat steel piping.
last edited: 10/10/05 1:25:06 PM”

“I plan to build my retirement home in 10 years or less. When I do this is how I will insulate my home. Using foam insulation is like living in an ice chest with the lid closed. It is so efficient that you actually have to have a fresh air make up on the central A/C system to remove stale air, there is simply no air exchange with the outside. The company I work for makes the raw material for this application. It is the same stuff that comes in the can (great stuff). It is without a doubt the best insulation available to the home owner. Some of the people I work with have used the system in their homes and electric cooling bills of $100 in the gulf coast summer is not uncommon. Heating bills of $100 are the norm.

http://www.sealection500.com/dem/s500/index.php?key=Video”

“Why does no one ever believe me when I tell them that the "gas smell" is added for safety reasons?”

“I believe you.”

“'Cuz you're a Brit.”

“If bit said it, I'd believe him....”