The leaves may have changed color and fallen from the trees, but that doesn’t mean there can’t be any green in your wintertime.  Check out these tips for going green in the wintertime.

Defeating the Cold Air Draft

Temperatures vary during the winter but one way or another; nobody likes to live in a cold house.  Stepping out of a hot shower or bath into the cold air of a bathroom can be one of the worst experiences.  Most people end up taking longer showers in the winter because the sudden rush of cold air outside of the shower is very unappealing.   The cold air we all fear surrounding the outside of the shower, the fearful draft, comes from the crack under the door or perhaps a window.  Put an end to this waste of hot air and roll a towel to fit under the crack in the door or window.  Your bathroom window may fog up, but your transition from hot shower to cold bathroom is sure to be a smoother one.  Take this trick from the bathroom and use it in other rooms that may be draft prone, perhaps a door to a backyard patio or the doggie door, both areas where heat can escape.  Drafts such as these have the potential to waste anywhere from five to thirty percent of energy use.  Rolling a towel under doors or windows around the house will help keep the heat in and the draft out.

A window insulation kit is another method to cutting out airflow and eliminating the draft, increasing your home’s ability to keep the heat inside.   When installed properly, the window plastic goes unnoticed.  Low-E film is a great tool for the summer or winter.  By applying the window film to your windowpanes, you can cut down on heat loss from older windows up to forty percent.  The film is reversible.   When flipped one way, the film keeps solar radiation out when it’s hot outside.  When you reverse it, the film reflects heat from the sun inside the household for the colder part of the year.

Installing a storm door is another way to keep the draft out and a great way to cut down on wasted energy, especially when the cold wind starts blowing outside.   Storm doors offer much flexibility in allowing ventilation and light into your household.  Make sure your storm doors are Energy Star Rated.

Energy Star Rated Products

Energy Star Rated products are identifiable with a blue and white label on the appliance and earned by meeting strict guidelines set forth by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Energy.  This label identifies products that are ten to fifty percent more efficient then standard models.  Keep this in mind next time you purchase an appliance; if half of the homes in the United States replaced a standard television set with an Energy Star model, the energy saved would be equivalent to shutting down an entire power plant.

The Ceiling Fan…A Secret Weapon

A ceiling fan is not only a great tool for the summer but for the winter as well, capable of cutting heating costs up to ten percent.   Ceiling fans run counter clockwise to generate a cooling effect in a room.  A little known fact is that numerous ceiling units are equipped with a reverse switch.  The reverse switch sends the blades of the fan clockwise.  An odd site at first, a ceiling fan running in reverse creates an updraft.   The warm air in a given rooms tends to collect near the ceiling.  The updraft from running the ceiling fan in reverse knocks the warm air loose and sends it spiraling down to the rest of the room.

Water Heaters

Water heaters in homes are often set at a temperature higher then most households need, often leaving hot water sitting in the tank cooling down.  To cut down on wasting heated water, check out the temperature gauge on your water heater.  Most are set to one hundred and forty degrees Fahrenheit by whoever installed the appliance.  However, most homes do not require this degree of heated water.  Try lowering your water heater temperature by twenty degrees.  If your heater is set to one hundred and forty, try setting it to one hundred and twenty.  Continue to lower it by a few degrees each week if you do not notice a difference in your daily functioning.  By lowering the temperature of your water heater by a mere twenty degrees, you can save on your energy costs anywhere from six to ten percent.

If you’d like to cut back even further, consider looking into a tankless water heater also known as demand water heater or instantaneous water heater.  Pricier than a standard water heater, a tankless heater will save you money in the long run.   Purchasing an eligible model of a tankless water heater might even get you a federal tax credit.  Standard water heaters hold anywhere from forty to eighty gallons of heated water at any given time.  Therefore, heating water in the home tends to be one of the biggest contributors to a high-energy bill.  The alternative tankless water heater provides heated water only when needed.  Think of it like made to order.  The water isn’t heated until the demand for the heater water has been received.   This energy efficient appliance works very simply.  Once the device is installed, you turn on the hot water tap and the appliance immediately heats up the cold water, which travels through pipes into the appliance and then into the tap.  It works the same in the shower.  And the best part is it will heat water as long as you like, so your shower will not turn cold out of nowhere.   According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the tankless water heater is most effective for homes using less than forty gallons of water daily, saving twenty four to thirty four percent more energy than a standard water heater.  Energy savings can sky rocket to fifty percent with a tankless water heater at all of the hot water outlets in a household.

Another option for cutting water-heating costs is solar water heaters, which are extremely reliable and work in any climate.  A flexible device, there are a variety of solar water heaters that can run exclusively or be paired other water heater systems as a pre-heater.  Some have pumps and some work passively.  In order to have one, a storage tank and a solar collector are required.  Solar water heaters are available at affordable costs ranging from fifteen hundred dollars to thirty five hundred dollars, often paying for themselves in four to eight years.

Energy Monitors

A practical tool is available on the market now, capable of making you aware of the amount of energy you are using in your home at any given time.  This device, called an Energy Monitor, calculates electrical use in the home in real time and makes monthly projections of how much the energy bill will cost.  When the consumer becomes aware of how much they are spending, they are more likely to cut back and save energy and money on the bill.  It’s easy to turn on the heat and leave it running.  As soon as you see how much that doing so will cost you, you are much more likely to use it only when necessary.

Alternatives to Turning Up the Heat

Instead of leaving the heat on all night while you sleep, wear warm clothes to bed and use an extra blanket.  It’s fun and cozy to get snuggled up in bed when it’s cold outside.  Wear warm socks around the house and dress warm when you are home during the day.  You’ll save money by not always having to turn on the heat.

Another alternative to using the heater is to purchase a heating pad.  Heating pads are good for a sore back and for a cold home.   Putting one against your back while you sit on the sofa will warm you up instantly.  Even putting one in your bed will help make it that much more toasty.  Most heating pads turn off automatically so you don’t have to worry about leaving it on all night either.

Boost Insulation

Consider boosting insulation to warm up your house.   Insulation isn’t the most attractive way to save energy but it is a highly effective method for saving money and energy.  Adding insulation between walls, and making sure your attic floor and basement ceiling are well covered will make a big difference in your energy bill.  You can also pay less for heated water by insulating your pipes, which also decreases the odds of pipes freezing.   Your pipes are insulation ready if they are warm to the touch.  Pre-slit pipe foam is available for purchase at hardware stores.  What you want to do is cut the foam to the size of your pipe and secures the foam in place over the pipe with duct tape.  The ideal situation here is to choose the highest R-value practical, which indicates its heat blocking power.   Pipe insulation is usually R-3.

Seal Those Air Ducts

Air ducts have a high probability of wasted air, hot or cold, slipping out when the duct is not properly and tightly sealed down.  The U.S. Department of Energy reports that an average ten to thirty percent of conditioned or heated air escapes from ducts in your home.  The benefits of properly sealed ducts are well worth paying a professional technician to come into your home and fix any problems with your duct.  The American Solar Energy Society says a properly sealed air duct can save the average home up to one hundred and forty dollars every year, not to mention stronger protection against mold and dust.   Note that some services offer to clean your ducts, however, cleaning is only needed if you have a problem with your duct.   Also, despite its similar name, duct tape is not the proper way to seal your air duct.

Outdoor Refrigeration

Have you ever left your gallon of milk outside because your backyard was full of snow?  Households spend money each month to keep cold food when it gets very cold outside in the wintertime.  Consider taking on the task of creating an ambient air refrigerator on the side of your house.  The project entails building an insulated box that will attach to the outside of your house, preferably outside of your kitchen and to the outside of an opening to your house that is already there.   Keep your food chilled outside and turn off your refrigerator.

The Furnace Filter

An often forgotten about tool in the household is the furnace filter.  The furnace filter sits in place as months and months go by, commonly disregarded as it collects dust and filth.  This neglect is due to forgetfulness rather then disregard and going green is the way to solve this problem.  First off, cleaning or replacing these filters every month during the cold season when a household is utilizing the heat, will increase energy use.  The dirt in the filters serves only to restrict airflow, holding back some of the heat that would otherwise travel into the home.  Make a note in your calendar to change the filter, perhaps every time you pay the bill, you can also change the filter.

If that sounds like a daunting task, consider switching to a permanent filter, which will not only reduce the hassle every month, but will cut down on waste.  Disposable fiberglass filters catch a mere ten to forty percent of filth and dust while electronic filters catch in the vicinity of eighty eight percent.   A lesser-known fact about disposable fiberglass filters is that they were designed to remove the largest particles from the air, aiming to protect the heating equipment rather then the health of those using the heating equipment.  Electronic filters are superior to the disposable filters also when it comes to controlling the bacteria, mold, viruses and pollen that are known to cause illnesses and allergies.  Electronic filters, also known as Electrostatic Filters since they depend on the principle of static electricity, are also washable and easy to install.  They cost anywhere from fifty dollars to one thousand dollars for high-end models.

Another option for a filter is a genuine high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter, which can remove at least ninety-nine percent of particles, debris, dust and allergens in the air.  HEPA filters are based on Department of Energy standards.  Note that filters that are on the market that suggest they are like HEPA filters are often much less effective.

Heating equipment, like cars, require periodic tune-ups in order to run at full capacity, as they get older.   Maintain your furnace so that it will run at top shape during the winter.   Keep it clean, lubricated, and properly adjusted to reduce energy usage and to save up to five percent of heating costs.  Many utilities offer free annual check ups by qualified technicians.   Some furnace manufacturers and dealers offer free or discounted inspections.  Make sure you call early since most people tend to call in the wintertime and the HVAC (acronym that stands for “heating, ventilating, and air conditioning”) crews get backed up with all of the demand.

Winterize Your Air Conditioner and Water Lines

Did you know there is an easy way to winterize your air conditioner and water lines that will save you wear and tear on your cooling system?  All you have to do is drain all of your hoses and air conditioner pipes.  The key is to make sure you do not have any excess water pooled in the equipment.  Turn the water shutoff valve off on your air conditioner.  Keeping these tools dry will increase their life span and will help them run most effectively when you need them.

Small water leaks often go unnoticed and neglected for long periods of time, until those leaks turn into bigger leaks.  By preventing them now, you’d be surprised at how much water you are actually saving.  Sealing leaky pipes or faucets can make a drastic difference in your water bill.  Take some time to go around the house and check all of your faucets and pipes for leaks or even those small slow drips in the bathroom or kitchen sink.

Try utilizing the Drip Accumulator calculator on the United States Geological Survey website (http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/sc4.html).   You can see for yourself that a single slow leaky faucet dripping thirty drops per minute wastes three gallons per day, or the equivalent of twenty-seven baths per year.  The USGS also estimates that many of our toilets leak approximately twenty-two gallons of water per day.

Don’t Forget to Turn Off the Thermostat

People commonly turn on the heat in the house and then run out for a couple hours, picking up some milk and dropping off a package at the post office, maybe swinging by the bank to make a deposit.  All the while back at the house, the heat stays on, heating an empty house and wasting energy.  People make this mistake all the time and we all hate when we do it.  Try posting a note on the inside of the door to remind your self to turn off the air conditioning or heat.  Or post the note next to the hook where you leave your house keys or car keys, that way you’ll always be reminded on your way out to turn it off, whether or not it’s on.   Taking the time to do this has its advantages.  Not only will you be developing a good habit, but you will also save money on your energy bill.   For every degree you lower the thermostat, you can save anywhere between one and three percent of your energy bill.

If you are not the type to write yourself notes, consider investing in a programmable thermostat.  The price of programmable thermostats has dropped considerably in the last few years.  They are now widely available for as low as fifty dollars.   These thermostats save the average family one hundred and eighty dollars a year, off the average annual heating budget of two thousand dollars, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.   Don’t forget to look out for the EPA’s Energy Star guidelines (mentioned above).  Energy star has recently launched a new campaign to encourage homeowners to maximize the benefits of their programmable thermostats.  Energy Star-rated models come equipped with presets that tend to help most families save energy.  Check out Energy Star’s website http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=thermostats.pr_thermostats to find which programmable thermostat is best suited for your home.

Tax Credits

Numerous tax credits are available for homeowners who install renewable energy and energy efficiency projects.  Various state, local and federal incentives exist to encourage storm doors, energy efficient furnaces and much more.  Check out a detailed list of opportunities available to you at the Database of State Incentives for Renewable and Efficiency http://www.dsireusa.org/.

Check out these examples of home improvements that can qualify as tax credits:

* exterior doors and windows,
* storm windows,
* skylights,
* metal roofs,
* insulation,
* central air conditioning and heating,
* geothermal heat pumps,
* hot water boilers,
* advanced main air circulating fans,
* biomass fuel stoves with a thermal efficiency rating of 75% or more, and
* asphalt roofs with cooling granules.

Check out a comprehensive list of qualifying home improvement equipment from the Energy Star web site: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits.

Find a Green Contractor

Some of the improvements discussed above might be ambitious for some.  Don’t hesitate to call in a professional.  Green building professionals are setting up shop all across the country.   It’s important to find the right contractor, one that shares your values about going green.   Ask potential contractors about their interest in and experience with going green, and find out if they are approved for work that qualifies for a green home label.