×

Conserving energy is easy, can save money

As we enter the winter of 2014-15, oil prices are declining. While this may be encouraging, it is far from relief for poor and middle class individuals and families trying to make ends meet.

In fact, according to statistics from the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, the cost of a gallon of No. 2 fuel oil is now more than four times what it was just 16 years ago. In October 1998, the average price for a gallon of No. 2 fuel oil purchased at retail price in the North Country (Clinton, Essex, Franklin, Hamilton, Jefferson, Lewis, St. Lawrence and Warren counties) was just 79.7 cents per gallon. By 2004, the price had more than doubled to $1.93. By October of 2010, the price had risen to $2.973. As of November 11th of this year, even as prices have been falling since the end of summer, the average price for home heating oil in our neck of the woods was still averaging $3.462, an increase of about 16.5 percent over last year.

NYSERDA statistics also show that the retail price for propane, which averaged $1.078 in October 1998,spiked toward the end of this past winter, rising to $4.193 per gallon in February of this year from $2.964 per gallon in Oct of 2013. Last month, a gallon of propane sold, on average, for $3.024. And, as of Nov. 17, the average price was $2.816.

Prices for natural gas have been equally erratic. They’ve risen from an average of $10.50 per 1,000 cubic feet (MCF) in December 2013 to $18.84/MCF in August of this year. More recent NYSERDA price data is unavailable.

If you’re one of the thousands of area residents wondering what you can do about it, there are several low cost, and even some no cost measures you can take to lower fuel and electricity consumption and your annual energy bills. A few small changes can add up to big savings. And reducing energy consumption is environmentally friendly, as well.

Waste can account for a significant percentage of a household’s energy use. And given the potential to translate wasted energy expense into new-found income, I can’t begin to imagine why anyone wouldn’t invest time and a little bit of money in energy efficiency improvements.

Wasteful behavior forces production of more power than we actually need. Applying simple behavioral changes to our lives; turning down thermostats, especially when we are not going to be at home or while we’re sleeping, and turning off and unplugging appliances when they are not in use, for example, can conserve substantial amounts of energy and save considerable amounts of money.

Set your thermostat to the lowest comfortable setting possible. Over the course of the heating season, you can lower heating costs by 1 percent for every eight-hour period that you lower your thermostat by just one degree F. Get into the habit of wearing a sweater and turning the heat down even further at night, when you’re sleeping, and when the house is unoccupied. Better yet, install programmable thermostats that automatically adjust temperature settings while you’re asleep or away. Having your furnace serviced annually, cleaning or replacing furnace filters regularly, and being careful not to block registers and return vents with furniture will enable you to reduce fuel consumption even further.

Turn lights and appliances off when they are not in use. And keep in mind that many appliances never turn completely off unless they are unplugged.

Take a walk around your home; inside and out. Note where warm air is being lost through unsealed openings in the walls and ceilings and around windows and doors and plug the holes, gaps or cracks that you find with caulk, weather stripping, or insulating spray foam. At the same time, make sure that any existing caulk or weather stripping is not cracked or deteriorated. Installing inexpensive foam draft sealers behind exterior wall electrical switch and outlet faceplates on exterior wallscan significantly reduce energy consumption, too.

Tightly cover windows with plastic, especially if you don’t have storm or thermal windows. Hang drapes or blinds and keep them closed at night and on cold days.

Caulk and seal leaks where plumbing or electrical wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors and ceilings.

Remove air conditioners whenever possible. If removal is not possible, tightly cover them to reduce drafts and minimize leakage.

Make sure that your home is adequately insulated. Replacing or upgrading your attic insulation to R-30 or more could be the single most important thing you do to reduce heating costs. In homes with crawl spaces, upgrade floor insulation to R-19 and be sure that a vapor barrier is installed to lock humidity and moisture out.

Heating hot water consumes a lot of energy, too. Fixing dripping faucets and repairing any in line leaks can save a bundle and avert water damage to the home. You can easily cut down on water and energy use by installing low flow or flow control shower heads and faucet aerators and by lowering the thermostat temperature setting on your hot water heater to 120 degrees F. Water hotter than 120 degrees can cause serious scalds and burns anyway.

Insulating older hot water heaters, turning your hot water heater off at night and leaving it off if you are going to be away for several days will also save energy. Get used to taking cooler, shorter showers, especially in preference to baths. And don’t leave water running when you’re washing.

Whenever possible, wash clothes in cold water. Wash only full loads of clothing and dishes. Hang dry your clothes whenever possible and air dry your dishes.

When replacing light bulbs, buy energy efficient compact fluorescent (CFL) or LED bulbs. The life expectancy of CFLs is 10 to 12 times that of comparable incandescent bulbs and they consume only about one-fourth as much electricity, resulting in considerable energy-cost savings. LED lighting tends to use less than one-sixth as much energy as their incandescent or halogen counterparts, and two to three times less than most CFLs. And quality LED products will last 10 to 15 years. Whenever possible, maximize lighting effectiveness by using task lighting for reading, etc., as opposed to illuminating the entire room, and by keeping lighting fixtures and bulbs clean.

These are just a few of the many things that we can all do to save energy, reduce pollution linked to global warming and climate change, and save money to boot. So what are you waiting for?

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *

Starting at $4.75/week.

Subscribe Today