With the dog days of summer officially upon us -- and with utility costs rising at the same pace as our backyard thermometers, the Alliance to Save Energy offers these tips to remain cool during the sweltering heat wave and save a few bucks in the process:
Shift energy-intensive tasks, such as laundry and dishwashing, to off-peak hours -- nights, mornings, and weekends -- when the strain on the power grid from business, industry and homes operating air conditioning simultaneously is reduced. Operate washers and dryers with full loads to get the most for your energy dollars.
Cooling puts the greatest stress on the power grid and summer energy bills. Maintain your AC equipment with a professional "tune-up" to save you the cost and inconvenience of a breakdown during the hottest days. Clean or replace filters monthly.
Also consider increasing the temperature by just three degrees to decrease your energy bills -- or use a fan to circulate air so that you can increase the temperature comfortably. For optimum performance, make sure window units are sized properly.
Save water and energy simultaneously. Energy Star-certified clothes washers cut water and energy usage simultaneously, while getting clothes just as clean with less wear and tear. Also investigate Energy Star-certified dishwashers with soil sensors to shorten the washing cycle and clothes dryers with moisture sensors.
Since your refrigerator runs 24 hours a day and accounts for about 10 percent of the total home electricity bill, keep the coils clean to reduce your energy bills and extend the life of your appliance. The coils are located behind or under the fridge.
Look for the Energy Star label, which is the symbol for energy efficiency, when shopping for a new refrigerator. If all of the nation's households used the most efficient refrigerators, electricity savings would eliminate the need for some 20-30 power plants.
Forgetful? A programmable thermostat automatically coordinates indoor climates with your daily and weekend patterns, reducing cooling bills by up to 10 percent. And you don't have to "remember" to turn the air conditioning off when you won't be home.
For a room air conditioner, install a setback timer if it doesn't already have one so the machine does not run when you are not home. These things can reduce energy use and let you come home to a cool house.
Plug energy "leaks" with appropriate insulation, weather stripping, caulking and "low-e" or spectrally selective windows, glass doors and skylights. Make sure your attic and the rest of your house are well insulated. Some of these home energy-efficiency improvements can generate up to a $500 federal tax credit.
To cut your related energy bills by up to 30 percent, also look for the Energy Star label when shopping for room air conditioners, major appliances, lighting, home office equipment, windows, and electronics. (Find retailers near you at energystar.gov.)
Replacing four 75-watt incandescent bulbs with 23-watt fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) that use about two-thirds less energy and last up to 10 times longer, saving $190 over the life of the bulbs. If all our nation's households did the same, we'd save as much energy as is consumed by some 38 million cars in one year.
You also can improve your home's security and still avoid wasting money and energy when you are out by putting timers on a few lights or installing motion detectors on exterior floodlights.
Turn off everything not in use. Lights, TVs, computers. Everything!
Published: August 23, 2006
Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.
When Lew Sichelman first started writing about housing in 1969, he was the youngest real estate writer in the country. Now, 37 years later, he's one of the oldest -- and most decorated.
He has been rated the top housing columnist in the country by the National Association of Realtors as well as by his peers in the National Association of Real Estate Editors. Indeed, NAREE has recognized his work on numerous occasions. One year - due to his advancing age, he can't recall which one - he earned top honors in the annual NAREE Journalism Contest in three out of the four major writing categories. It was the first time one writer has won so many NAREE awards in a single year.
Known for his ability to make even the most difficult topics understandable, Sichelman also has been honored by the National Association of Home Builders and the Mortgage Bankers Association.
He began providing in-depth coverage of and consumer-oriented information about housing and housing finance at the Washington Daily News, where he was real estate editor. He
held that same position for nine more years at the Washington Star, which purchased the News in 1972.
The Star, a so-called "writer's newspaper" which also had the misfortune of being an evening paper, was put out of its misery in 1981, and Sichelman, who had begun self-syndicating his column in 1978, decided to become a full-time columnist. Today, his column, "The Housing Scene," is distributed by United Media to newspapers throughout the country.
He also is on the staff of National Mortgage News, an independent newspaper which is considered the bible of the mortgage business. And he writes for numerous other publications, including MarketWatch.com, where he answers readers questions once a week, Sports Illustrated (don't ask), RealtyTimes.com, BigBuilder and others.
Sichelman is married, the father of five and grandfather of eleven.
When