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plan your home energy - 4/16/2009 10:35:14 AM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
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http://hes.lbl.gov/ I used this site to get ideas on how to cut my utility bills. Plug in info and it gives advice.

I am thinking of blown in the wall insulation.      I MUST do something about heating and cooling costs here.

A few ceilings lowered maybe- or per haps a wall gas heater- rather then the whole system.

I really am disappointed that despite having weatherization here- the costs were a good amount higher then last year. I think the increase was 10%. With 13% planned for next winter.   (electric went up 7%? and will go up 42% 1-1-10)

My brother says to move to a smaller house- but I think per haps I can use the space more wisely here. Also come summer- I dont use the 2nd floor as it is too hot.

There has to be insulation type of ideas- changes that can help.   I only heat 4 rooms. (not the whole house)

Anyhow- a smart plan "might" work.                             ...maybe,

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RE: plan your home energy - 4/16/2009 10:51:39 AM

alianora

Posts: 38
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Good insulation in your walls and attic
Make sure all your doors and windows are in good shape and efficient

This is not for everyone, but one thing that I found has helped with my heating in the winter time was I installed floor radiators in all my rooms; each one is on a seperate control so that I can program them how I want. It actually has cut down on my heating bills ( I have a large house too; two stories, 5 bedrooms, LR, DR, 3 bathrooms, a den, and a basement ). The floors were installed this winter and my bill went down about 30%.

In the summer, since I am not a fan of AC; I just keep all my windows open, but I make sure that the sunlight does not come directly into the house as that raises the temperature. I have ceiling fans in all the rooms with the exception being the bathrooms; they run all the time ( it's not high cost to run them 24/7 during the summer, despite what many think ). I also change light bulbs in the summer to the new flourescent individual bulbs; they give off less heat and use less energy.
If it gets real hot, I bring out the window fans and put one in all the windows. I am not a huge fan of them though; I don't care for the noise that they give off.

Edited to add:
Have you thought about having solar panels installed? They may cost a pretty penny to start with, but in the long term; they will help considerably.

< Message edited by alianora -- 4/16/2009 10:53:41 AM >

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RE: plan your home energy - 4/16/2009 2:20:12 PM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
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Hi Al,

Hmm. I am just getting ideas right now. I am up in the white room. 2nd floor- it is almost too hot already. I never knew that awnings were so expensive.

If I sneeze wrong- my entire house will collapse. Tho- if a bomb hits- it will be the only house still standing on the block. lol.

Anyhow- the walls are slat board. There is NOTHING in them. Amazing. So- if I can get my drill working - maybe I can squirt foam in, or something.

I am thinking it would be good for sound too.

I hesitate to drill holes as the old plaster loves to fall off then. Of course any project takes 2x the length I think and costs 3-4x the cost as well.

My brother and mom were here last month. They did not say too much on the progress. My brother looked around sorta like how one would survey a junk yard.

A mistake I made... is rather then to rip right into the place day 1., I should have gotten to know the dwelling abit.

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RE: plan your home energy - 4/20/2009 12:53:47 PM

UncleNasty

Posts: 1108
Joined: 3/20/2004
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Roof or attic insulation will make a bigger difference than wall. If you have to choose only one go for the overhead stuff.

Uncle Nasty

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RE: plan your home energy - 4/20/2009 2:25:57 PM

LaTigresse

Posts: 26123
Joined: 1/15/2006
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Definitely insulate the attic. Then pay someone to blow insulation into your exteriour walls, or you can rent the equipment and do it yourself. Just make sure you are not filling a closet with it (yes I have seen it happen).

Another thing to check, cracks and holes in your foundation, bad basement windows. Make sure all basement window wells have covers on them.

On demand water heaters are more expensive than traditional tank heaters but will save money in the long run. And water. Especially if you can remove the hot water lines going to the places furthest from your tank water heater and install an under sink, on demand, water heater instead.

Use heavy insulating curtains on your windows year round, especially sliding glass doors. In summer keep them closed when the sun is shining in, to really help your cooling costs. I open the house up at night and put a fan in a window blowing out, to get a good cross breeze and cool the house. Then close it up, with curtains closed and ceiling fans running during the day. Makes a huge difference on how cool the house stays.

Do the reverse in winter. On sunny winter days I get so much heat from the sun shining in I don't need to run the wood stove.

< Message edited by LaTigresse -- 4/20/2009 2:27:28 PM >

_____________________________

My twisted, self deprecating, sense of humour, finds alot to laugh about, in your lack of one!

Just because you are well educated, articulate, and can use big, fancy words, properly........does not mean you are right!

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RE: plan your home energy - 4/20/2009 3:00:01 PM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
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Gosh- I got my electric bill today.

I did well this month. $20.52

:-)

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RE: plan your home energy - 4/24/2009 12:30:43 PM

gman992

Posts: 120
Joined: 10/11/2005
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A Tale of Two Houses:

Last night, Al Gore's global-warming documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, collected an Oscar for best documentary feature, but the Tennessee Center for Policy Research has found that Gore deserves a gold statue for hypocrisy.
    Gore's mansion, located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES).
    In his documentary, the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home.
    The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh--more than 20 times the national average.
    Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh--guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore's average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.
    Since the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Gore's energy consumption has increased from an average of 16,200 kWh per month in 2005, to 18,400 kWh per month in 2006.
    Gore's extravagant energy use does not stop at his electric bill. Natural gas bills for Gore's mansion and guest house averaged $1,080 per month last year.
    "As the spokesman of choice for the global warming movement, Al Gore has to be willing to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, when it comes to home energy use," said Tennessee Center for Policy Research President Drew Johnson.
    In total, Gore paid nearly $30,000 in combined electricity and natural gas bills for his Nashville estate in 2006.

                                                        VS

The 4,000-square-foot house is a model of environmental rectitude Geothermal heat pumps located in a central closet circulate water through pipes buried 300 feet deep in the ground where the temperature is a constant 67 degrees; the water heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. Systems such as the one in this "eco-friendly" dwelling use about 25% of the electricity that traditional heating and cooling systems utilize. A 25,000-gallon underground cistern collects rainwater gathered from roof runs; wastewater from sinks, toilets and showers goes into underground purifying tanks and is also funneled into the cistern. The water from the cistern is used to irrigate the landscaping surrounding the four-bedroom home. Plants and flowers native to the high prairie area blend the structure into the surrounding ecosystem. No, this is not the home of some eccentrically wealthy eco-freak trying to shame his fellow citizens into following the pristineness of his self-righteous example. And no, it is not the wilderness retreat of the Sierra Club or the Natural Resources Defense Council, a haven where tree-huggers plot political strategy.

This is President George W. Bush's "Texas White House" outside the small town of Crawford.

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RE: plan your home energy - 4/24/2009 12:58:23 PM

pahunkboy

Posts: 33061
Joined: 2/26/2006
From: Central Pennsylvania
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992, yeah- Gores place is wasteful. Geo does have a dream house for energy. :-)

My gas bill came today. I was expecting $200. But the tab- $82. Yay. :-)

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