A digital setback thermostat is designed for people with fixed schedules that take them in and out of the home. With it, you can program the temperature to ‘set-back’ when you are not at home. This feature keeps you comfortable when you’re home and saves you money when you’re not by reducing the energy needs to heat and cool your home.
Digital setback thermostats are available in what are called 5+2 day configurations and 7-day configurations. The difference is flexibility. A 5+2 day configuration allows you to set Monday–Friday as a group setting with up to four different time settings. This configuration also allows you to set Saturday and Sunday as a separate group with up to four different time settings per day. The 7-day configuration thermostat allows you to program each day differently with up to four different time settings per day.
Have you ever been in your attic in the middle of the summer? It’s HOT! That’s why you need an attic ventilator. Assisting your air conditioner in cooling your home and in lowering your utility bills, an attic ventilator exhausts the hot air from your attic and brings in cooler air from the outside. This circulation of air greatly reduces the heat load on your home allowing your air conditioner to work more efficiently and to cool your home faster. Adding an attic ventilator to your home will save you money and make you more comfortable.
Lack of return air is a very common problem for those systems that were either poorly designed or originally planned for heat only applications. Adding additional returns to your system allows for greater supply air into your home, resulting in better airflow and comfort for your family. The benefits you will receive by taking care of this problem include: quieter operation, better airflow, fewer repairs, longer life of your equipment, lower utility bills and, best of all, greater comfort.
Most heating and cooling systems still use a basic air filter. These filters were originally designed to protect the equipment and not the people served by the equipment. The average air filter is only capable of removing 3–5% of the particles that pass through it. Today, however, there are several types of permanent air filters available in various efficiencies that can help you filter the air in your home. If you suffer from allergies, asthma, hay fever or other breathing difficulties, there is an air filter that can help you. We can even provide you with the same type of air filter used in hospital operating rooms.
The systems you now use or choose to have installed may qualify for energy effficiency savings.
Federal Energy Efficiency Tax Credits (EESA -2009) Updated to include 2009 Stimulus Plan Incentives Click here to learn which investments and improvements qualify for up to hundreds of dollars in tax rebates. Some are retroactive to 2008, others are available through 2016.
Additional State, Local and Utility Incentives Click hereand then on your state to learn about additional energy savings for which you may qualify.
Heating and cooling your home uses more energy and drains more energy dollars than any other system in your home. Typically, 44% of your utility bill goes for heating and cooling. No matter what kind of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system you have in your house, you can save money and increase comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment. Remember, though, an energy efficient furnace or air-conditioner alone will not have as great an impact on your energy bills as using the whole house approach. By combining proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with appropriate insulation, weatherization and thermostat setting, you can cut your energy bills in half.
All major appliances including gas furnaces, boilers, air conditioners and heat pumps sold in California meet the Title-24 energy efficiency “standards.” If you are thinking about purchasing a new central furnace, please check out our Appliance Database that lists the most energy-efficient models. This database will eventually be interactive allowing you to compare models.
Heating Tips
Set your thermostat as low as it is comfortable.
Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month.
Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators as needed; make sure they’re not blocked by furniture, carpeting or drapes.
Use kitchen, bath and other ventilating fans wisely; in just one hour, these fans can pull out a houseful of warmed or cooled air. Turn fans off as soon as they have done the job.
Keep draperies and shades open on south-facing windows during the heating season to allow sunlight to enter your home; close them at night to reduce the chill you may feel from >cold windows.
Close an unoccupied room that is isolated from the rest of the house such as in a corner and turn down the thermostat or turn off the heating for that room or zone. Do not, however, turn the heating off if it adversely affects the rest of your system.
Heat Pumps
If you use electricity to heat your home, consider installing an energy efficient heat pump system. Heat pumps are the most efficient for of electric heating in moderate climates, providing three times more heating than the equivalent amount of energy they consume in electricity. There are three types of heat pumps: air-to-air, water source and ground source. They collect heat from the air, water or ground outside your home and concentrate it for use inside. Heat pumps do double duty as a central air conditioner. They can also cool your home by collecting the heat inside your house and effectively pumping it outside. A heat pump can trim the amount of electricity you use for heating as much as 30% to 40%.
Heat Pump Tips
Do not set back the heat pump’s thermostat manually if it causes the electric resistance heating to come on. This type of heating, which is often used as a backup to the heat pump, is more expensive.
Clean or change filters once a month or as needed and maintain the system according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Gas and Oil Systems
Gas furnaces are rated for efficiency with an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency number, or an AFUE. According to the state’s Energy Efficiency Standards, Title 24, the minimum AFUE for central furnace systems now sold in California is 0.78, which means that 78 percent of the fuel used by the furnace actually reaches your home’s duct work as heat.
The higher the AFUE, the more efficient the furnace. AFUE numbers in today’s furnaces range from 0.78 to around 0.90. If you are thinking about purchasing a new central furnace, please check out our Appliance Database that lists the most energy-efficient models.
Gas Furnace Tips
Don’t block registers, vents or heating units with furniture or drapes. That makes your furnace work harder and uses more energy.
Consider installing a programmable thermostat. You can save as much as 10% a year on your heating and cooling bills by simply turning your thermostat back 10% to 15% for 8 hours with an automatic setback or programmable thermostat.
Using a programmable thermostat you can adjust the times you turn on the heating or air-conditioning according to a pre-set schedule. As a result, you don’t operate the equipment as much when you are asleep or when the house or part of the house is not occupied. Programmable thermostats can store and repeat multiple daily setting (six or more temperature setting a day) that you can manually override without affecting the rest of the daily or weekly program. When purchasing a new thermostat, look for the ENERGY STAR label (www.energystar.gov) and one that allows you to easily use two separate programs; an “advanced recovery” feature that can be programmed to reach the desired temperature at a specific time; and a hold feature that temporarily overrides the setting without deleting preset programs.
Air Conditioners
It might surprise you to know that buying a bigger room air-conditioning unit won’t necessarily make you feel more comfortable during the hot summer months. In fact, a room air conditioner that’s too big for the area it is supposed to cool will perform less efficiently and less effectively than a smaller, properly sized unit. This is because room units work better if they run for relatively long periods of time than if they are continually, switching off and on. Longer run times allow air conditioners to maintain a more constant room temperature. Running longer also allows them to remove a larger amount of moisture from the air, which lowers humidity and, more importantly, makes you feel more comfortable.
Sizing is equally important for central air-conditioning systems, which need to be sized by professionals. If you have a central air system in your home, set the fan to shut off at the same time as the cooling unit (compressor). In other words, don’t use the system’s central fan to provide circulation but instead use circulating fans in individual rooms.
SEER is the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. SEER rates the efficiency during the cooling season. Look for a SEER rating of 13 or above.
Evaporative Coolers
Evaporative coolers may be installed as an alternative to air conditioning, particularly in climates with very dry air. Evaporative coolers provide mechanical cooling to a building by either direct contact of air with water (direct evaporative cooler) or a combination of a first-stage heat exchanger to pre-cool the air and a second stage with direct air contact with water (indirect/direct evaporative cooler).
Cooling Tips
Whole house fans help cool your home by pulling cool air through the house and exhausting warm air through the attic. They are effective when operated at night and when the outside air temperature is cooler than the inside.
Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.
Don’t set your thermostat at a colder temperature setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and therefore unnecessary expense.
Set the fan speed on high except in very humid weather. When it’s humid set the fan speed on low. You’ll get better cooling.
Consider ceiling fans to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use.
Don’t place lamps or TV sets near your air conditioning thermostat.
Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units but not to block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.
Heating and cooling your home uses more energy and drains more energy dollars than any other system in your home. Typically, 44% of your utility bill goes for heating and cooling. No matter what kind of heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system you have in your house, you can save money and increase comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading your equipment. Remember, though, an energy efficient furnace or air-conditioner alone will not have as great an impact on your energy bills as using the whole house approach. By combining proper equipment maintenance and upgrades with appropriate insulation, weatherization and thermostat setting, you can cut your energy bills in half.
All major appliances including gas furnaces, boilers, air conditioners and heat pumps sold in California meet the Title-24 energy efficiency “standards.” If you are thinking about purchasing a new central furnace, please check out our Appliance Database that lists the most energy-efficient models. This database will eventually be interactive allowing you to compare models.
Heating Tips
Set your thermostat as low as it is comfortable.
Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month.
Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators as needed; make sure they’re not blocked by furniture, carpeting or drapes.
Use kitchen, bath and other ventilating fans wisely; in just one hour, these fans can pull out a houseful of warmed or cooled air. Turn fans off as soon as they have done the job.
Keep draperies and shades open on south-facing windows during the heating season to allow sunlight to enter your home; close them at night to reduce the chill you may feel from >cold windows.
Close an unoccupied room that is isolated from the rest of the house such as in a corner and turn down the thermostat or turn off the heating for that room or zone. Do not, however, turn the heating off if it adversely affects the rest of your system.
Heat Pumps
If you use electricity to heat your home, consider installing an energy efficient heat pump system. Heat pumps are the most efficient for of electric heating in moderate climates, providing three times more heating than the equivalent amount of energy they consume in electricity. There are three types of heat pumps: air-to-air, water source and ground source. They collect heat from the air, water or ground outside your home and concentrate it for use inside. Heat pumps do double duty as a central air conditioner. They can also cool your home by collecting the heat inside your house and effectively pumping it outside. A heat pump can trim the amount of electricity you use for heating as much as 30% to 40%.
Heat Pump Tips
Do not set back the heat pump’s thermostat manually if it causes the electric resistance heating to come on. This type of heating, which is often used as a backup to the heat pump, is more expensive.
Clean or change filters once a month or as needed and maintain the system according to manufacturer’s instructions.
Gas and Oil Systems
Gas furnaces are rated for efficiency with an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency number, or an AFUE. According to the state’s Energy Efficiency Standards, Title 24, the minimum AFUE for central furnace systems now sold in California is 0.78, which means that 78 percent of the fuel used by the furnace actually reaches your home’s duct work as heat.
The higher the AFUE, the more efficient the furnace. AFUE numbers in today’s furnaces range from 0.78 to around 0.90. If you are thinking about purchasing a new central furnace, please check out our Appliance Database that lists the most energy-efficient models.
Gas Furnace Tips
Don’t block registers, vents or heating units with furniture or drapes. That makes your furnace work harder and uses more energy.
Consider installing a programmable thermostat. You can save as much as 10% a year on your heating and cooling bills by simply turning your thermostat back 10% to 15% for 8 hours with an automatic setback or programmable thermostat.
Using a programmable thermostat you can adjust the times you turn on the heating or air-conditioning according to a pre-set schedule. As a result, you don’t operate the equipment as much when you are asleep or when the house or part of the house is not occupied. Programmable thermostats can store and repeat multiple daily setting (six or more temperature setting a day) that you can manually override without affecting the rest of the daily or weekly program. When purchasing a new thermostat, look for the ENERGY STAR label (www.energystar.gov) and one that allows you to easily use two separate programs; an “advanced recovery” feature that can be programmed to reach the desired temperature at a specific time; and a hold feature that temporarily overrides the setting without deleting preset programs.
Air Conditioners
It might surprise you to know that buying a bigger room air-conditioning unit won’t necessarily make you feel more comfortable during the hot summer months. In fact, a room air conditioner that’s too big for the area it is supposed to cool will perform less efficiently and less effectively than a smaller, properly sized unit. This is because room units work better if they run for relatively long periods of time than if they are continually, switching off and on. Longer run times allow air conditioners to maintain a more constant room temperature. Running longer also allows them to remove a larger amount of moisture from the air, which lowers humidity and, more importantly, makes you feel more comfortable.
Sizing is equally important for central air-conditioning systems, which need to be sized by professionals. If you have a central air system in your home, set the fan to shut off at the same time as the cooling unit (compressor). In other words, don’t use the system’s central fan to provide circulation but instead use circulating fans in individual rooms.
SEER is the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating. SEER rates the efficiency during the cooling season. Look for a SEER rating of 13 or above.
Evaporative Coolers
Evaporative coolers may be installed as an alternative to air conditioning, particularly in climates with very dry air. Evaporative coolers provide mechanical cooling to a building by either direct contact of air with water (direct evaporative cooler) or a combination of a first-stage heat exchanger to pre-cool the air and a second stage with direct air contact with water (indirect/direct evaporative cooler).
Cooling Tips
Whole house fans help cool your home by pulling cool air through the house and exhausting warm air through the attic. They are effective when operated at night and when the outside air temperature is cooler than the inside.
Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible in the summer. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall cooling bill will be.
Don’t set your thermostat at a colder temperature setting than normal when you turn on your air conditioner. It will not cool your home any faster and could result in excessive cooling and therefore unnecessary expense.
Set the fan speed on high except in very humid weather. When it’s humid set the fan speed on low. You’ll get better cooling.
Consider ceiling fans to spread the cooled air more effectively through your home without greatly increasing your power use.
Don’t place lamps or TV sets near your air conditioning thermostat.
Plant trees or shrubs to shade air-conditioning units but not to block the airflow. A unit operating in the shade uses as much as 10% less electricity than the same one operating in the sun.
Heating bills across the country are the highest they have ever been, with out any relief in sight. Even if your older furnace runs, from an economic standpoint it would be wise to replace it. With the proper furnace selection, your central air-conditioning bills can be lower too.
Compared with a 17-year-old furnace, a new furnace can save the typical family hundreds of dollars per year. Based on the efficiency of your old furnace, probably 60% at best, a new furnace can cut your utility bills by 40%. You can do the arithmetic to determine your annual savings.
Not only will you have lower utility bills, but the comfort and quiet operation of a new system will surprise you. The contractor should install a computerized thermostat with it. This thermostat, coupled with the electronic controls in the new furnace, will maintain even room temperatures.
You can choose from two basic designs of furnaces: condensing and non-condensing. The condensing models (this refers to the type of heat exchanger used) are the most efficient and the best choice for most homeowners. The efficiencies of condensing models range from about 90% to over 95%.
These models are very efficient, and so little heat is lost in the flue gases that a chimney is not needed. The gases are exhausted by a 2-inch-diameter plastic pipe through an outdoor wall. With no need for a new chimney liner, a condensing furnace is often cheaper to install.
Some models also offer sealed combustion for better efficiency. The combustion air is drawn in from outdoors through another plastic pipe instead of being drawn from inside your house. Being sealed, there are fewer indoor drafts, less noise and less chance of hazardous back drafting.
For the ultimate in comfort and efficiency, but at a higher initial cost, is a two-stage heat output furnace with a variable-speed blower. This type of blower is needed if you want the best central air-conditioning.
In all but the coldest weather, the gas burners operate at a low heat level. This allows the furnace to run more continuously with fewer uncomfortable on/off cycles. The blower also runs slower and quieter at this low level. During very cold weather, it automatically switches to high heat.
If your budget allows, also install a quality air cleaner. Since a two-stage unit runs more, the air cleaner is more effective for allergy sufferers.
From: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Public and Consumer Affairs, Consumer and Public Liaison, Energy Information Administration (10/95).
Answers follow the questions:
1. For which jobs are microwave ovens used most?
Defrosting frozen foods
Cooking meals
Reheating foods
Preparing snacks
2. Microwave ovens are currently found in what percentage of all U.S. Homes?
23%
54%
84%
3. Almost all of us use ovens for cooking. What percentage are electric?
17%
63%
81%
4. How many gallons of hot water does the typical dishwasher use during a normal cycle?
7
14
25
5. Ceiling fans are currently found in what percentage of U.S. homes?
10 to 15%
25 to 30%
50 to 55%
6. Switching to fluorescent lighting can save consumers a lot of money. How much money could Americans save collectively each year if we all made the switch to efficient lighting?
$500,000
$ 1 million
$750 million
7. Energy-efficient lighting can reduce home electricity demand up to what percent?
15%
50%
75%
8. In a family of four, if each member takes one 10-minute shower a day using a standard showerhead, how many gallons of water will the family use a year?
13,000 gallons
73,000 gallons
150,000 gallons
9. How much does the typical family spend in a year to run its electric home appliances?
$100 to $300
$400 to $1,000
$1,100 to $1,500
10. How many gallons of gasoline does a typical driver use each year?
1,070 gallons
3,500 gallons
5,100 gallons
11. What percent of home heat is lost up an open chimney flue after a fire has died in the fireplace?
1%
5%
10%
12. Industry consumes what percent of the total energy used in the United States?
10%
36%
57%
13. Which renewable energy source generates the most electricity?
Wind power
Hydro power
Solar power
14. What energy source provides more than half of the electricity in the U.S.?
Nuclear
Coal
Natural gas
15. What is the nation’s most plentiful energy source?
Over-drying causes shrinkage, generates static electricity, and shortens fabric life.
Why Buy An Energy Efficient Clothes Dryer?
The clothes dryer is typically the second-biggest electricity-using appliance after the refrigerator, costing about $85 to operate annually. A typical clothes dryer will cost $1,100 to operate over its lifetime. Some new clothes dryers remove moisture more efficiently, have moisture sensors, and have automatic shut-off controls to avoid over-drying.
About Clothes Dryer Efficiency
Dryers work by heating and aerating clothes. The efficiency of a clothes dryer is measured by a term called the energy factor. It is somewhat similar to the miles per gallon for a car, but in this case the measure is pounds of clothing per kilowatt-hour of electricity. The minimum rating for a standard capacity electric dryer is 3.01. For gas dryers the minimum energy factor is 2.67. The rating for gas dryers is provided in kilowatt-hours though the primary source of fuel is natural gas.
Unlike most other types of appliances, energy consumption does not vary significantly among comparable models of clothes dryers. Clothes dryers are not required to display EnergyGuide labels.
Tips for Buying a New Clothes Dryer
Look for a clothes dryer with a moisture sensor that automatically shuts off the machine when your clothes are dry. Not only will this save energy, it will reduce the wear and tear on clothes from over-drying.
The best dryers have moisture sensors in the drum for sensing dryness, while most only infer dryness by sensing the temperature of the exhaust air. Compared with timed drying, you can save about 10% with a temperature sensing control, and 15% with a moisture sensing control.
Look for a dryer with a cycle that includes a cool-down period, sometimes known as a “perma-press” cycle. In the last few minutes of the cycle, cool air, rather than heated air, is blown through the tumbling clothes to complete the drying process.
Gas dryers are less expensive to operate than electric dryers. The cost of drying a typical load of laundry in an electric dryer is 30-40 cents compared to 15-20 cents in a gas dryer.
Tips for Lowering Your Clothes Dryer’s Energy Usage
Locate the dryer in a heated space. Putting it in a cold or damp basement will make the dryer work harder and less efficiently.
Make sure your dryer is vented properly. If you vent the exhaust outside, use the straightest and shortest metal duct available. Do not use flexible vinyl duct because it restricts the air flow, can be crushed, and may not withstand high temperatures from the dryer.
Check the outside dryer exhaust vent periodically. If it doesn’t close tightly, replace it with one that does to keep the outside air from leaking in. This will reduce heating and cooling bills.
Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation. Regularly clean the lint from vent hoods.
Dry only full loads, as small loads are less economical; but do not overload the dryer.
When drying, separate your clothes and dry similar types of clothes together. Lightweight synthetics, for example, dry much more quickly than bath towels and natural fiber clothes.
Dry two or more loads in a row, taking advantage of the dryer’s retained heat.
Use the cool-down cycle (perma-press cycle) to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.
