As published in the Lafayette Today newspaper.
________________________________________
Every December we can look forward to holiday parties, frantic shopping and the holiday lights being lit up along Diablo Blvd. One thing we may not look forward to is rising energy bills from PG&E. The primary culprit is colder temperatures and increased use of natural gas to heat our homes. In fact, for the average California home, 31% of the total annual energy use is for heating. In the winter the percentage is much higher. Fortunately there are many simple things that we can do to save money on our heating bills and reduce our contribution to global warming.
Wear a Sweater: Clothes are one of the most efficient forms of insulation and were helping people stay warm long before there was artificial heating. Wear a sweater and thick socks around the house. Temperature variations are a natural part of life.
Let the Sun Shine In: Create your own greenhouse effect. Open the drapes and shutters on sunny days to help warm your home. Close the drapes at night to help insulate the house from the cold outside air.
Clean or Replace Your Furnace Filter: Inspect, clean, or change your system's air filters once a month to keep costs down, or every two or three months for newer pleated filters. Dirty filters hamper air flow and overwork the furnace.
Have Your Furnace Tuned Up: A heating system can waste up to 50% of the energy it uses if it’s not operating efficiently. Gas furnaces should ideally be tuned up every two years. A simple tune-up can improve a furnace’s efficiency by 5%--saving about 9 therms of gas per year, and with a corresponding drop in emissions.
Keep Fireplace Dampers Closed: For safety, be sure the fire is out and the ashes are cold before closing a damper. Consider installing a glass door because the fireplace is a major source for heat loss in the home.
Seal the Cracks: The gaps you can find around the windows and doors of the average American house add up to the equivalent of a hole in the wall that measures 10 inches by 10 inches. Use weather stripping and caulk to seal leaks around windows, doors, heating ducts, and plumbing. Also, check any interior utility closets to see if there is cold air coming through them into your home.
Consider Additional Insulation: If you live in an older home that has not been extensively remodeled, then you would likely benefit from additional insulation in the attic. If just 10,000 homes that heat with natural gas insulated their attics, 50 million fewer pounds of CO2 would be released into the atmosphere.
No, wait. There are prizes! Take advantage of PG&E’s Winter Gas Savings Program. Reduce your gas usage by 10% or more in January and February and receive a 20% credit! For more tips and information go to pge.com/winter
To read success stories about how others in Lafayette are conserving energy and reducing their contribution to global warming, visit www.sustainablelafayette.net
link to PDF of Lafayette Today that
included article on page 11