Are you warming up with space heaters?

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1 Are you warming up with space heaters? As the temperature drops, many families may use portable electric space heaters to help warm their homes. The Electrical Safety Foundation International warns that space heaters could cause fires and injuries if not used properly. Follow these few simple precautions: Read the manufacturer s instruction manual before using any space heater. Check to make sure the heater bears the mark of a certified testing organization. Keep space heaters at least 3 feet away from any combustible materials such as bedding, clothing, draperies, furniture and rugs. Keep space heaters away from areas with water. Check your manual to be sure the heater is intended to be used in locations such as bathrooms. Don t use space heaters in rooms where children are unsupervised. Children may stick their fingers or other objects through the protective guards, causing burns or shock. Avoid using an extension cord with a space heater. If you must use one, make sure it is the right wire gauge size and type of the heater. Portable heaters have hot parts that can cause sparking. Do not use them in areas where flammable liquids such as gasoline or kerosene are used or stored. Space heaters are meant to supply supplemental heat. Do not use them to warm bedding, cook food, dry clothing or thaw pipes. Do not use space heaters with extension cords; plug directly into an outlet on a relatively unburdened circuit. Turn off the space heater and unplug it when not in use.

2 Cut your water heating bill Water heating is the third largest energy expense in your home. It typically accounts for about 13 percent or your utility bill. There are four ways to cut your water heating bills: Use less hot water, turn down the thermostat on your water heater, insulate your water heater, or buy a new, more efficient water heater. Install aerating, low-flow faucets and shower heads. Repair leaky faucets promptly; a leaky faucet wastes gallons of water in a short period of time. Lower the thermostat on your water heater; water heaters sometimes come from the factory with high temperature settings, but a setting of 120 degrees Fahrenheit provides comfortable hot water for most uses. Take more showers than baths. Bathing uses the most hot water in the average household. Use cold water for laundry -- detergents formulated for cold water get clothes just as clean. Insulate your electric hot-water storage tank, but be careful not to cover the thermostat. Follow the manufacturer's recommendations. Insulate the first 6 feet of the hot and cold water pipes connected to the water heater.

3 Discovering secret places where air leaks hide can save you money Cracks around windows and doors were once considered to be the home s most prominent air leaks. Then building specialists starting measuring air leakage with a device called a blower door. As a result of that research, we ve learned that caulking small cracks and weather-stripping doors and windows isn t very effective at reducing air leakage. The biggest air leaks are lurking in the attic, around the foundation, and where utilities pass through the building s outer shell. When you have large hidden air leaks, sealing the little ones doesn t reduce your heating costs much. Find a specialist in your region who performs energy audits and blower-door testing. The blower door could tell you whether or not air leakage is a problem in your home. If your energy audit shows that air leakage is an energy and comfort problem, go looking for large openings in your home s shell. You ll often find large air leaks under bathrooms and kitchens where pipes and wires are installed. Go into your attic, too, and note where pipes, wires, recessed light fixtures, and chimneys penetrate your ceiling. Follow the plumbing and wiring and you ll be on the right track. When you find openings that allow air to leak into and out of your home, seal them with durable materials. Don t worry about cracks smaller than 1/4-inch. For cracks between 1/4-inch and 1-inch, use liquid foam that comes in a can, or stuff fiberglass tightly into the opening. For larger openings, use rigid foam board or plywood, and seal the edges with more liquid foam. If you seal around chimneys, be sure to use fireproof materials such as sheet metal. Every opening you seal will reduce the amount of heated air you lose next winter.

4 Energy-efficient ways to control holiday spending New electrical appliances use far less energy than older ones, but that doesn t mean you should skimp on energy-efficient behavior in the kitchen this holiday. Making these simple changes while cooking can save you energy and money: Foods which have a long baking time, such as a turkey, usually don t require the oven to be preheated. Avoid opening the oven door to check on food. Instead, turn on the oven light and peer through the window to make sure your pie isn t burning. Opening the oven door even for a second or two can drop the inside temperature by as much as 25 degrees. Place several items in the oven at once. All food will cook thoroughly if you leave enough room around pies or casseroles for air to flow. Electric ovens retain heat even after you turn them off, so it s safe to turn them off several minutes before a recipe s time is up. Electric stovetops work the same way: The metal element will keep foods cooking several minutes after it s turned off. Choose glass or ceramic pans for the oven. They let you set the temperature 25 degrees lower than metal pans. Match the pan size to the size of the stovetop burner so you don t waste heat. Just a 2-inch difference between the pan and burner can waste 40 percent of the generated heat.

5 Energy-saving ideas for your dryer Producing the high temperature air in the dryer is the major energy demand of automatic dryers. Never use more heat than you need, and remember that excessive heat can damage some fabrics. Locate your dryer where it has access to fresh air. Humid air circulating through your dryer increases drying time and energy costs. Separate loads into heavy and lightweight items. Lightweight items take less drying time and energy demand. Clean the lint filter after each use and you can maximize airflow and efficiency. Keep dryer vents free of lint. A clogged vent wastes energy. Dry loads of clothes immediately after one another. With the dryer already warm, you won't waste energy bringing it back up to the desired temperature level. Remove clothing promptly from the dryer and hang it carefully. You'll be able to avoid ironing a real energy and time consumer or reduce it to just a touch-up.

6 Insulation provides important barrier Insulation provides an important barrier against both the cold of winter and the heat of summer. Improving attic insulation is one of the best energy-efficiency investments, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. If your home has you shivering, there's another incentive to add more insulation. Here are some tips to consider: The effectiveness of insulation is measured in R-value per inch. It is recommended that conventional ventilated attics have R-38 insulation. Consider factors such as your climate, building design, and budget when selecting insulation R-values for your home. Use higher-density insulation, such as rigid foam boards, in cathedral ceilings and on exterior walls. Ventilation plays a large role in providing moisture control and reducing summer cooling bills. Attic vents can be installed along the entire ceiling cavity to help ensure proper airflow from the soffit to the attic to make a home more comfortable and energy efficient. Check with a qualified contractor. Recessed light fixtures can be a major source of heat loss, but you need to be careful how close you place insulation next to a fixture unless it is marked IC - designed for direct insulation contact. Check your local building codes for recommendations.