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11/11/2008

Akron, OH – Did you know that the typical U.S. family spends more than $1,600 a year on home utility bills? Unfortunately, a large portion of that energy is wasted. The Better Business Bureau, along with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), offer some tips to help you save money and stay warm this winter.

The pie chart shows energy use in a typical home: 34% space heating, 34% appliances and lighting, 13% water heating, 11% electric A/C, 8% refrigerator.

Set the thermostat at 68 degrees or the lowest temperature you find comfortable. For every degree you lower the setting, you can see a difference of up to 3 percent in energy costs. Setting it lower at night will produce savings with gas and oil systems, but is not recommended for heat pump systems unless you have a programmable thermostat specifically designed for that system.

Replacing 25% of the lights in your high-traffic areas with compact fluorescent light bulbs can save you about 50% on your lighting expenses

Wrap your hot water heater in an insulating jacket & turn the temperature down to 120 degrees.

Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows that leak air. Caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits over cabinets. You can save as much as 10% on your heating and cooling bill by reducing the air leaks in your home

Look for dirty spots in your insulation, which often indicate holes where air leaks into and out of your house. You can seal the holes by stapling sheets of plastic over the holes and caulking the edges of the plastic.

Clean or replace filters on forced air-furnaces, seal flues in fireplaces you don't use, install drapes or some other covering on windows

Remember three important words: turn it off. Don't leave the video game on pause or the computer in sleep mode. Those electronics are still using energy, even when you aren't using them

The BBB also warns consumers carefully evaluate advertising for energy-saving products and services. Some claims may be overpriced or just plain bogus. Be wary of devices, gadgets, and energy-saving products that promise drastic reductions in home heating costs or extreme energy savings. Check with the BBB before hiring contractors offering furnaces, windows, roofing, or other heat-saving home improvement

For more objective advice from BBB on home energy efficiency, other home improvement project issues and to find trustworthy contractors for your project, go to www.akronbbb.org.