Issue Date: January 4, 2006

Home Energy Saving Tips

By Jody Zink
Licensed Realtor in Ohio & Michigan

Each day leading up to the holidays, I anxiously jet to the mailbox searching for Christmas cards and/or packages. There was one in particular I'd been thinking about getting for quite a while. And then...it finally arrived: The holiday greetings from Columbia Gas.

By this time you've probably received your first big heating bill of winter. We've all been bracing for it. As we collectively pick our jaws up off the floor, let's realize it's likely to get worse. Columbia Gas says natural gas usage typically doubles from November to December with January being the peak month of the year. Time to suck it up. Here are some tips:

Warm yourself before turning that thermostat dial. The average home saves 3 percent for every degree the thermostat is turned down over an eight hour period according to Chris Kozak of Columbia Gas. This can add up to between $10 and $150 dollars.

Install a programmable thermostat. Why pump up the heat when nobody's home? They start at around $30 and automatically lower and raise your home's air temperature when you're sleeping or at work. (Minimal thought required!) Turning the dial down to 65 from 72 for 8 hours a day can save you a nice chunk of change.

It's not the heat, it's the humidity. If your furnace doesn't have a built in humidifier, consider a portable unit in the office or family room where you and your family spend the most time. Additional moisture will increase the "heat index" inside your home making 68 degrees feel like 75.

Add a layer of attic insulation. Heat often escapes though the ceiling and then through the roof. According to Owens Corning's website, if you have less than 11 to 12 inches of attic insulation, you probably need more.

Invest now for long term savings. Dropping a thousand dollars for a new fridge or clothes dryer can be painful, but today's high efficiency appliances can pay for themselves over time. Perhaps your furnace puts out 60 cents worth of heat for every dollar you're paying the utility company. Until the energy hog is replaced, you won't ever recover that extra 40 cents for each dollar.

Price of Central-Air Conditioners is about to go up. I realize our attention is turned away from good 'ol AC right now, but in about 2 weeks the US Department of Energy will require central air units to be 30 percent more efficient and will increase the cost by at least $1,000. This applies to systems manufactured after Jan. 23 and does not apply to window units.

Windows and doors are possible points of heat loss. Close the drapes and seal cracks and crevices. Install weather stripping. Roll bath towels length-wise to keep cold air from coming under the doors.

Fortunately, I've outgrown the “leaving the front door wide open to heat the entire neighborhood” phase Mom and Dad got so upset about when I was four (or maybe sixteen.) And now that I pay the bills, I get it. Believe it or not by the look of their websites, our friends at the utility companies really are offering ways to pay them less.

And the little things really can add up.

Jody Zink is a licensed REALTOR in Ohio and Michigan with the Loss Realty Group. Her column appears every other week in the Toledo Free Press. She can be reached at jody@jodyzinkrealtor.com or 419-725-1881.