Posts by Life or Debt
Way to Save #109: Plant A Tree
Nov 05, 2009 - A tree planted on the south side of your house can provide shade in the summer. Don’t plant an evergreen, though: you want those leaves gone in the winter.
Way to Save #108: Fix Leaky Faucets
Nov 04, 2009 - Don’t be a drip. Leaky faucets are a problem, but leaking hot water is an emergency. Hot water drips can cost you $25 per month!
Way to Save #107: Blanket Your Water Heater
Nov 03, 2009 - Stay out of hot water. You can buy a water heater blanket for about $15 that will save you about $50 per year. And while you’re at it, insulate the pipes as well. If you can set your water heater to only be used at certain times of the day and turned off at night, [...]
Way to Save #106: Use Turbines
Nov 02, 2009 - Turbine fans on the roof will let out summer heat, but be sure to cover them in the winter.
Way to Save #105: Go For The Juice
Nov 01, 2009 - Go for the juice. A 220-volt air conditioner is cheaper to run than a 120 volt.
Way to Save #104: Electric Blankets
Oct 31, 2009 - Cover yourself. An electric blanket only costs a little over a penny per hour to operate. Buy one cheap at a yard sale.
Way to Save #103: Weather Strip
Oct 30, 2009 - Be a stripper. Weather strip all your doors and windows.
Way to Save #102: Close Doors, Not Vents
Oct 29, 2009 - Close off rooms you’re not using, but be careful about closing vents. Closing too many vents can reduce the efficiency of your heating and cooling. This is especially true for heat pumps.
Way to Save #101: Watch The Temperature
Oct 28, 2009 - An indoor/outdoor thermometer can tell you when to open and close your windows and doors.
Way to Save #100: Beware Portable Heaters
Oct 27, 2009 - Using a portable heater costs close to nine cents per hour. So using one eight hours per day will cost about five bucks a week, or $20 per month.
Way to Save #99: Use Your Drapes
Oct 26, 2009 - In the winter, open your south-facing drapes during the day to capture heat, then close them at night to keep it in. Do the opposite in the summer.
Way to Save #98: Be Careful With Vent Fans
Oct 25, 2009 - Believe it or not, a kitchen or bath ventilation fan can completely empty a house of warm or cool air in about an hour. Use them, then turn them off.
Way to Save #97: Try A Heat Pump
Oct 24, 2009 - While they may not be the perfect solution for all parts of the country, a heat pump can reduce your power bills by 40%.
Way to Save #96: Insulate
Oct 23, 2009 - Adding insulation can reduce cooling and heating costs by up to 20%. Some utility companies even offer rebates to help defray the cost, and the cost isn’t that much anyway. You can add insulation to a 1500 square foot home for about 200 bucks. Extra insulation in the attic can easily pay for itself in [...]
Way to Save #95: Use Ceiling Fans
Oct 22, 2009 - Ceiling fans cost less than 1/10 of what air conditioners cost to run. In the winter, reverse the blade direction to force warm air down from the ceiling.
