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Save Money Cutting Your Home Energy Bill
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By Dr. Deepak Dutta
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Heating bills are rising up in every part of the country and thetrend will continue because of World energy demands. The averageUS household expense on energy bills is estimated at 6% of theincome in 2005, compared to 4% in 2003. Owners of efficient newhouses spend considerably less than the people living in oldhouses. Financial burden due to increased energy expenses can bereduced by weatherizing and conserving.
Your house can be energy deficient in plumbing, insulation orheating. In many old houses, the biggest problem is not the coldair coming from windows but the air filtration from the basementdue to floor joists and the structures supporting the floor. Inan average American home, 50%-70% of the energy used goes toheating and cooling. If your house is built before 1980, it mayno have adequate insulation. While most owners focus on atticinsulation, they should not ignore the basement ceiling. Fiberglass is not a good insulation material as air flows rightthrough it. Use spray foam or cellulose as an insulationmaterials for proper insulation.
Caulk and weather-strip all doors and windows that leak air.Look for all plumbing, ducting and electrical wiring thepenetrates through exterior walls and seal those to prevent hotair leaking out. Keep the flue damper tightly closed when thefire place is not in use. If you are planning to change windowsin your house, shop for insulating windows and install them astight fitting as possible. You can use heavy duty clear plasticsheet to the inside of your window and seal them properly toprevent any leak.
Another areas where home owners can focus to reduce their energybill is conservation. If you have an old thermostat, replace itwith a new electronics control thermostat with digitalreadouts.. An electronics control thermostat is more precisethan an dial type thermostat. Better, yet, is a programmablethermostat that you can program for the different hours of theday and night. Replace air filters regularly. If your house hasa hot water radiator, bleed it once or twice during the winterseason. If you don't know how to do this, search in the Internetor get the help of a professional.
When you buy new appliances, look for the "Energy Star label.Energy Star labeled appliances are certified to be energyefficient. Most appliances now display a bright yellow and blackEnergy Guide label. These labels will tell you the averageenergy consumption cost of the appliance. While shopping for anyappliance, do not forget to take into account this cost asanother factor to evaluate before you make your final decision.You can find more energy tips atwww.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips.
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