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Natural Gas Increase Help
More increases of natural gas have been announced and here we are,
already wondering how we are going to cope with the rising costs
of EVERYTHING.
We thought of some things we can all do to help the situation. These
suggestions are not limited to home owners; it is just as important
for everyone to be involved in environmental issues. Remember, we
are all in this together and whatever we can do now will help everyone.
10 Ways to Decrease Natural Gas Usage
Make sure to have your furnace serviced and cleaned, and checked
for efficiency.
-Turn thermostat down 2 degrees and make a point of putting on a
sweater instead of turning up the heat.
-Use a programmable thermostat or manually turn
heat down well below daytime temperature at night. A daytime temperature
of 20 and down to 17 at night would save significant amounts of
energy. Remember, you are under the covers and heating a whole house
would be very wasteful.
-Likewise, if your family is out of the house all day, turn the
heat down very low until you are all home in the evening.
-If you have a room, or areas of your home that are cooler than
others, rather than turning up the furnace, invest in an energy
efficient heater. There are some nice, radiator types of heaters
now that just radiate warmth at very low energy costs.
-Make sure you don't have drafts around windows and doors and keep
them closed as much as possible unless you are doing your daily
airing.
-If your floors seem colder than the upper part of the room, and
if you have floor vents, you can place deflectors to move the warm
air along the floor. Wear warm socks and shoes.
-You can enjoy big savings with this one tip. Your water heater
(even electric heaters) are energy guzzlers. Unfortunately, there
isn't a programmable thermostat for the water heater, and it is
awkward, but, if you turn it up in the morning until everyone has
showered etc. and then turn it back to low, or vacation for the
rest of the day; turning up for an hour in the evening and back
down again, you will enjoy HUGE savings. Imagine this is heating
up all day long, way past the time when you need it and it is keeping
the same water hot constantly.
-Have a good look at your hot water tank. Look at the pipes leading
out into the rafter area. If they are bare, you can get some pipe
insulation, which comes in round "hose like" lengths. Fit these
around all the hot water pipes that are visible.
-If you are in a position to replace your water heating system,
there are energy efficient units that are terrific. There is just
a small, wall unit. When you turn the hot water on, the gas comes
on and heats the water as it goes through a coil. When you shut
the water off, the gas is turned off. This is the system that has
been used in Europe for many years. There is no need to keep a big
tank filled with hot water with the gas running all day when units
like this are on the market.
-If you have rooms where the sun comes in during the day, even on
the coldest days the sun warms the indoor air. Be sure to keep all
the blinds and drapes open in these rooms and you will find the
warmth will remain for quite awhile after the sun goes down.
How To Gage Your Gas Energy Savings
Since the prices go up in leaps and bounds, the cost may still remain
almost the same, or even higher, on your monthly bill. The only
way to accurately judge your usage/savings is by keeping a check
on your consumption. Keep your bill month by month and check the
consumption area. Just a few changes can make quite a large consumption
difference, as we have found in our own home.
This is especially fun if you are the type of person who likes to
keep records and make logs. If not, just jot the consumption figure
down and stick it on the fridge to compare to the next bill.
Helping each other for a greener tomorrow, Yours,
Linda and Ruth
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