Top Ten Money-Saving Projects for New Homeowners
We know that after you have just bought a house, money can be tight. Did you know that there are a few easy DIY projects that you can do immediately to help you save big on energy and maintenance costs all year?
1. Install a programmable thermostat. This will let you operate your heat or air conditioning according to a preset schedule. As a result, you won’t use as much energy when you are asleep or the house is not occupied. You can save around 10% a year on your heating and cooling bill by simply turning your thermostat back 10°-15° for eight hours.
2. Clean or replace the air filter in your warm air furnace. Go to your furnace, find where the filter is (it’s almost always a large rectangle), and mark down the measurements (printed around the edges). Then pick up a replacement at Rocky's. A clogged filter is inefficient, causing your air handling system to work harder to pump out lower quality air. Note: This is for warm air furnaces only. Boilers and radiators do not usually have replaceable filters.
3. Clean all vents, warm-air registers, baseboard heaters and radiators as needed. Make sure they're not blocked by furniture, carpeting or drapes. Brush or vacuum them if they have dust in the vents. This improves air flow and reduces the amount of energy needed to run the air flow system.
4. Lower the temperature on your hot water heater down to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Most people do not use water above 120 degrees, so energy used to keep water above that temperature is wasted. Lower the temperature to save a bit on your energy bill, and you’ll probably never even notice.
5. Cover your water heater with a water heater blanket. This is especially important if it is an older unit, as most newer units are fairly well insulated. The blanket will keep the heat in the unit, heating the water instead of your closet or basement. For gas water heaters, make sure not to cover up the pilot light with the blanket, as this can cause a fire.
6. Install ceiling fans. Ceiling fans are a low-energy way to keep air moving in your home. The air directly below the fan should be blowing down on you in the summer and should be pulled upwards in the winter – so make sure you select a fan with a reversal switch. Better air circulation will allow you to keep your thermostat a degree or two cooler when you are heating and warmer when you are cooling.
7. Wrap exposed water pipes with insulation. Exposed hot water pipes lose heat as they move water from your heater to your faucet. Insulating them makes a two-to-four degree difference in the temperature of the water. Make sure that you at least insulate the first 3 ft out of your heater, as that is where the most heat is lost. It's also a good idea to insulate the cold water inlet pipes for the first 3 ft.
8. Find and seal air leaks. Another one of the quickest money-saving tasks you can do is caulk and weatherstrip all seams, cracks, and openings to the outside. Doing so can save you as much as 10% on your heating and cooling bill. Get how-to instructions here.
9. Use power strips. Power strips can help you control the amount of energy used by your electronics when they are not in use. Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips and turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use. TVs, DVDs, stereos and other electronics in standby mode still use several watts of power.
10. Convert to compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs). CFLs use up to 75% less electricity and last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs.
Bonus tip: If you have a basement, mark any cracks in the floor or walls with dated masking tape. Take some masking tape and cover up the end of any cracks you notice inside or outside, and write today’s date on the tape. Then, in a few months, check the tape – if you see a crack growing out of the end of the tape, you might have a problem. Most homes have some natural small cracks that occur as the house settles, but if they are growing, it is best to address the problem quickly.
