Heat

Hang onto the heat - some simple changes to keep the heat in your home and your money in your pocket

Mary Teresa Bitti, eco options, Fall 2007

Imagine there is a 12-square-inch hole in your older home.  It’s not a window.  It’s a gaping hole, and all the warm air you’re paying so dearly for is flowing out of it.  No joke.  If you put together all the tiny cracks and gaps around your windows and doors, that’s what you’d get.  And just filling those gaps will cut your heating and cooling bills by 40%.  Who knew?

In fact, there are lots of fairly simple, inexpensive changes you can make to keep the heat in and make your home more energy efficient.  Think caulking and weather-stripping, replacing the furnace filter every one to three months, installing a programmable thermostat, wrapping your water heater in a blanket.  “They all make a big difference,” says Cara Sweeny of the Clean Air Foundation in Toronto.  “Not only will they cut overall energy consumption and green-house-gas emissions but they will save you money”.

So why not conduct a mini-audit of your home?  Just walk around on a cold, windy day and feel your windows and doors and you’ll be able to find where the drafts are.  Or light a candle, hold it next to likely air leaks and see if the flame flickers.

THERMOSTATS

• Programmable thermostats control temperature according to your schedule, so you don’t have to remember to lower the heat when you leave for work each day or when you go to bed.  The Eco Options programmable thermostats made by Honeywell, for example, are ENERGY STAR certified and include seven-day models to allow for different schedules, as well as a 5-1-1 model that allows for the same programming Monday to Friday, when you’re at work or when people tend to be out and about, and different programs for Saturday and Sunday, when you tend to be home more often.  Some energy providers offer discounts on the devices, since it helps them meet conservation targets.  Check with your municipality for more information.

RECOMMENDED THERMOSTAT SETTINGS

68°F (20°C) when active at home; 70°F (21°C) when relaxing at home; 64°F (18°C)  when sleeping; 61°F (16°C)  when away for an extended period of time. 

CAULKING AND WEATHER-STRIPPING

•Caulking is the least expensive and one of the most effective ways to insulate your home.  It seals smalls cracks where two materials meet, such as where a window meets a wall.  Different types of caulk serve different purposes, so be sure to read the labels.

•Weather-stripping is also inexpensive and effective, since it blocks drafts along the edges of doors and windows.  Only certain weather-stripping products qualify for Eco Options certification, so look for the Eco Options label on the price tag.

•Outlet gaskets are thin rectangles of foam that fit behind the covers of electrical outlets and switches.  And yes, they do help.  Anywhere cold air can penetrate the “building envelope” should be sealed.

INSULATION

•If your house doesn’t have adequate insulation, you’re loosing heat, which means higher energy costs.  So beef up your home insulation the higher the R-value, the better.  Just upgrading the attic  insulation to R-38 can save as much as 25 % on cooling and heating costs.

•Insulation materials must be certified by either the Greenguard Environmental Institute or the Environmental Choice Program to qualify for Eco Options

•Eco Options insulation products that meet the Environmental Choice Eco-Logo criteria are high in recycled content.  For example, Can-Cell Industries manufactures blown-in cellulose insulation from recycled natural fibers.  The final product contains 85%  recycled material,  and it also has better resistance than fiberglass to air flowing in and out.  In addition, it’s lighter and requires one-tenth the energy to manufacture

• If you’re primarily concerned about carcinogens, toxins and air pollutants, look fro Eco Options insulation products that have been certified by the Greenguard  Environmental Institute, such as those made by Owens Corning.  They emit a significantly lower amount of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and breathable particles into your indoor air – plus the insulation is a great shade of pink!

R-VALUE

The R-Value of wall and ceiling cavity thermal insulation indicates how effective the insulating material is.  The higher the R-value, the more resistance the material has to the movement of heat.  The way that insulation is installed also plays a large role in its effectiveness.  Compressing insulation, leaving air spaces around it and allowing air movement in the insulation all reduce the R-value of the insulating material.

ONLINE

ENERGY STAR-rated products have been tested and proven to meet or exceed high-efficiency technical specifications.  For a directory comparing operating costs of thousand of products visit:  http://oee.nrcan.gc.ca/energystar

YOUR FURNACE

•Heating accounts for up to 60% of your at-home energy use.

•If your furnace is more than 20 years old, there’s a good chance it’s not as efficient as it could e.  a high-efficiency furnace is generally up to 90% more efficient and you can reduce fuel costs by up to 30%.  Make sure you look for the ENERGY STAR label it ensures it’s best in its class.

•Check air filters monthly.  If dirt has built up, replace or clean them so your furnace doesn’t have to work so hard.

•Keep your furnace (and you) cozy by insulating your furnace.  This helps prevent heat loss, which means more heat ends up in the rest of your home and not in the basement, and more money ends up in your pocket

DOORS AND WINDOWS

•One-quarter of your home’s heat goes right out the window.  However, Eco Options windows, doors and skylights will reduce your energy costs by up to 12% and keep you comfy in all seasons.

All Eco-Options windows, doors and skylights are certified by the ENERGY STAR program, guaranteeing they are top-of-the class in energy efficiency.  For example, Jeld-Wen’s EnerSmart series of windows are designed to ensure minimum heat loss and condensation.  They also have low emissivity (also know as low-E).  This is a transparent metallic coating applied to one surface.  A window with low-E glass can lower your energy bill, since low-E glass reflects ome of the interior heat back into your home.

HOT WATER TANK

•Wrapping your hot-water tank in a foil thermal blanket also conserves energy.  Eco Options refelcto-foil water-heater jackets are lightweight, non-toxic and stop 97% of radiant heat loss.  Insulating your hot water pipes will also minimize heat loss.

•You could also invest in a tankless hot-water heater, which will also help lower your heating bills.  Unlike traditional hot-water tanks, which keep their contents at a constantly high temperature, a tankless heater only uses energy when you need hot water.