How To Do Everything

With the way the economy is these days everyone is looking for ways to reduce their bills and put more money in their pockets.  With a few simple tips you can easily begin to save money on heating costs.

1.  Adjust your thermostat gradually: As winter sets in and the weather gradually grows colder, your body can learn to adjust to the cold.  The trick is to set your thermostat gradually lower.  Every couple of days adjust the thermostat cooler and cooler.
2. Wear More Warm Clothing:  If you are going to reduce the room temperature of your home, you will want to gradually add clothing to maintain body temp.  Consider adding thermal (long underwear) underclothing, fuzzy slippers, an extra pair of socks, sweaters, and sweatshirts.
3. If you spend a lot of time with your bare feet touching the floor, consider propping them up on an old pillow.  Just lay the old pillow on the floor and put your feet on top.  This will help keep your feet warm by preventing them contact with the coldest part of your home, the floor.
4. Stuff Your Windows with Socks:  I may be getting some weird looks for this one…but if you have nothing else to use, then use old socks; preferably clean ones.  If you feel cold air coming in around your windows, cut up strips of socks or other material and stuff it into the cracks.  This method is cheaper and cleaner than caulking around your windows.  In the spring when it is time to open the windows again, just remove the socks and either clean them or throw them away.
5. Stop Air Coming in under the Door: Many homes have issues with air coming in under the doors.  You have a few options to stop this.  You can use an old throw rug by rolling it up and pushing it up against the door. You can also make a tube with material and stuff it with old socks and other clothing and place it in front of the door to dodge the draft.
6. Use the Power of the Sun:  On cold days that are still sunny, open your curtains and let the light shine in.  This will provide free passive solar heating.

In recent years it has become apparent to many of us the importance to begin building Green or Eco-Friendly homes.  We have begun to understand the impact our past wastefulness has had on the environment and on us.  With things like global warming, allergies, respiratory illness, cancer, and overstuffed landfills; it is definitely time to think about our Mother Earth when considering a project.

1. Before you make any plans it is best to do a bit of research.  The best place to start is the US Department of Energy.  Here are a few good links:

Home Page:  http://www.energy.gov/index.htm

Energy Efficiency: http://www.energy.gov/energyefficiency/index.htm

Consumers Guide to Energy Efficiency: http://apps1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/

2. You will want to research everything about making your home green.  This includes energy efficiency, the climate, the projected home site, the construction materials, the roof, windows and doors, lighting, heating and cooling, insulation, appliances, and waste disposal. The goal is to construct a home where all of the “green” elements work together for energy efficiency, comfort, and optimum indoor and outdoor air quality.  You may discover that building a “green” home may be more expensive on the front-end, but these improvements will pay for themselves in the long run by saving you in energy costs.  For example, a home with good insulation and properly fitted and sealed windows and doors will require a smaller heating/cooling system, therefore costing less money.

3.  You want to examine the location of your home site.  With the rising cost of gas, it is crucial to place your home in a location that will make it convenient to get to your place of work and to other places like stores and gas stations.  You may even consider the option of riding your bike to work or walking.  If your home is placed near everything you need to get to, you will use less money traveling.  You may even want to consider purchasing an older construction and turning it into a “green”home.

4. Consider the layout of your home.  You will want to look into passive heating and cooling strategies to help lower your heating/cooling costs.  By positioning your windows correctly you can take advantage of natural lighting as well as heat from the sun.  The structure of your home is another topic to consider.  What will you construct your home out of?  Some great choices are concrete, straw bale, stucco, and rammed earth.  These all offer great insulation and are very environmentally friendly.

5. You will also want to install a proper HVAC system to ensure that air is circulating properly and that energy isn’t being wasted.  The basic principle is to build an air-tight home and equip it with a high-energy efficient HVAC system for proper ventilation.  You will want to ensure that the HVAC system you choose properly fits your home’s size and its needs.  You will also want to install ceiling fans to assist in properly circulating the air.

6. For lighting your home, you should consider using motion sensor lights in each room, especially in closets.  These will allow you to save energy by turning off the lights after so many minutes of inactivity in the room.

7. Painting your home is another place to consider indoor air quality.  You will want to be sure to use low or no VOC paints.  It is also important to avoid as many VOC in your flooring as well.  VOCs decrease the quality of indoor air and can be found in paints, carpets, and adhesives.  Whenever possible, choose to use flooring products that have been affirmed as being “green”.

8. When choosing your appliances for your home: be sure to look for the Energy Star symbol.  This will indicate that you are purchasing an appliance that has been tested for its energy efficiency.  You can find a wide variety of appliances with this symbol such as: dishwashers, stoves, microwaves, washers, dryers, hot water heaters, air conditioners, and more.

9.  Outside the home is just as important as the inside.  Be sure to disturb the surroundings as little as possible.  If you have to remove trees when excavating, be sure to plant some new ones.  You will want to plant trees near your buildings for optimum shading and to assist ground water drainage.

10.  Find a contractor who specialized in “green or eco-friendly” building.  You may also want to incorporate the help of family, neighbors, and friends to aid in building your new home.

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