Here’s another inexpensive and easy tip to implement. Install foam gaskets around electrical outlets. Most exterior walls are built from 2 x 4 lumber which means the walls are only 3.75 inches thick. Your electrical boxes create a void in the wall insulation. I have really deep electrical boxes so there is very little room [...]
Something I haven’t done yet in my house is install low-flow faucets and shower heads. To be honest, until I did the research for this post, I wasn’t too worried about it. I knew I was losing too much hot water (and electricity) down the drain, but until I found the following at fypower.org I [...]
We’re considering the purchase of a new computer for family use at home. We currently have an almost 5 year old desktop PC that is showing its age. We’re considering a laptop instead of a desktop primarily for portability, but in my research one of the side benefits I found is that laptops use much [...]
I hope your Memorial Day weekend was a great time to spend with family and friends. My wife, daughters, and I spent the weekend at a family camp at a retreat center about an hour from home. It was a great time to relax and forget about “real” life for a few days.
Before we left, [...]
Here’s another Low Cost Tip that can help reduce your energy bills. Use your microwave (or the smallest appliance that will get the job done) when cooking.
Heating food in the microwave uses only 20 percent of the energy required by a full-sized oven.
Now I know you can’t cook Thanksgiving dinner in the microwave, but [...]
File this as one of those things that you don’t have to worry about with me — keeping the garage door down. I’ve always been a little nuts about making sure the doors around the house are closed and locked. However, my reasons have more to do with security than with energy savings.
I read somewhere [...]
Not too long ago I noticed that some of the food in our refrigerator had started freezing a little. Nothing too bad, just a little glaze of ice. It took me a couple of minutes to realize that someone had adjusted the temperature settings in both the freezer and refrigerator to the coldest settings.
I quizzed [...]
My dog has clawed a hole in the gate on the side of the house. I’ve had to put a big tire in front of the gate to cover up the hole. On top of that I placed an upside down bright red recycling bin. The neighbors are very happy.
What does this have to do [...]
About a month ago, I wrote about helping a friend add cellulose insulation to his attic. It is a very reasonable weekend project, depending on the size of your house and your willingness to take on new projects. The price was also much less than I anticipated.
If you have a sufficient amount of attic insulation [...]
Here’s one of those little things that may not save a lot of energy each day, but combine 4 -5 of these types of tips and you can make a sizable dent in your energy bill over the course of a year. One of the things we have done is turn off the [...]