Saving Energy - Home Heating and Cooling Costs
By Cate Ferguson

Imagine you are walking down the street on a cold evening and you see a family sitting in their front garden in front of a bonfire. They are having a really great time and from where you stand it looks like the perfect activity for a night like this.

As you get a little closer you notice that the fire is really blazing and that some of the family have taken off their jackets and coats and even some of their long sleeves and are just toasting themselves in front of the fire. You begin to feel a little uneasy.

Imagine now that you are right across the street on the opposite corner to this bonfire loving family. You've got a really good view now and despite the cold, they are now sitting in shirtsleeves and some of them don't even have their socks on. You are now fascinated by the sight before you and you cross the road and peer over the fence just in time to see the parents add more fuel to the fire.

They pick up a bucket and toss its contents into the flames and to your horror a bucket full of money flutters helplessly into the awaiting flames. You scream... and wake up.

Of course, this is an extreme example of a waste of money and a waste of energy. However, many people are doing both these things every winter because they heat their homes in ways that are very inefficient. Some of this inefficiency comes from poor insulation and sealing of homes, some of it comes from poor heating choices but much of it comes from habitual behaviours and unconscious choices in the heating of homes.

These habits are costing you a lot of money when it comes to heating your home. This results in you using energy which you don't need to use. You could cut your home heating energy us and costs and not feel any reduction in your comfort level or your sense of wellbeing.

Here are some simple, effective, and necessary steps to take if you would rather save a bucket of money and further reduce your energy consumption.

Draught proofing your home.

This is one of the simplest actions you can take. It is also one of the cheapest options when it comes to making your home more energy efficient.

• Windows and doors are the most common sources of draught in your home - these can be cold air or hot air depending on the season.
• If your windows have curtains or blinds draw them fully of an evening as this helps to trap the warm or cool air inside your room, rather than letting it escape through the glass. Glass does not have a good thermal rating, especially if it is a single pane.
• Double and triple glazing of windows is expensive in the short term but as energy costs continue to rise, over time, they will save you on your heating and cooling expenses.
• You can purchase weather stripping tape from your local hardware supplier very inexpensively. This can be used to exclude air transfer around door and windows and can dramatically improve the efficiency of your home.
• Under the door itself is another source of air transfer between the room you are heating or cooling and whatever is on the other side. There are a number of ways to block this source of draught but even a towel rolled up and placed before the gap will make a difference. Check out your local hardware outlet for other more modern options.
• Check around your windows for damage or gaps that are allowing your precious warmed or cooled air to escape.
• Look around the join of your floor and walls. This is another place that draughts can appear.
• Put down a rug for the winter to add a layer of cosiness.
• Look for other gaps. Where your pipes enter and leave your home is another way for air to flow. There are now expanding foam spray product available that are easy to use and make sealing up these gaps quick and easy.

Home Insulation

Of course all of the measures mentioned above a small steps in the right direction. The biggest impact (and expense) you can make is to ensure your home is correctly insulated for where you live.

• Ceiling cavity insulation (loft or attic insulation) is vitally important in keeping heat and cold where you want it. This is not an area to skimp on. If your home is already insulation under the roof, go up there and see what it is like. Many homes have a minimum required amount of insulation and by adding enough to give yourself optimum coverage you can improve the performance of your home dramatically.
• Underfloor insulation is another area often left out of the equation. Although most homes are now build upon a concrete slab, there are many timber floored homes that could be improved with underfloor insulation.

Choosing the right appliance for your needs

Once again, it comes down to choosing the right appliance for your needs. There are many factors to consider including:

• cost - of course. Your economic circumstances will impact on what you can afford to buy but you must also take into account the extra running costs if you choose a heater or cooler that is not appropriate to the space you in which your are going to use it.
• Ensure that you purchase the most energy efficient model no matter what you are buying.

How much is enough?

We have had abundant sources of cheap energy at our disposal for many decades and as a result of this we have formed habits of use and mis-use of energy that we may not even be aware of. Here are a few things to consider:

• Do you have to heat or cool your entire home, all the time? It may be incredibly convenient or it may be necessary for your particular home or circumstances to be heated or cooled in its entirety all the time but this would be unusual. Is is possible not only heat living rooms during the day or reduce/remove heating from some zones at night? Do you have the ability to use a thermostat timer to automate the zones or the times the cooling or heating is being used? These kinds of activities will save you a considerable amount of energy and money over the course of a year.
• Another thing to consider is what temperature you have your home. Is it so warm that you peel off layers of clothing as you enter the house? Are you down to shirtsleeves? This is costing you a lot of money and if you reduce your thermostat by even one degree you will make a big difference to the next energy bill. For example, each time you turn up your heater by one degree (over 21 degrees C), you are increasing your energy bill by up to 10% Consider an extra layer of clothing rather than turning your heater up or cooler down.

We have become accustomed to programmed and programmable comfort levels in our homes and the cost of that has been increasing over the last few years and shows no signs of slowing. Becoming more aware of our reasonable and real needs in terms of heating and cooling and making conscious decisions around when, how and why we heat or cool our homes will go a long way to reducing our rampant energy consumption and put some more money in our pockets.

Cate Ferguson lives in Australia on 2 acres of land in the Alpine country of Victoria. She is building a sustainable home from straw bales, creating a sustainable, organic food garden/food forest. Cate writes a blog on the new mainstream alternative lifestyle and is committed to providing good information and inspiration to people wishing to reduce their environmental impact and move towards creating a more sustainable western lifestyle.

You can find Cate on the net at:

http://www.AlternativeLifestyleSite.com/blog

http://www.CateFerguson.com

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Cate Ferguson