Heating and cooling account for about 56% of the energy use in a typical U.S. home, making it the largest energy expense for most homes. A wide variety of technologies are available for heating and cooling your home, and they achieve a wide range of efficiencies in converting their energy sources into useful heat or cool air for your home.
Set the temperature lower in the winter when your home is unoccupied. Use a programmable thermostat to automatically lower and raise the temperature according to your settings.
Set the thermostat as low as comfortably possible in the winter. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall heating bill will be.
Clean furnace filters monthly. Dirty filters restrict airflow and increase energy use. Keep the furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted to save up to 5% of heating costs. Look for a room air conditioner with a filter that slides out easily for regular cleaning. Clean filters help keep the unit in good working condition.
When buying an air conditioner, enlist the services of a qualified technician to ensure your unit is properly sized and installed for your home/building. A unit that is too large will not only cost you more up front, but will actually work less efficiently, costing you more to operate over its lifetime.
Install glass doors on fireplaces, which act as a barrier against warmed air returning up the chimney.
Some models of glass doors are equipped with small vents along the bottom or sides to allow a controlled amount of combustion airflow into the fireplace. The glass allows the heat from the fire to radiate into the room. Because glass doors reduce the amount of conditioned air that is drawn up the chimney, they also reduce infiltration of outside air into the home.
Use fans during the summer to create a wind chill effect that will make your home more comfortable. If you use air conditioning, a ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4°F with no reduction in comfort.
Turn off kitchen, bath, and other ventilating fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing to retain heated air.
Newer, high efficiency refrigerators use half as much energy as older models, so they cost half as much to run. Fridge/freezer combinations with the freezer on the bottom are typically more energy efficient than freezer on top. If you're not keeping a fridge at least two thirds full or a freezer at least three quarters full, it's too big and therefore costing you more money to run. Keep your refrigerator at constant temperatures, and use a thermometer to help you accurately set temperatures:
Fridges = 3 to 4°C
Freezers/deepfridge = -15 to -18°C
Regularly defrost your freezer every six months or when there is a one-centimetre frost build up.
A refrigerator that is not level may cause the door gasket to seal improperly, letting cold air leak out. Adjust the legs until the refrigerator is level. Make sure the door seal is tight and free from gaps. Replace door seals if they are not sealing properly, cracked, or you feel cold air leaking out. To test for tightness, close the door on a piece of paper and try to pull it out. If it slides out easily, so does air. Freezers operate most efficiently when they are full. To help retain the cold temperature when the freezer is less full, freeze jugs of water. Also, more cold air spills out when you open the door if the freezer is nearly empty. In freezers, food packages should be scattered and should never be grouped or stacked together until they are completely frozen.
To ensure proper cooling, don't crowd food items. Too many things may obstruct air circulation.
Don't put hot foods into fridge/freezer, allow food to cool down. Choose a cool position, place refrigerator/freezer away from direct sunlight or an oven. Leave an area around and above the fridge and freezer for ventilation. Keep the fridge and freezer condenser coils at rear free from fluff. Do not open the deep freezer or refrigerator door too often, think ahead and plan what you need to take out.
Paper is an insulator – replace paper wrappings on food items with aluminium foil or plastic wrap.
If you have two fridges/freezers, fill one of them up and turn the other off if possible. If you will be gone for an extended period of time, consider cleaning out your refrigerator, unplugging it and leaving the doors open. Upright freezers cost more to run than chest models because more cold air escapes. Self-defrost models use much more energy than non-defrost models. Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.
Use the sun to dry clothes whenever you can.
Wash clothes in cold water with cold-water specific laundry detergent.
Don't put soaking wet clothes in dryer. Don't over dry clothes. Clean clothes dryers filter regularly – it speeds up the drying time, as well as being safer. Don't overfill dryer. Load your washer fully each time. If you do an extra wash you'll be using more power. Adjust the water level of your machine when you only have a small load. Choose a clothes dryer that turns off automatically as soon as the clothes are dry. Dry consecutive loads as the residual heat will help dry the next load.
Front-loading washing machines are up to 15% more energy efficient than top loading machines.
Insulate your hot water tank with a jacket - it only costs a few pounds and, with all the heat it traps in, it pays for itself within months. Fit one that's at least 75mm (3") thick and you could save around £20 a year. If every UK household that could fit an adequate tank-jacket tomorrow, we'd save over £89 million of energy every year!
If your boiler is over 15 years old it's probably time to replace it. By law, new gas boilers in England and Wales must now be of the high efficiency condensing type, which can help you save up to a third on your heating bills and even more if you upgrade to modern controls as well.
Keep shrubs especially those which release high amount of oxygen in air (dwarf bamboo) and an aquarium full of fish in your room .This two work as natural air purifier and thermostat . Create a small pond in your backyard. Spread seed of lotus and release small gambusia fishlets. Also add some aquatic plants like Amazon. The entire system will create a natural ecosystem which in turn will protect your house from excessive heat and cold.
Resources :
www.energy.gov
www.electricity-guide.org.uk
www.ase.org
Set the temperature lower in the winter when your home is unoccupied. Use a programmable thermostat to automatically lower and raise the temperature according to your settings.
Set the thermostat as low as comfortably possible in the winter. The less difference between the indoor and outdoor temperatures, the lower your overall heating bill will be.
Clean furnace filters monthly. Dirty filters restrict airflow and increase energy use. Keep the furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted to save up to 5% of heating costs. Look for a room air conditioner with a filter that slides out easily for regular cleaning. Clean filters help keep the unit in good working condition.
When buying an air conditioner, enlist the services of a qualified technician to ensure your unit is properly sized and installed for your home/building. A unit that is too large will not only cost you more up front, but will actually work less efficiently, costing you more to operate over its lifetime.
Install glass doors on fireplaces, which act as a barrier against warmed air returning up the chimney.
Some models of glass doors are equipped with small vents along the bottom or sides to allow a controlled amount of combustion airflow into the fireplace. The glass allows the heat from the fire to radiate into the room. Because glass doors reduce the amount of conditioned air that is drawn up the chimney, they also reduce infiltration of outside air into the home.
Use fans during the summer to create a wind chill effect that will make your home more comfortable. If you use air conditioning, a ceiling fan will allow you to raise the thermostat setting about 4°F with no reduction in comfort.
Turn off kitchen, bath, and other ventilating fans within 20 minutes after you are done cooking or bathing to retain heated air.
Newer, high efficiency refrigerators use half as much energy as older models, so they cost half as much to run. Fridge/freezer combinations with the freezer on the bottom are typically more energy efficient than freezer on top. If you're not keeping a fridge at least two thirds full or a freezer at least three quarters full, it's too big and therefore costing you more money to run. Keep your refrigerator at constant temperatures, and use a thermometer to help you accurately set temperatures:
Fridges = 3 to 4°C
Freezers/deepfridge = -15 to -18°C
Regularly defrost your freezer every six months or when there is a one-centimetre frost build up.
A refrigerator that is not level may cause the door gasket to seal improperly, letting cold air leak out. Adjust the legs until the refrigerator is level. Make sure the door seal is tight and free from gaps. Replace door seals if they are not sealing properly, cracked, or you feel cold air leaking out. To test for tightness, close the door on a piece of paper and try to pull it out. If it slides out easily, so does air. Freezers operate most efficiently when they are full. To help retain the cold temperature when the freezer is less full, freeze jugs of water. Also, more cold air spills out when you open the door if the freezer is nearly empty. In freezers, food packages should be scattered and should never be grouped or stacked together until they are completely frozen.
To ensure proper cooling, don't crowd food items. Too many things may obstruct air circulation.
Don't put hot foods into fridge/freezer, allow food to cool down. Choose a cool position, place refrigerator/freezer away from direct sunlight or an oven. Leave an area around and above the fridge and freezer for ventilation. Keep the fridge and freezer condenser coils at rear free from fluff. Do not open the deep freezer or refrigerator door too often, think ahead and plan what you need to take out.
Paper is an insulator – replace paper wrappings on food items with aluminium foil or plastic wrap.
If you have two fridges/freezers, fill one of them up and turn the other off if possible. If you will be gone for an extended period of time, consider cleaning out your refrigerator, unplugging it and leaving the doors open. Upright freezers cost more to run than chest models because more cold air escapes. Self-defrost models use much more energy than non-defrost models. Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder.
Use the sun to dry clothes whenever you can.
Wash clothes in cold water with cold-water specific laundry detergent.
Don't put soaking wet clothes in dryer. Don't over dry clothes. Clean clothes dryers filter regularly – it speeds up the drying time, as well as being safer. Don't overfill dryer. Load your washer fully each time. If you do an extra wash you'll be using more power. Adjust the water level of your machine when you only have a small load. Choose a clothes dryer that turns off automatically as soon as the clothes are dry. Dry consecutive loads as the residual heat will help dry the next load.
Front-loading washing machines are up to 15% more energy efficient than top loading machines.
Insulate your hot water tank with a jacket - it only costs a few pounds and, with all the heat it traps in, it pays for itself within months. Fit one that's at least 75mm (3") thick and you could save around £20 a year. If every UK household that could fit an adequate tank-jacket tomorrow, we'd save over £89 million of energy every year!
If your boiler is over 15 years old it's probably time to replace it. By law, new gas boilers in England and Wales must now be of the high efficiency condensing type, which can help you save up to a third on your heating bills and even more if you upgrade to modern controls as well.
Keep shrubs especially those which release high amount of oxygen in air (dwarf bamboo) and an aquarium full of fish in your room .This two work as natural air purifier and thermostat . Create a small pond in your backyard. Spread seed of lotus and release small gambusia fishlets. Also add some aquatic plants like Amazon. The entire system will create a natural ecosystem which in turn will protect your house from excessive heat and cold.
Resources :
www.energy.gov
www.electricity-guide.org.uk
www.ase.org
Comments
Heating and Cooling Systems Toronto