Consumer E-Newsletter - 09/29/2006 (Plain Text Version)

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In this issue:
Buying in a Soft Housing Market
The Advantages Are With YOU: The Economics of a Buyer's Market
Lower Your Home Heating and Energy Costs in Time for Fall
Loving Your Leaves: Prepping Your Garden for Fall
Time to Tailgate in Your New Media Room
Want to Think Green? Download This Great Guide!
Bungalows: All the Rage
Quick Remodeling Tips to Open Up Your Kitchen
How Bright is Your Future?
Free, Award-Winning Educational Tool for Teachers
Did You Know?
Inside the Homeowner's Mind...Tell Us What You Think!
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Lower Your Home Heating and Energy Costs in Time for Fall

Like crisp clear mornings and falling leaves, rising heating and energy bills are a sure sign that cooler weather is here. Americans are already spending $160 million a year to heat, cool, and light their homes, and many believe energy bills will continue to rise. As we move into fall, cost-consciousness is more important than ever.

Savings in energy use can translate to savings in your pocketbook.

But despite being concerned about higher energy costs, many Americans don’t know how to make sure that decreasing temperatures don’t mean also decreasing bank balances when it comes to powering our homes. A recent survey from the Propane Education & Research Council shows that fewer than one-fourth of Americans say they are well informed about the different energy choices available to them when it comes to their homes.

The good news is we aren’t powerless when it comes to energy choices, and we all can make a big difference in our bills with a few simple steps.

Increase Your Home’s Energy Efficiency
The average American home loses between 10 percent and 50 percent of its energy through inadequate insulation and inefficient lights and appliances. Insulating attics and basements, as well as replacing drafty windows and the old weatherstripping around doors is a great first step towards saving energy. Another way is setting your thermostat back 10 percent to 15 percent for eight hours a day by installing a time-set thermostat with a four-time set program that regulates home temperatures throughout the day. This step alone can cut annual heating bills by as much 10 percent. Installing an ENERGY STAR® rated furnace or boiler can reduce your bills by almost another 30 percent.

Improve Your Home’s Heating System
During fall and winter, our homes’ heating systems are getting a bigger workout, so it’s important to make sure they are working properly and efficiently. Here's how to make sure your home’s heating system runs well and saves you money during the cooler months:

Inspect and tune up your heating system regularly.
Change your furnace filter regularly.
Consider switching to a propane water heater, which can save up to one third as compared to electricity and heat more than twice as much water in an hour than comparable electric models.
Turn down your water heater to 115 degrees Farenheit. Your could save more than 10 percent on your heating bill.
Wrap your water heater in an insulating blanket.
Increase your water heater’s efficiency by draining it every six months to remove mineral deposits and sediment.

Increase Your Household Appliances’ Efficiency
Making sure your appliances are running efficiently can lower your overall energy costs.

Vacuum the dust off your refrigerator coils every three months. It takes less energy to cool that way. Also, check the gaskets around the door to make sure it shuts tight.
Install flow-restricting shower heads. They can reduce hot water usage by up to 50 percent without affecting shower pressure.
Run washing machines, clothes dryers, and dishwashers with full loads.

Develop A Household Energy Plan
You also can look to the federal government for help in keeping your energy costs down. It is offering incentives to conserve energy that can mean money in your pocket come tax time. Qualifying energy-saving improvements are eligible for up to $500 in tax credits if they are made during the 2006 and 2007 calendar years. These credits are available for many improvements, including high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment.

Finally, if you use an energy source such as propane or oil, discuss payment plan options with your fuel retailer to spread annual costs over many months to balance out seasonally higher bills. It’s also a good idea to set up a regular fuel delivery schedule so that you don’t wait until it’s completely empty.

Scott Morgan is the host of HGTV’s Dream Builders and a consultant to the Propane Education & Research Council.

This article cannot be reprinted without permission from the author.