Calculate Your Energy Costs


Xavier's Top Ten Tips for Energy Savings

The ten most effective improvements that you can do to reduce your energy costs with the greatest and fastest payback are to:

      1. Control/Stop inside air from leaving the house year-round
      2. Clean the refrigerator coils and drain pan
      3. Clean the Dryer and the exhaust vent
      4. Seal ALL leaks in the furnace duct work (basement door test)
      5. Install High and Low louvered return registers
      6. Install EQUALIZ-AIR
      7. Balance the return air flow from each room
      8. Open a window near the dryer while it is operating
      9. DO NOT use the bathroom fan if below 35°F outside
    10. Install and use window treatments in both summer and winter


Note: "Booster Fans" (Duct and Register) Do Not increase Air Flow.
           In fact, booster fans can reduce air flow!


If you think replacing a furnace or windows will have a high return, look below:

HOW TO CALCULATE YOUR HEATING COSTS
 To determine your annual cost to heat your home, collect twelve months of gas bills:

Month Amount Non-Heating
January 130       
February 110  
March 80  
April 62  
May 31  
June 20 20
July 16 16
August 18 18
September 19
October 26
November 48
December 61
 
  $ 621 $ 54
      Non-heating costs average eighteen dollars each month (dryer, stove, hot water heater, service charges, taxes, etc...). Heating costs total 621 dollars for one year. Therefore, 621 - (4 X 54) = 405 dollars of heating costs per year. Therefore if you replace something which yields a 20% savings, you will only save:
      20% X 405 = $81.00 per year. Not very much!
      (If you include lost interest on the money you spent, there might not be any savings!) Don't be fooled by a salesperson's promise for big energy savings if you have your windows, doors, or furnace replaced. Make replacement decisions for better reasons than simply energy savings.

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