Trimming Energy Costs - More Progress

Today our electric bill came and I am pleased to say that the bill is down. Finally our utility bills are under $500/month. That is almost a 17% savings compared to last March and a 23% savings compared to March 07. We are making progress in spite of increases in the cost of gas and electricity.

It is hard to say exactly what changes are responsible for the savings, but I suspect the insulating of our attic is a major contributor. We are using less gas for sure, but because our burner cycles on less often we must also be saving electricity. Check out the National Grid programs. We received a 75% rebate on the cost of the insulation job so the net cost was less than $700. It looks like the payback will be less than a year. That is a great deal.

We have also installed CFL light bulbs in all our high use fixtures and we seldom use our outside lights since we added our solar lamp post light out front.

Now that we are seeing some progress from our energy efficiency efforts, I am motivated to do more. I know that my old refrigerator downstairs should go, but I am not prepared to replace or do without it, yet.

Using my kill-a-watt monitor I discovered that my TV/Cable/VCR consumes over $20/month in electricity even when it is off. So I think my next step will be to put the whole set up on a power strip and shut it off completely when we are not watching it. And I am thinking I will make more of an effort to turn off my computer equipment each night, but that will be a bit more of a challenge.

Visit www.ComfortAndSavings.com for products that can help you trim your energy bills.

Check out the NSTAR and National Grid rebate programs. They have a free service where they will send an efficiency expert to help you determine energy saving steps that make the most sense for your household. They may provide you with some free CFLs and possibly coupons to help you replace some old appliances with energy star appliances.

The Most Creative Use of LEDs

This has absolutely nothing to do with home improvement.

I am a big fan and follower of LED technology. This is the most creative use of LEDs I have ever seen.

Sheep herders in Wales are using LEDs attached to sheep to make art, of sorts.

Check out this bright idea . http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2FX9rviEhw

Solar Lighting Moves into the Main Stream

Solar lighting has much more to offer than just garden decoration. Solar lights add security and curb appeal to your property, without adding to your electric bill. Since the lights illuminate automatically at dusk you don’t need to remember to turn them on. They will light up your entrance all night long and turn off automatically at dawn.

The new solar lamp post from GamaSonic is a breakthrough in solar lighting. The patented design is as beautiful as it is functional. The solar lamp is available in several styles to accommodate multiple installation requirements. Matching lights can be installed as wall mounted, deck mounted, and single, double or triple globe lamp posts. (Double globe lamp shown) There is even a replacement globe that can be used as a cost saving improvement for an existing electric lamp post light.

Each unit is made of high quality rust proof aluminum. The classic 19th Century Gas light globe is made of beautiful beveled glass. The bright illumination is provided by 8 energy efficient, durable LEDs that never need to be replaced, enhanced by Gamasonic’s patented reflector. For maximum illumination install a triple globe lamp … that’s 24 LEDs.

These solar lights are low maintenance and have minimal operating costs. They are available online at http://www.comfortandsavings.com/.

Trimming Energy Costs – Progress Report

Last year I wrote my first blog article about our efforts to trim the energy costs in our own home. This is an update discussing our progress.

Steps we took during the last 12 months:

· Installed solar fans in the attic
· Ran our pool pump only a few hours each day
· Insulated duct work running through the garage
· Sealed leaks found in the ducts
· Insulated and sealed the attic through the NSTAR program
· Replaced high use light bulbs with CFLs
· Replaced washer/dryer with energy star units

Some significant steps taken previously:

-Replaced most (but not all) of our windows
-Installed and use programmable thermostats

And the results:

The X axis represents the months from 12/2006 through 2/2009.

The Yellow line represents electricity kilowatts. In the summer the pool and air conditioning drive up our electricity consumption. If we look at the change in usage using August 2007 (2612 KW) and August 2008 (2597 KW) the difference is not significant. We have more work to do here. The solar fans were installed late in the summer, and the insulation was not installed until November. We expect the solar fans will be more effective this summer now that the attic is insulated and sealed. Many energy efficiency efforts are interrelated.

The Pink line represents gas use in Therms. - (multiplied by 10 to make the figures graph in the same relative range as our kilowatt use). 2/2007 - 329 Therms, 2/2008 – 291 Therms, 2/2009 258- Therms . We have made more progress here. Our gas use peaks in the winter, just the opposite of our electricity consumption. Gas consumption has decreased by better than 10% . This is in spite of the fact that February of 2009 was much colder than February 2008. My methods and analysis are not completely scientific, but I attribute most of our savings to the insulation and penetration sealing that was done in our attic in November. We have also noticed that this year our house feels warmer and more comfortable, probably because it is less drafty.

The blue line is the total cost of gas and electricity. Unfortunately we have not saved much in terms of energy costs, mainly due to the increased cost of electricity. We average around $500/month year round. This summer we anticipate further reduction in electricity use attributed to the solar fans ventilating our now insulated attic.

What steps can we take to further improve our energy efficiency? We continue to look for other ways to trim our energy bills. One thought … we have an old refrigerator, not energy star, in our garage that may not survive the summer. Any other ideas?



We are experienced remodelers. Visit us at http://www.FitzCon.com/ and offer energy efficient home improvement products on our website http://www.ComfortAndSavings.com/

Use Solar Lights Instead of Candles

These are trying times in America. We are all waiting for the stimulus package to take hold to bolster economic activity and get our economy back on its feet.

Many causes are competing for stimulus dollars, health care, infrastructure improvements, and renewable energy are among them. Everyone wants to see the economy improve. Everyone complains --- some about the ‘pork’, others about who gets the tax credits.

Do you want to show support for renewable energy? Think solar lights. Solar lights will not solve the energy crisis, but they can be used to show support for the cause. Solar lights are inexpensive and easy to use. Use solar lights instead of candles. Put one in your window, on your lawn or pass them out for a memorial service or gatherings to show your support for energy efficiency and renewable energy.

The Best Places to Put Solar Lights

… Anywhere there is adequate sun. … Put them where the sun shines.

Solar lighting is available in a variety styles and is suited to many applications. There are solar lights for path lighting, solar lamp posts to light your entry ways, solar ornaments to accent your garden and solar lights with remote solar panels to light your shed. Solar lights with remote solar panels can also be used to light a garage or for lighting controlled by motion detection.

Some solar lights are suitable as memorial lights or solar cemetery lights, a big improvement over the memorial candles that need to be re-lit and replaced frequently. Planning an evening vigil? Show your support for renewable energy. Pass out solar lights instead of candles.

Other solar lights are perfect for boating. Light your dock with solar lights. Use some white solar lights then add some colored solar lights for navigation to mark your way. ‘Right Red Return’, those familiar with boating navigation will know just where to place red solar led lights to guide boaters to the dock. Green lights are also available.

Older solar lights can be dissected for parts to create art. Light a decorated jar, or be even more creative. Just be sure your solar creation will have adequate time in the sun.

Low Maintenance Curb Appeal

Do you hate landscaping and lawn care maintenance? Do you endure it because there is never a second chance to make a first impression? Or is it a labor of love to nurture your trimmed flower beds and blooming plants? The appearance of your front yard is the first thing visitors see.

You invest your time to keep your landscape green, colorful, trimmed and appealing so make the most of it. Adding solar lighting to your landscape can improve the curb appeal of your home and it is extremely low maintenance. So if you spend the time, money and effort to keep up your landscape, flaunt it! Solar lighting will draw attention to your manicured lawn and lovingly tended garden especially right after dusk, when your neighbors are coming home from work.

Solar lighting will not add to your maintenance chores. The installation and upkeep of solar lights is minimal. Choose your lighting locations to maximize sun exposure and press the stake into the ground to install the lights. Then simply keep the solar panel free of dirt build up and debris. Wipe it with a damp cloth occasionally to keep the solar panel operating at peek performance. The LEDs in solar lights have a long life and will last for the life of the light, never needing any maintenance or replacement. The batteries will charge up to 1000 times before you need to change them.

So show off your hard work ... no need to add to it. Install a few solar lights, you will be the envy of the neighborhood. Check out the selection at www.ComfortAndSavings.com.