It does not take a genius to figure out that costs are rising across the board. Food, housing, energy, are all gooing up in price. The funny thing is that the government does not consider these things to be inflationary. Whoever makes up the government sponsored index is a bit out of touch. What can we do as consumers? Here are some things you can do to limit the costs of energy use in your home: (Sources curtesy of Mary Staton of Staton Institute)
1.)Â Install Energy Star-qualified products.
2.)Â Seal air leaks around doors, windows, chimneys, and electricalÂ
     outlets.
3.)Â Install a programmable thermostat that automatically adjusts theÂ
     temperature.
4.)Â Let the sun shine in during the day to save heating costs in winter.
5.)Â Complete a home energy audit (free one available atÂ
     (www.powerhousetv.com)
6.)Â When it’s cold outside, change or clean your furnace filter once aÂ
     month.
7.)Â Plant a tree (a well-placed shade tree can reduce cooling costs byÂ
     (26 per cent).
8.)Â Take showers instead of baths (showers use 7.5 gallons compared toÂ
      20 gallons for a bath).
9.)Â Wash only full loads of clothes.
10.)Â Â Install dimmers, motion detectors, and occupancy sensors toÂ
       provide light only when you need it.
The key is to be disciplined enough to make the effort and actually ‘DO’ something. Otherwise we will never save any money. Technology has also provided us with new ways to reduce our costs:
 Tankless Water Heaters: Also called “on demand” water heater, a
tankless heater attaches to the home’s plumbing system and warms water
(using electric, gas or propane power) only when it is needed. This
eliminates standby losses – energy wasted by heating water and keeping it
warm while it sits unused in a storage tank. Programmable, a unit is
about the size of carry-on luggage and gives the user the ability to
control water temperature in different locations throughout the house. Most
can be hooked up indoors or out. The feds like them, too – they’ll
give you a $300 federal energy tax credit on your next tax filing for
installing one!   Learn more: homemag.com, rheem.com,
foreverhotwater.com, takagi.com
• Low-Flow Showerheads: They save water but don’t sacrifice water
pressure in the process. For info, go to the web sites of two leaders who
create a flow that’s at the right pressure but that use up to 70 per
cent less water:Â deltafaucet.com and oxygenics.com.
• Water-Saving Dishwasher: Bosch’s latest Energy Star-compliant
dishwasher, the Integra, uses as little as 3.1 gallons of water per wash
thanks to the SensoTronic technology that adapts water levels to soil
content. A self-contained drying system saves energy, and doesn’t allow
steam or heat to vent into the kitchen. The unit – which has concealed
controls for a sleek appearance – is also superquiet: boschappliances.com
• Thrifty Laundry Machines: Since the typical US household does nearly
400 loads of laundry per year (about 30 gallons of water per full
load), we all need washers and dryers that are super efficient.Â
Agitator-free, front-loading machines have become immensely popular thanks to
their energy savings and style. This year, several companies have made
strides to increase performance and efficiency. Frigidaire’s Affinity
washer only uses about 14 gallons per load! Frigidare.com
LG uses a new SteamFresh technology that uses steam in its wash cycle
to reduce wrinkles and freshen clothes without water or detergent! You
can also combine steam with the regular wash cycle, saving 17 per cent
more water compared with a traditional cycle. Us.lge.com
Samsung uses SilverCare technology, which adds positively charged
silver ions to its wash and rinse cycles thus killing 99 per cent of
bacteria and sanitizing your laundry without using hot water! Samsung.com
• Dual-Flush Toilets: This issue would be incomplete without
mentioning new technology in the toilet! Several companies have introduced
two-part flush controls on the tank – one button for the standard 1.6-gal.
flush and a second trigger that uses considerably less water. Go to
these web sites to see what the leaders in this technology are flushing
into the mainstream:Â villeroy-boch.com, totousa.com, and
sterlingplumbing.com!
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