HEATING

• Set your thermostat to 69°F or less during the day, 60°F or less at night, (or when you leave your home for more than four hours.)
• Try putting on a sweater or putting on an extra blanket on the bed before turning up the thermostat.
• Don't turn your thermostat higher than normal to heat your home faster because it won't work.
• Close off doors and/or vents to a room that you are not heating.  Do not close off more than 1/4 of the area of your home to avoid damage to your central heating system.
• Watch your fireplace.  When your fireplace is burning it draws off as much as 20% of the heat in your house.  When you are not using your fireplace, close the damper to keep the hot air from escaping your home.
• Frequent adjustments to your thermostat wastes energy and money.  Each degree you set your thermostat above 68 degrees, you'll increase your costs by 3%.
• Check furnace filters regularly.  Dirty filters make the system work harder.

COOLING

• If you have central air conditioning, set your thermostat to 78°F or more during the summer, 85°F or more when you leave your home for more than four hours.  Unless you have furniture, art or equipment that could be damaged by excessive heat, turn your cooling unit off when you leave your home for more than 24 hours.
• Don't turn your thermostat cooler than normal to cool your home.  It won't work.
• Keep heat-producing appliances such as, televisions, lamps, and other appliances away from your thermostat.  They will make your cooling system work harder than needed.
• Close doors and/or vents to a room that you are not using.  Do not close off more than 1/4 of your house to avoid damage to your central cooling system.
• Three different types of fans can help you cool your home in different ways:  ceiling fans, window fans, and whole-house fans.
• To lower the temperature inside the house, place a fan, blowing out, in a window on the "warm" side.  The fan will pull warm air out of the house and draw cooler air in from open windows on the cool side.
• You can create a breeze through the house by opening 25% more windows on the "warm" side of the house than on the opposite side.
• When outside temperatures rise try to avoid activities that generate humidity such as cooking, bathing, laundering, and dishwashing.
• Pull shades, curtain and blinds to block the heat from coming in during the morning and daytime hours.

LIGHTING

• Turn off the lights that you are not using
• Keep fixtures, bulbs, and tubes clean and in working order.  Dirt can absorb up to 50% of the light omitted by the bulb
• Use the right bulb.  Compact fluorescent bulbs use 75% less energy than typical incandescent bulbs.  Reflector bulbs provide more directional light and can last twice as long as regular incandescent bulbs.  High-pressure sodium lamps are efficient and have a long life.
• One bulb is better than two.  One 100-watt bulb produces more light than two 60-watt bulbs and uses less power.
• Automatic lighting controls save time, energy and money.

WATER

• Fix water leaks.  One drip a second adds up to about 75 gallons a month.
• Insulate pipes to limit heat loss.
• Operate dishwasher, clothes washers, and dryers only when fully loaded.
• Use a stopper in the sink so the water won't be constantly running when washing dishes or shaving.
• Install a new shower head with a flow restrictor.
• Don't use a water temperature hotter than what is necessary for what is being washed.

WEATHERIZATION

• Improve your insulation.
• Consider installing storm windows or doors.  Storm windows can also be made by tacking, stapling, or taping clear plastic to the outside of the windows and doors.
• Caulk around windows and doors.
• Replace loose or cracked putty around window panes.
• Cover window air conditioners.
• Make sure doors and windows are properly weather-stripped.
• Seal your attic fan opening with heavy plastic or vinyl.  However make sure that you leave the attic vents open to allow moisture to escape.

For Information Call
Oneida County Office for Aging & Continuing Care
315-798-5456