StayWarmNH - Save Energy: Residential Tips


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Save Energy: Residential

ENERGY SAVING TIPS • ENERGY EFFICIENCY
RENEWABLE ENERGY • LINKS

ENERGY SAVING TIPS

Reducing Heating Costs: Quick Tips At-A-Glance

The average household will spend roughly $4300 on all energy costs in 2005 (includes home energy bills and gasoline), about $600 more than it paid in 2004—and 2006 is projected to be even more costly.

Here are some tips to help you reduce your energy costs at home:

WEATHERIZE & INSULATE
save up to 20 percent of your heating and cooling costs

Heating and cooling costs account for one-half or more of a typical home’s total energy bill

Properly caulking and weatherstripping your doors and windows can reduce heating and air conditioning usage by 10 to 20 percent.
Weatherstrip your attic access door and insulate this door by attaching foam insulation or fiberglass batting to the back. Adequate insulation in your attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors, and crawlspaces, can save you up to 25% on home energy bills.
Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed; make sure furniture, carpeting, or drapes do not block them.
Glass fireplace doors help stop heat from being lost up the chimney. Also, close the fireplace damper when not in use.
In the winter, the air is normally dry inside your house. This is a disadvantage because, to be comfortable in dry air, people typically require a higher temperature than they would in a humid environment. Therefore, efficient humidifiers are a good investment for energy conservation.

IMPROVE YOUR APPLIANCES & ELECTRONICS
appliances account for about 20 percent of household energy use

Households that replace existing equipment with ENERGY STAR qualified products can cut annual energy bills by 30 percent, or more than $500 per year.

Replacing an old refrigerator (18 years or older) with a new unit reduces electric usage by at least 35 percent. Because they are more efficient than standard models, ENERGY STAR® units will lower refrigeration energy usage even more – by over 45 percent.
The average home has 2 televisions, a VCR, a DVD player and 3 telephones. If these items were replaced with ENERGY STAR qualified models, it would save more than 25 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, the equivalent of taking 3 million cars off the road for a year.
If every U.S. household replaced just one incandescent bulb with an ENERGY STAR qualified fluorescent bulb, it would save enough energy to light 7 million homes and save $600 million in utility bills.

IMPROVE YOUR WINDOWS
efficient windows can lower your heating and cooling bills up to 30 percent

If your home has only single pane windows, consider replacing them with low-e coated or ENERGY STAR windows. Alternatively, storm windows can reduce your winter heat loss by 25–50 percent. As an alternative, you can improve your windows temporarily with plastic sheeting installed on the inside.

IMPROVE YOUR MECHANICAL SYSTEMS
up to half of your energy bill goes just for heating and cooling

If just 10 percent of U.S. households replaced their old heating and cooling equipment with an ENERGY STAR qualified model, and ensured that it was sized and installed properly, it would prevent the equivalent emissions of more than 17 billion pounds of greenhouse gases.

Have your heating system tuned and cleaned yearly for best efficiency. Fuel savings can range from 5% to 10 %. For additional savings, clean or replace air filters in your forced air heating system once a month or as needed. An ENERGY STAR qualified furnace will use about 15 percent less energy than a standard model.
About 15 percent of an average home energy bill goes to heating water. To save hot water, take five-minute showers instead of baths. Do only full loads when using the clothes washer or dishwasher. Use cold water for laundry and save up to $63 a year – detergents formulated for cold water get clothes just as clean.
Set your water heater thermostat at 120 degrees (or “low”). It’s hot enough for most needs – including dishwashers, which are generally made with booster heaters – and it cuts down on energy needed to keep water hot in the tank. Lowering your water heater temperature setting from 140 F to 120 F can reduce your water heating energy bill by over 10 percent.
Install a programmable thermostat. Programming your thermostat from 72 degrees to 65 degrees for eight hours a day while no one is home, or while everyone is tucked in bed, will cut your heating bill up to 10 percent. (See a chart of the relationship of temperature to operating cost.)

LANDSCAPE
save $100-$250 each year

Trees that lose their leaves in the fall give protection from the summer sun and permit winter sunlight to reach and warm your home. Plant trees on the south, east, and/or west sides of your home. Be sure to shade the AC unit. Create a windbreak with evergreen trees and shrubs to stop chilling wind.

****For additional energy saving tips, visit these websites:*****

www.Powerisintyourhands.org

Alliance to Save Energy: No-Cost Low-Cost Tips for Saving

Money & Energy

Energy Savers: Tips on saving money at home

Weatherize Your Home

Regardless of when your home was built there are probably things you can do to improve the comfort and energy efficiency of your home. On average, weatherization reduces heating bills by 31% and overall energy bills by $274 per year.

A home energy audit is the first step to assess how much energy your home consumes, and to evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient. Included here is information on do-it-yourself audits.

Home Energy Audits

If you prefer to hire a professional to conduct an energy audit or provide weatherization services, listings of available contractors can be found at the NH Residential Energy Performance Association website.

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ENERGY EFFICIENCY

Energy Efficiency Programs

New Hampshire electric and gas utility customers can take advantage of statewide energy efficiency products and services. These programs are dedicated to advancing the efficient use of energy while caring for the environment and promoting economic development. Information on electric utility programs is available at nhsaves.com. To contact your natural gas utility, visit Northern Utilities, KeySpan, or gasnetworks.com.

Below are descriptions of residential energy efficiency programs available to electric utility customers:

Energy Star® Lighting Program
Residential customers who purchase Energy Star® rated light bulbs and fixtures can receive rebate coupons redeemable at participating retailers. Other lighting and select energy savings products will also be made available from a mail order catalog. A typical Energy Star® rated Compact Fluorescent Lamp (CFL) lasts up to 10 times longer than an equivalent incandescent bulb and uses 75% less energy.

Rebate levels available for energy efficient lights and fixtures are: $2 towards compact fluorescent light bulbs; $10 towards exterior light fixtures; $15 towards interior light fixtures; and $20 towards torchiere lamps.

Energy Star® Appliance Program
Customers will receive a $50 rebate coupon towards the purchase of an Energy Star® rated washing machine when purchased at a participating retailer. Energy Star® clothes washers use 35% to 50% less water and 50% less energy per load, and also significantly reducing drying time.

Home Energy Solutions Program
Customers can receive up to $4,000 in rebates and services for qualified energy efficiency improvements under this program, known as the Residential Retrofit Program. Improvements include insulation, thermostats, lighting upgrades, efficient refrigerators, and a customized report helping customers analyze their home. This program is targeted first to customers with some permanently installed electric heat, and will then be offered to those customers with high electric use.

Income Eligible - Home Energy Assistance Program
Qualified low-income customers living in an apartment or house, either rented or owned, can receive up to $4,000 in services (additional funds may be available if customers also qualify for the NH Weatherization Assistance Program), including a customized report analyzing their home, improvements including insulation, thermostats, lighting upgrades, and efficient refrigerators, and recommendations on how to use energy more efficiently.

NH Energy Star® Homes Program
The NH Energy Star® Homes Program encourages customers to take advantage of the benefits of building or renovating a single or multi-family energy efficient home with rebates up to $3,000. Energy Star® construction results in reduced monthly operating costs, improved homeowner comfort and a higher resale value, and environmental benefits.

Below are descriptions of residential energy efficiency programs available to natural gas utility customers:

KeySpan Energy:

ENERGY STAR® Clock Thermostat Program
Currently, KeySpan Energy Delivery's New England customers can qualify for a $25 rebate for each ENERGY STAR® Clock Thermostat installed. Up to two thermostats per account with a maximum rebate of $50 is allowed. Thermostats can be installed through energy conservation auditors, heating and cooling contractors or you can do it yourself.

ENERGY STAR® Windows Program
KeySpan offers residential heating customers $10 for every ENERGY STAR® window installed in your home. $10 will be rebated to KeySpan customers toward the purchase of qualifying ENERGY STAR® labeled windows and doors with a U-factor of .35 or less. Whether you choose to install one window or twenty, KeySpan will pay $10 for each window.

High-Efficiency Indirect Water Heating Program
KeySpan Energy Delivery’s New England residential water heating customers installing a high-efficiency natural gas indirect water heating unit are eligible for a $300 cash rebate. To be eligible, water heaters must be indirect-fired and attached to an ENERGY STAR® rated forced hot water boiler.

Residential Conservation Services
The Residential Conservation Services program is designed to help you get the most value out of the energy you use in your home. This service provides an in-home energy assessment and recommends specific ways to improve its efficiency. Available to all New England KeySpan residential heating and non-heating customers (owners and renters) who are the customer of record on the gas bill.

High Efficiency Heating Program
A cash rebate up to $500 is available to KeySpan Energy Delivery’s New England residential heating customers, builders or homeowners who install high-efficiency natural gas heating equipment.

Instantaneous Tankless Water Heating Program
KeySpan Energy Delivery’s New England residential water heating customers installing an instantaneous, tankless water heating unit are eligible for a $300 cash rebate. To be eligible, instantaneous, tankless water heaters must have an Energy Factor of 0.82 or higher.

Northern Utilities:

Home Energy Assessments
Northern Utilities "Our Partners in Energy Program" offers free-of-charge, no-obligation home energy assessments for our New Hampshire customers. We will perform a thorough energy analysis of your home and provide you with a report listing energy-saving measures that are qualified for incentives. Plus, we'll relieve you of the headaches of installing energy-saving measures; a Partners in Energy-approved independent installation contractor will perform all the necessary work for the products you opt to install. Independent installation contractors are pre-qualified, adhere to our strict standards, and warrant all workmanship and materials for one year. Rebates and cost-sharing benefits may be available.

High Efficiency Space and Water Heating Equipment Rebates
Northern Utilities New Hampshire division, as a member of GasNetworks, offers customers up to $500 in rebates towards the installation of qualified high efficiency gas-fired space and water heating equipment.

ENERGY STAR® Homes Program
Northern Utilities is a proud sponsor of the statewide ENERGY STAR® homes program. This program offers a wide array of builder/developer rebates and incentives for all types of residential construction. It doesn't matter whether you build one home or a hundred, you will be eligible for a free plans analysis, free ENERGY STAR® certification, ENERGY STAR® lighting and appliance rebates and the GasNetworks high efficiency heating and water heating rebates.

Please contact your utility’s customer service department for more information, other programs offered, or if you have any questions or comments about the programs and the service that you receive.

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RENEWABLE ENERGY

Energy efficiency and energy conservation can be the most cost-effective and least-polluting means of reducing our demand for energy. However, energy demand cannot be eliminated completely. Thus, renewable energy can be a valuable complement to energy efficiency and conservation. Among the potential benefits of renewable energy are:

More secure availability because:
- it can be produced close to point of use;
- it has multiple sources, such as hydro, solar, wind, biomass, geothermal.
Efficiency gains due to less energy consumed in transmission or transport.
More energy dollars are retained in local or regional economy, not exported.
Renewable energy installations can create additional local jobs.
Reduced pollution compared with fossil fuel sources.
Can be greenhouse gas-neutral.
Lifetime cost can be lower than for non-renewable energy sources.
"Wastes" such as manure, sewer gas, landfill gas, landscape trimmings, can become energy resources.

New Hampshire Renewable Energy Incentives:

Renewable Energy Incentives and Tax Exemptions in New Hampshire
NH Municipalities with Property Tax Exemptions for Renewables 2003

For information on renewable energy, see the links below or go to the Renewable Energy Information page of the Resource Library on the OEP website.

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LINKS

Bill Assistance & Consumer Protection

Community Action Agencies

Belknap/Merrimack County – Community Action Program Belknap-Merrimack Counties Inc.
Rockingham County – Rockingham Community Action Inc.
Hillsborough County – Southern New Hampshire Services, Inc.
Cheshire & Sullivan Counties – Southwestern Community Services
Strafford County – Strafford County Community Action
Coos, Carroll and Grafton Counties – Tri-County Community Action

Temporary Assistance for Needy Families Program (TANF)
Attorney General’s Consumer Protection Bureau
Public Utilities Commission - Consumer Affairs Division
Governor’s Office
New Hampshire Better Business Bureau
New Hampshire Legal Assistance
Oil Heat Council of New Hampshire
Contact Your Congressional Delegation

Fuel Price Information

OEP Fuel Prices
Oil Heat Council of New Hampshire
EIA’s "Residential Heating Oil Prices: What Customers Should Know"
EIA’s "Residential Natural Gas Prices: Information for Consumers"
EIA’s “Propane Prices: What Consumers Should Know”
National Association of State Energy Officials

New Hampshire Utilities – Efficiency Programs and Energy Saving Tips

Electric
NH Saves.com
PSNH – Reduce Your Bill
PSNH – Efficiency Programs
Unitil – Home Energy
Unitil – Energy Efficiency Programs
New Hampshire Electric Cooperative - Energy Savings Program
National Grid (formerly Granite State Electric)- Energy Efficiency & Conservation Programs

Natural Gas
GasNetworks.com
Northern Utilities - Residential Energy Efficiency Programs
KeySpan – Save On Energy Bills
KeySpan – Energy Saving Programs

Home Energy Efficiency and Conservation

Laundry: OEP Quick Tips
Lighting: OEP Quick Tips
Refrigerators & Freezers: OEP Quick Tips
Saving Water: OEP Quick Tips
Cooking: OEP Quick Tips
For Renters Only: Saving Energy in Your Apartment
Relationship of Temperature to Cost Chart
Powersmart: Easy tips to save money and the planet
EPA EnergyStar Home Improvement Toolbox
Northeast Sustainable Energy Association - Save Energy and Money at Home
Consumer Federation of America - A Consumer’s Guide
Geothermal Heat Pump Consortium – Residential Information
Environmental Protection Agency – Take Action at Home
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy - Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings
Home Resource Efficiency
CEE Consortium for Energy Efficiency, Inc.