Is there any XXX ways to save energy around the house writen

[GasSavers_maximilian]

I think a good lighting philosophy is to have low level ambient lighting and then brighter task lighting. Under that approach, it may not be bright enough to illuminate the interior of the fridge all the way to the back.

[shatto]

How many of you were cheap, like me, and began using 'energy conserving' lightbulbs before Algore told you to?

[theholycow]

When did he do that? Around the same time he invented the internet?

I wasn't aware that he suggested it, but I know I was using increased tire pressure for 9 years before Obama suggested it, and I've been using CFLs since I bought my house almost 5 years ago.

[bobc455]

The light in the fridge helps you find your food faster so you can close the door quicker. That saves MUCH more energy than the heat from the light bulb costs you.

-BC

[GasSavers_JoeBob]

Originally Posted by shatto

How many of you were cheap, like me, and began using 'energy conserving' lightbulbs before Algore told you to?

When my wife moved in with me in 1985, she brought a couple CFLs with her. They had been given to her parents as part of some SoCal Edison campaign. This was long before Al Gore invented the internet.

As soon as they became available, I started buying them, long before they were subsidized. Now the only incandescent lamps are in the fridge (and I'm not giving up my fridge light...I do go into the kitchen when it is dark), microwave and the tubes and dial lights in my Hallicrafters SX-28.

But what interests me is the title of this thread..."Is there any XXX ways to save energy around the house". Several thoughts come to mind...perhaps a belt to hold some of those shaker-type flashlights...

[ma4t]

XXX ways? I thought this thread was going to be about nudity...

: )

Hey, we just got lucky that our apartment faces East/West. In the morning, we hang out on the East side of the house. In the afternoon, we hang out on the West side. Why? Free light. We rarely turn on the lights.

And when it gets dark, we go to bed. Well, except me. The wife and baby go to bed when it gets dark.

This works well in the winter, too. The sun keeps our little apt toasty.

The only thing I'd change is these horrible cathedral ceilings. Who wants to heat a room that has a 15 foot ceiling. I got on a ladder the other day, and it must have been 20 degrees hotter up there. When I came down, my feet were freezing because we have crappy insulation.

We have plugged every hole we can find, though. I have an insulation sheet over the fireplace because even with it fully closed, the air rushes in. The windows allow a lot of cold air in, too. Since we rent, I'm not going to change out the windows.

The only good thing about this place is that it's the 2nd floor. Our neighbors give us a lot of free heat, especially around the laundry room. The floor is nice and toasty there. And the kitchen, for some reason.

M

[GasSavers_JoeBob]

Originally Posted by ma4t

XXX ways? I thought this thread was going to be about nudity...

: )

I think it's a little cold this time of the year for that...although there are some really hard-core nudists out there who go in for cross-country skiing...

<snip>
The only good thing about this place is that it's the 2nd floor. Our neighbors give us a lot of free heat, especially around the laundry room. The floor is nice and toasty there. And the kitchen, for some reason.

M

Once had an apartment ('bout the same time as I had color in my hair!)...had another apartment each side of me and one above me. Only time I had to light my heater pilot light was once when I had the flu. Hot water was included in the rent, so gas bill ran about $4.00/month.

[Sludgy]

Tank style water heaters are probably the best place to start. They leak energy to your cellar 24 hours per day 365 days per year. Even when you're on vacation.

1) When the tank rusts out, replace it with gas tankless heater like Rinnai or Braun. I saw my summer gas bills cut in half with a Rinnai. It's harder to tell about the winter bills, but I have gas heat and the heating bill disguises the water heater savings.
2) Get a drainwater heat recover unit. I haven't done this yet, but I plan to get one someday. Less incentive now that I have a tankless heater. http://gfxtechnology.com/

Both of these upgrades apply to city homes.

[GasSavers_JoeBob]

I have always liked the idea of the tankless water heaters, but I've never been really sold on the benefits over my regular water heater.

How much is one of the tankless water heaters? Are they gas or electric? If electric, how much does it cost to run it? My summer gas bills run about $12, and much of that is probably the water heater. So if it is cut in half, I can figure out that the water heater is costing me maybe $6.00 per month. That's about $72/year. Figuring that a tankless water heater has to use some energy, I'd be curious to know just how much actual savings there would be, if any.

[shatto]

Someday I plan getting a Rinnai ( http://www.rinnai.us/tankless-water-heaters/ ) or maybe a competators.

Advantage #1. Endless hot water.

Advantage #2. No expense when not in use. None, zero, nada, because it
doesn't have to keep water hot.

Advantage #3. No water heater problems.

Disadvantage #1. No stored water for emergency. Which is why I would use my water heater for storage and heat the cold water coming out of it with the Rinnai.

Disadvantage #2. Payback. I guess the time to do it is when the tank fails in twenty years.

Something to think about. Government is making the cost of everything rise.
Our now itty-bitty gas bill will go up. The question is how much?