Many homeowners are simply shutting down their air conditioning during the summer months. Yes, its not always pleasant, especially on those hot July days and muggy August nights, but this can save hundreds of dollars during the summer months and help compensate for the extra money spent at the gas pump.
If shutting down the air conditioner entirely is not practical, you can still save a bundle by simply controlling the cooling system so the condensor runs less. Most residential thermostats have an "auto" and "fan" mode. Set to "auto", the air conditioner will turn on and off to maintain the temperature you set on the thermostat. To save money, do this ---- Once the home is sufficiently cooled, manually turn the air condtioning off, set the furnace to "fan" and allow the cooled air to circulate all day, without the condenser. You may be surprised how long the air keeps the home comfortable by simply re-circulating already cooled air, without the outside condensor unit running.
Homes with basements may find this manual control method to be especially useful, since basements are normally cool to begin with. Why not take advantage of that cool basement air by circulating it to the upper levels of the home through the central heating/cooling duct-work (simply by running the furnace fan). In many cases, manually controlling your air conditioning system, rather than allowing your thermostat to do it automatically, can save substantial energy dollars. An average 3,000 square foot home could save hundreds during the cooling months, depending on climate, home location and other factors. Every home is different. Better insulated homes tend to retain the cool air better than poorly insulated ones.
"But what about the heating months? We need heat during the coldest months of the year. Beyond putting on a sweater and keeping the thermostat set at 68 degrees, what measures can I take to really save energy dollars"?
Just as with cooling, operating the heating system manually as suggested above will offer substantial fuel savings all winter long. Even though a good programmable thermostat is helpful in reducing fuel usage, relying soley on the thermostat to maintain climate control overlooks some of the more practical ways to save fuel dollars. Consider this ... instead of heating the whole house, why not heat only the room where you spend the most time? You ask, "but I have a central heating system ducted through the entire house. When the furnace is on, the whole house is heated. And simply closing off air registers in certain rooms does little to lower my monthly gas bill". That's true for most homeowners. So what's the answer?
"During the winter, heat only the room where you spend your time", suggests Matt Workman of Infra-Red Products Supply, Inc., a heating equipment distributor in Draper, Utah. "In our case, we run the direct vent fireplace in our great room where we spend our evenings and we keep the furnace turned off. A ceiling paddle fan helps distribute heat that rises to the ceiling out into the space." Connected spaces receive some residual heat but remain cooler than the main living space. "The bedrooms stay cooler, which is more desireable anyway"..
What if I don't own a direct vent fireplace?
There are many good room heaters on the market today. Vent free gas room heaters are very efficient and affordable. If vent free does not suit your taste, there are several high efficiency direct vent wall heaters on the market to choose from. They must be located on an outside wall for venting. Find one that is whisper quiet. If getting a gas connection to the desired room is impractical, several manufacturers now make an incredibly effective and efficient electric quartz lamp infrared heater that safely emits infrared waves to heat the room space. In some cases, these heaters can heat the entire house, simply by riding the humidity in the room. These heaters can heat up to 1000 square feet of living space while cutting energy usage by 35% to 50%. (Note: These are not the cheap "personal" electric heaters you find in a home center that sell for under 100 dollars, although they may be practical for some smaller room spaces). Remember, the best electric heaters utilize quartz lamp infra-red technology. A simple web search will help you locate a reseller of all the above mentioned heaters.
By simply changing your heating/cooling habits and heating only your primary dwelling area during the winter, homeowners can save many hundreds of dollars each year. That by itself can more than offset the extra expense at the gas pump. Just a little food for thought.
Scott Workman is owner president of Infra-Red Products Supply, Inc., located in Salt Lake City, Utah. For more information, visit http://heatersunlimited.com or http://infraredinfo.com