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Here are some simple and quick tips on how to save energy at home and lower your heating costs.

Everyone is trying to stretch their budget these days. Heating your home can be a big part of your monthly expense, and any unexpected price rise in heating oil prices, propane prices or natural gas prices can really throw that budget out of line.

Below you will find several tips that will help you save money on you heating bills. Some will be no cost, while others will be low costs ways (under $100) that you can do yourself.

· Lower your thermostat to 68 degrees or below if you can.

This is the quickest method to lower you heat bill. Setting it back a few degrees will save you money starting now. For each 1 degree that you lower your thermostat, you can roughly save 2% on your heating cost. If you have to, put on some socks and or a sweatshirt to stay comfortable.

· Set back the thermostat when you leave your home or when you sleep.

Here’s a fast way to save 10% to 15% on your heating expenses. Set the temperature back 10 degrees during the day while no one is home. It doesn’t make sense to heat up and empty home, does it? You should also set it back at night while you are sleeping. You will be under blankets, so the temperature can be comfortably lowered.

What about when you wake up in the morning or when you come home? Won’t the house be cold? This why you should buy a programmable thermostat.

· Reasons why you should install a programmable thermostat

This is a cheap investment to make that can pay itself back in very little time. A programmable thermostat allows you to pre-set what you time you want the heat to come on and off. This way when you set it low while you are at work, you can set it to begin heating your home before you come home. Now you can come in to a warm home from the cold temperatures outside. You can also set it to begin heating your home before you wake up so you won’t be chilly when you get out of bed. This is very convenient to have.

You can install this yourself easily. There is no need to hire a contractor or a handy man. Each thermostat will come with simple to follow instructions on how to remove your old thermostat and install your new one. Programmable thermostats can be purchased online starting at about $20.

Read how to buy a programmable thermostat here

Read how to install a programmable thermostat here

· Change Your Furnace Filter

Changing your furnace filter is an easily overlooked part of saving money on fuel costs. Many people think it’s too hard to change them or have to call someone in to do that. In reality it is very easy to do.

When you change your furnace filter, it allows your furnace to work more efficiently. If the air flow is blocked, this will cause the furnace to work harder, and will increase your heating costs. Click here for more information on furnace filters.

· Check for drafts around doors and windows

This is another quick, easy, and cheap way to save money heating your home. Air leaks around Windows and doors will make your home to cold and drafty and will increase your heating costs. This is a simple problem to solve.

On a windy day, go to each and every window and door and either feel for drafts or use an incense stick and see if the smoke gets blown. Oftentimes you need to replace the weather stripping around doors and windows. You can also wait until the sun is down and shine a flashlight around the doors. If you see light, you can see where the heated air you are paying for is escaping. Replacing the weather stripping is easy. Weather-stripping kits are inexpensive and will only take a few minutes to apply and seal and will help prevent you from wasting any more money.

It will also pay to check the weather-stripping seals around windows. After a while they crack and become worn out. This also allows cold air to seep in. Check and replace all seals to your windows also check the locking mechanism ensures a tight seal too.

Read more on window and door weatherstripping here.

· Look for air leaks around pipes and wires

Check for air leaks around the pipes in the kitchen and bathrooms. Open up the cabinet under your sink. You will probably see a gap around the pipes in the wall. Check to see if you feel a breeze or cold air coming through the gaps. To stop those air leaks you can use either bits of insulation to jam into the gap, or a small amount of spray foam insulation to fill it.

· Caulk all windows and doors

Once again this is a simple job you can do. Inspect the existing caulking outside and around your doors and windows. If you see the caulk cracking or missing, then odds are that cold air is making its way into your home.

First, remove the old caulk. This will allow for better adhesion and seal when you do this. Once the old caulk is cleaned out, place a nice bead of new caulk around doors and windows. You can do this over the weekend, or do a window or two each day when you come home from work.

You may also want to remove the molding around your windows and doors and check for gaps between the window and the framing. Often times there is little or no insulation in that gap. That is what I discovered with my windows. I then bought a can of Great Stuff foam insulation to fill those gaps. I removed the moldings, sprayed the foam in and nailed the moldings back into place. It only took a few minutes to do.

Learn more on how to caulk your windows and doors here.

· Do you have storm windows and doors?

Storm doors and windows are an effective way to help insulate your windows. If the windows in your home are older one pane glass, and installing new double or triple pane windows are too expensive, then consider installing storm windows. If you already have storm windows in your home, be sure that they are closed tightly and are sealed. If adding storm windows are is out of your budget now, then consider using plastic window film to add some insulation to your windows and to cut drafts.

· Use plastic window film

One way to keep air from coming through a window is to use a plastic film window insulator. This is very easy to install. Simply take the plastic film to the window frame and use a hairdryer to shrink the plastic film to fit. I read online how one person install this on for drafty windows in under an hour. They used 3M Window Film. This was done at a cost of less than $20 for all four windows.

Learn how to buy and install window insulation film here.

· Let the sun warm up your room

Open up your shades or blinds on the south facing windows of your home. This is solar heat, and it is free. You may want to trim any trees or bushes that obstruct the windows. This can help warm your home. At night, close the blinds or curtains to help retain the heat.

· Close the flue to the fireplace

When you are done using the fireplace and it is cool, remember to close the flue. An open flue allows hot air to escape up the chimney. Closing it will keep most of that warm air in, but no flue seals 100%. To create a better seal, you can purchase a chimney draft stopper balloon. This is a balloon that inflates inside your flue to seal and prevent warm air from escaping. When you want to use the fireplace, you simply deflate it and remove it. It is reusable.

You should also have glass doors to close your fireplace when not in use. This will act as another barrier to prevent hot air from going up the chimney.

Learn how to buy and install a chimney balloon to help insulate your chimney.

· Lower the temperature to your hot water heater

When you place your hand under the running hot water and you can’t keep it there, then your water is too hot. Lowering your setting can save you money. You should set the water heater to about 120°. That will be hot enough for showers, dish washing and washing clothes. Plus when you lower your water temperature it lessens the chance someone scalding him or herself. This is also good to do if you have small children in your home.

· Check your duct work

You would be surprised how much hot air can escape from your ducts, if they are not properly sealed. I found this out the hard way. I was in my basement working one day while the heat was on. I reached up on a shelf and felt warm air blowing on me. I felt the joint where the duct was attached and couldn’t believe the hot air I felt coming out of it. I then checked the other joints and found other leaks as well. No wonder the upstairs bedroom was cold. To seal those joints, do NOT use duct tape. I know that sounds strange, but duct tap shrinks and loses it adhesion to the ducts. Instead, you will need to use UL rated tape like mastic tape or butyl tape. These will seal the joints much better and will last longer than regular duct tape. This stopped the hot air from leaking out of the ducts, plus I now have additional pressure to force hot air upstairs to the bedroom.

Read how to seal those leaks in your ducts here

· Keep forced air registers, radiators and baseboards clear of all obstructions.

Look around your home, are any of the vents blocked? Are they hidden behind furniture and drapes? This will obviously restrict airflow and will cause your furnace to work harder costing you money. No sense blocking the heat, right?

Also be sure to allow the air return to be clear from being blocked too. You should check to maintain the free flow of air back to the furnace.

This also holds true for radiators and baseboard heat. Be sure they are not blocked in any way. Air needs to circulate around the radiator and baseboard for maximum efficiency. You may also want to vacuum the coils in the baseboard. Dirt and hair from your pets can act as a barrier and prevent the heat from entering the room.

· Remove window air conditioning units

Leaving an air conditioner in the window is a good way to waste money. You are letting a large amount of cold air into that room. Remove it and close it up. If you have an air conditioner in the wall, then you must buy an air conditioner cover to put over the unit on the outside. This will help prevent cold air from sneaking into the room.

Read how to install a window air conditioner cover here

· Use a door sweep

Have ever felt the bottom of the door going into your garage? How about the bottom of your front door? Do you feel that draft? That’s your money going out under the door. This is where a door sweeper comes in handy. These are very inexpensive and will keep out the cold air and keep the warm air in. These can be installed on any doors that lead outside. I even used a self-adhesive door sweeper on the sliding glass door that goes out to the deck. I felt the breeze coming through there last year and solve that problem quickly.

Read more about installing a door sweep here.

· Do you have access to the attic?

Since heat rises, heat will try to escape through your ceiling and roof. When you have a door or a hatch in the ceiling to get into the attic, make sure that it is sealed up the vendor heat from escaping that way. If sealing it doesn’t prevent warm ari from escaping, then you can buy an attic door insulation cover to stop that heat loss.

Learn more about attic insulators here.

· Designate one room as a warm room

Here’s an interesting way to lower your energy bills. Do you use essentially only one room, for example the den at night to watch TV or read or go online and read this post? You can lower the heat in the rest of the house and use a ceramic heater to keep you warm in the den. Ceramic heaters are much safer and easier to use than a kerosene heater. There are several good ceramic heaters to choose from. Some even come with a remote control so you don’t have to get up and adjust the temperature.

Read how do ceramic heaters work here

· Drafts from light switches and wall outlets

This is another source of air leaks into your home on a cold and windy day. Go and feel around those wall plugs and light switches, especially the ones on the outside walls. You can buy and install pre-cut foam that fits and seals behind the switch plates to limit those air leaks. These are very inexpensive to buy.

Learn more about buying and installing foam insulating light switches and outlets here.

All of those previous suggestions you are able to do at no cost or at very little cost. These next suggestions will cost some money, but will be worth the investment.

· Have your furnace tuned up every two years

This is just smart preventive maintenance. This will help keep your furnace running at its peak efficiency. You should have it tuned up during the summer. You dealer will have more time to service it, and you might be able to negotiate a lower price on having that work done then. You’ll also want this done before the heating season in case there is an issue with your furnace. This can help you avoid a furnace break down in the middle of the winter. This may be part of a service plan that you already have with your heating oil or propane dealer.

Weber 386002 Q 100 Portable Propane Gas Grill Lowest Price

by John Winston in Propane Grills

When you are looking for portable propane grill that give you great value for your money, then you will be very happy when you buy the Weber 386002 Q 100 Portable propane gas grill. This grill may be a little more expensive than you would normally pay for a portable grill, but after you read the reviews you will see why it is so popular. Plus right now you can get it here for about 15% less than you would pay at your local retailer.

Weber 386002 Q 100 Portable Propane Gas Grill

The Weber Q 100 gas grill has push-button ignition for easy reliable lighting, an infinitely adjustable burner valve with a high-quality regulator, sturdy glass-reinforced nylon grill frame, cast aluminum lid and body, a large weather-resistant lid handle, a porcelain-enameled cast-iron cooking…

Weber Q 100 gas grill features:

You will forget that it is a portable grill when you see the large 189 square inch cooking area that you can use. It measures 16” by 27” by 24” with the lid open.
It has an 8,500 BTU stainless steel burner with an adjustable burner value. This will allow you to set the flame any way you would like it.
The push button ignition will start your grill up immediately. No waiting.
The Weber Q 100 is solidly made. It has a cast aluminum lid and body with a glass reinforced nylon frame. It also has a weather resistant handle.
Weber backs it with a 5 year limited warranty.

The Weber Q grill gets great reviews over on Amazon. It currently has a 4.5 out of 5 star rating by people who have purchased the grill. There are over 180 reviews, so you can see it is a popular grill. If you read the reviews, you will see that they are very happy with it.

One reviewer talks about how there are no hot spots on the grill. That is the worse thing that can happen when you are grilling. A grill that is inconsistent and has hot and cold spots is a lousy grill. It takes longer to cook and it doesn’t come out right. You won’t have that problem with the Weber 386002 Gas Grill.

Many other reviewers state that they are surprised at how much capsity the grill has for its size. Several write that they are cooking for four and the grill handles it great. Plus it is so easy to transport too.

Frequently Bought with the Weber Q 100 Portable Grill:

Weber 6550 Vinyl Cover for Weber Baby Q, Q-100 and Q-120 Grills

Keep your Weber Q grill clean and out of the weather with a fitted heavy-duty vinyl cover. Elastic side band and front draw cord keep it secure. Fits…

Weber 6501 6-Foot Adapter Hose for Weber Q Series and Gas Go-Anywhere Grills

Connects to a Type I (791) cylinder connection on a 20-lb. LP tank. (Fits Weber Baby Q, Weber Q 100, Weber Q 120, Weber Q, Weber Q 200, Weber Q 220 and…

Vermont Propane Prices

by John Winston in Vermont Propane Prices

Here are the current propane prices for Vermont for the week ending February 13, 2012.

Weekly Vermont Propane Prices and Heating Oil Prices
	1/23/2012	1/30/2012	2/6/2012	2/13/2012
Residential Heating Oil Prices Vermont	3.886	3.861	3.853	3.918
Wholesale Heating Oil Prices Vermont	3.199	3.275	3.323	3.388
Residential Propane Prices Vermont	3.543	3.578	3.564	3.592

source EIA

Heating fuel prices in Vermont are not regulated. However there are laws designed to help consumers from getting ripped off. The Vermont Energy Act of 2011 helped to strengthen consumer protection.

This law has now stopped propane dealers from the following:

Requiring a minimum annual fuel purchase. This is allowed only under a guarantees price plan.
Charging a minimum use fee
Charging a fee for termination of service if the tank has been on your property for more than 12 months

To further protect consumers, there are now new customer disclosure forms that a dealer must fill out for you. This will show you line by line what you are being charged for and exactly how much the charge will be so there are no surprises for you.

Caulking Windows And Doors

by John Winston in Saving Energy At Home, Weatherstripping

This is another do it yourself project that you can do over the weekend. Every home usually needs to have the existing caulk replaced every 2 years or so. Each spring you should take a look around your home to inspect each window and door to see if you need to replace cracked or missing caulk. Not only will applying fresh caulk help save you cooling and heating dollars, it will also help keep moisture and even insects from invading your home.

Caulk is a flexible pliable sealant that you can purchase in tubes that you place into a caulk gun. One tube should be enough for a window or a door. A caulk is a very inexpensive to buy. In fact you might already have on in your workshop.

Prepare the Surface First

In order to have a professional seal, you will need to make sure the area you plan on caulking is clean of dirt and or debris and of old caulk and flaking paint. You can either use a damp cloth or a metal bristle brush to loosen and remove the paint. Do not power wash it off. This can force water into the cracks and cause water damage to your home.

What Kind Of Caulk Should you Buy?

The different types of caulk that is available for you to use might confuse you. Caulk is usually made of silicon latex, polyurethane and other new materials.

You should choose a caulk based on its life expectancy and how much it shrinks. Now you will see labels that say 10-year caulk and up. As we stated earlier, most needs to be checked and replaced every 2 years. But at the same time you don’t want to buy cheap caulk that will crack and shrink after one season.

You should also to see if the caulk can be painted or not. This is important for exterior work and you want to paint around your windows and doors. You should also check how it cleans up. Can you do it with soap and water, or do you need paint thinner.

A good type of caulk to use on the exterior of the house is polyurethane caulk. It remains flexible and it won’t shrink as much as other types of caulk. This should make it last longer.

Now that you have decided what type of caulk to buy, you will need to have a caulk gun to apply it. A caulk gun is very easy to use. You place it in the caulk gun and push the ratchet mechanism as far in to the tube as possible.

Once the tube is in the gun securely, you can the remove the cap and cut the nozzle to size. You should cut it on a 45-degree angle. You then break the seal by using a nail or a coat hanger to push through the seal and allow the caulk to come out.

Applying the caulk

Now that the seal is broken, you are now ready to begin caulking and sealing up those drafty doors and windows. Gently squeeze the trigger to the caulking gun and begin applying the caulk to the window. Gently push the gun down as you caulk, making a nice bead. Slowly press the trigger and move the gun at the same time to give a nice professional appearance. When you are done, pull the plunger back and release the trigger to prevent more caulk from coming out.

If you want, you can smooth out the caulk to give it a better appearance. This can be done by either dipping your finger in water and gently smooth out the caulk. You can also use a wet spoon to smooth it out too.

When you are all finished and the tube is empty, simple remove it and throw it out. Clean up any drips that occurred and check to make sure all the areas you wanted to seal are. Step back and admire your work. Your windows and doors will look better, plus you will now save some money on your energy costs. And you did this all for minimal cost too.

Read these articles to save money on your heating costs

Change Your Furnace Filters Frequently To Improve Energy Efficiency

Use A Chimney Balloon To Stop Warm Air From Going Up The Flue

Install Air Conditioner Covers

Buy A Window Insulation Kit

How To Seal Your Ducts And Save Money

Buy A Programmable Thermostat

A great and easy way to save on heating and cooling costs is to buy a programmable thermostat. Studies have shown that the average household can save good money by buying one and maintaining the proper settings for maximum savings.

A programmable thermostat makes it easy for you to save money by using the four pre-programmed settings that allows you to regulate your home’s temperature when you are home, away at work or even on vacation.

The pre-program settings are designed to give you comfort and savings. Depending on your family’s schedule, you can realize significant savings. For example if your home is empty during the day with your family at school and at work, then you can have the thermostat lower the temperature automatically when you are getting ready to leave. Before the first person comes home, the thermostat can automatically begin to heat your home about 30-60 minutes before they arrive home. That is the main feature of a programmable thermostat. It will automatically set the temperature so you don’t have to manually adjust it each time. Think how nice it is to save money with the thermostat set back during the day, saving your heating dollars, but you will come home to a nice warm home when it automatically adjusts it higher for you?

Here are the recommended programmable thermostat settings by energystar.gov below:

Choosing the right programmable thermostat

Generally speaking, each programmable thermostat comes with 4 setting that are already pre-programmed. There are other more expensive models with additional features. A basic programmable thermostat will serve you fine, so you don’t really need these other features.

Some features on the more expensive models are as follows:

Touch screen programming
Backlit displays
Digital displays
Voice programming
Telephone programming

When you go to buy a programmable thermostat, consider how much you want to spend on it, and what your schedules are to get the maximum benefits from it.

Read these articles to save money on your heating costs

Change Your Furnace Filters Frequently To Improve Energy Efficiency

Use A Chimney Balloon To Stop Warm Air From Going Up The Flue

Install Air Conditioner Covers

Buy A Window Insulation Kit

How To Seal Your Ducts And Save Money

Stop Those Air Leaks Around Your Pipes

This is one you never really think about, but would be surprised how much air leakage there is with this. Go check under your kitchen sink and your bathroom sinks. Since the cabinet doors usually cover these, you don’t notice them. But open those doors and feel around the pipes. Especially on those cold windy days. Feel that breeze? That’s making your house colder and costing you money.

You will also need to check the pipes in the basement that run up to the living areas of your home. That’s a way for heat to escape from your house.

Also check around the wiring too. That is another place for warm air to escape.

To stop those leaks, there are 2 ways to do that. One way would be to take pieces of insulation and to jam them into the open space. Be sure to wear gloves and a facemask. You can use a screwdriver to help push the insulation in.

Another way would be to use spray foam insulation like Good Stuff. This is foam in a can in simple terms. Shake the can up and spray just a little bit of foam into the crevices and open space. The foam will then rapidly expand to fill the gaps. It is very effective to use.
Read these articles to save money on your heating costs

Change Your Furnace Filters Frequently To Improve Energy Efficiency

Use A Chimney Balloon To Stop Warm Air From Going Up The Flue

Install Air Conditioner Covers

Buy A Window Insulation Kit

How To Seal Your Ducts And Save Money

How Do Ceramic Heaters Work?

by John Winston in Ceramic Heater

Electric ceramic heaters have become a very popular way to warm up a small room or office. One of the reasons is that they are not only small, but also very energy efficient too. They use about 85 percent of the electricity it receives and turns it into usable heat. On top of that, they are much safer to use than the old coil space heaters.

A ceramic space heater is a convection heater. That means that the ceramic element becomes warm and the fan in the unit will blow that warm air out into the room. The ceramic plate becomes hot due to the electric current that runs through it. However the unit remains cool to the touch. This is a huge advantage that these heaters have over the old coil heaters. Coil heaters would get to hot and you would run the risk of being burned, or if it tipped over, could cause a fire.

Portable ceramic heaters can also heat up much more quickly; delivering the heat you need fast. To speed up the heating process, some ceramic space heaters have multiple plates to warm up faster.

Most heaters will come with a fan and an adjustable thermostat. The fan is used to push the heat out into the room from the ceramic element. The thermostat allows you to set it at your desired temperature and then leave it. It will cycle on and off as needed.

You may see small ceramic heaters in offices. They can be placed under a desk and wont take up much room at al since they are so small. They are even safe and small enough to put on a table or desk too.

Large ceramic heaters are for when you need to warm up a larger room. Many of these will be of a tower design. Some will even have an oscillating fan to move the heat through the room. In fact some of them even have a remote control so you can control it from anywhere in the room without getting up.

Many people now use ceramic heaters to lower the heat in the rest of the house. If you are only using one room in your home at night, it can make sense to lower the heat to the rest of the house while using the heater in the room you occupy. What waste money heating rooms you are not using?

More information:

Ceramic Heater Reviews

Wikipedia on ceramic heaters

Propane Safety-Using Propane Gas Safely In Your Home

by John Winston in Propane Safety

Using propane gas to heat your home or to run other appliances in your home is safe to do. However there are some precautions that you need to take to ensure that you use it correctly and safely.

First, what is propane? Propane is a gas that is shipped to your home as a liquid. You can get frostbite from touching propane in a liquid state. When the propane is delivered to your home and pumped into your tank it changes to gas vapor.

Propane is environmentally friendly. It is non-toxic and will not harm ground water or soil.

Have you ever opened up a propane tank and catch that horrible smell? Propane in its natural form is odorless and colorless. For safety reasons that smell is added to propane so it will alert you if there is a propane gas leak. The smell has been described as a skunk spray or rotten eggs. If you don’t want to rely on your nose for a propane leak, you can purchase a propane leak detectorand install it in your home as an added measure of safety.

If you do smell propane leaking or the alarm has gone off, follow these steps:

You will want to keep all sparks and flames away from the area. The means put out any cigarettes and turn off any open flames. Do not turn on your lights, because that can cause a spark and ignite the propane in the air.
Get out! Leave the building immediately.
Turn the gas supply off. If it is safe to do so, turn off the main supply valve to your tank.
Once you are away from the area, you may then report the leak to your propane dealer immediately. If they are not available, call 911 to dispatch the fire department to your home.
Do not try to go back into your home until a qualified responder says that it is safe to go back in.
Have your propane dealer then check your appliances and tank before using them again.
You must remember that propane gas is heavier than air. If there is a leak, it will tend to accumulate near the floor.

This procedure should be taught to all members of your family. Using common sense will help prevent many problems with the use of propane gas in your home.

You can read more here.

How To Install A Programmable Thermostat

Replacing your old thermostat with a new programmable one is very easy to do. By choosing to replace you thermostat with a programmable thermostat will save you money and will keep your home comfortable automatically.

What tools will you need?

Your new thermostat
Drill
Screwdriver
Pencil

Read the instructions

Read the instruction manual thoroughly. Be sure that the thermostat is compatible with your system. If you have any doubts, contact the manufacturer and ask one of their specialists.

Turn off the power to the thermostat.
Carefully remove the old thermostat. You should also remove the old back plate too. Many older models contain a glass tube that has mercury in it. Be careful not to break the glass. Check with your local sanitation for proper disposal.
Label the wires on your system. You may want to use tape to label each one.
If there is a new wall plate, measure and use a level to mark its location. Remove the plate and then drill the holes that you marked. If necessary, use dry wall anchors.
Attach the wires to the new thermostat. On older models there just might be 2 wires to attach. Most new thermostats will have letter designations to show you where the wires should go. For example the red wire would be attached to the letter R on the new one. Check the manual.
Install new batteries if required.
Install the unit to the wall plate.
Turn the power back on to the thermostat and check instructions on how to set your temperature.

And that is all there is to it. In just a few minutes you have switched out your old thermostat to a new model that can help you save money.

Read these articles to save money on your heating costs