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Limit Energy Expenditures Around House

Posted on: Monday, 10 October 2005, 18:00 CDT

By Isabelle Hooley, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Times Leader

Oct. 8--The U.S. Department of Energy and local energy companies have published guidelines and tips for making your home as energy-efficient as possible this winter. We've summarized:

-- Let your dishes air-dry. An added bonus is it eliminates that groaning, sloshing sound the dishwasher makes.

-- Install storm windows and/or plastic around windows and unused doors to further insulate against the cold.

-- If you have south-facing windows, keep the drapes open during sunny days. Just be sure to close them again at night, to keep out that frosty air.

-- Clean and replace filters on your furnaces once a month or as needed. They'll make your furnaces run more efficiently, and that means you'll pay less for fuel.

-- It sounds like a no-brainer, but make sure your baseboard heaters, radiators and vents aren't blocked by furniture or drapes or pillows or stuffed animals … you get the idea.

-- Insulate your hot-water pipes with foam sleeves to cut down on the cost to heat your water. Restricting shower heads might also save you some moolah in the long run. Foam and rubberized foam sleeves are sold at most hardware stores.

-- Install door sweeps that seal the space between the bottoms of your doors and the floor. Reps from PG Energy point out that some door sweeps can be installed with just a screwdriver.

-- Install weather stripping to the inside of door jambs and window frames to block chilly drafts.

-- Energy companies recommend setting your thermostat at 68 degrees and your hot-water heater temperature at 120 degrees for optimum efficiency.

-- Close the damper on your fireplace if you aren't using it.

-- Some energy companies publish literature and sell kits for weatherproofing your home. Check with yours. Also, visit the U.S. Department of Energy Web site at www.energy.gov.

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Copyright (c) 2005, Wilkes-Barre, Pa., Times Leader

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

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Source: The Times Leader (Wilkes-Barre, Pa.)

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