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Money Saving Ideas
The City of Norway hopes these ideas help you to save as much money as you can on your bills.
Are you struggling to pay your utility bills?
download the following pdf for phone numbers to local agencies that can help.
Facts to make your bills smaller…
Please feel free to visit wppi's website to use the energy calculator, and many more useful tools...
Drop a little red or blue food coloring into your toilet tank and wait about 15 minutes. If without flushing, the water in your bowl changes color, you have a leak. Replace your seal on the toilet.
Check your hot water heater for any kind of water or moisture on top or the bottom. If you have any moisture, you have a leak somewhere, and this will cause your bill to go up. Also, on the hot water heater, check your element, if it is old or cracked, you need to replace it.
Are you using any form of wall heaters or space heaters? This will cause your bill to go up quite a bit.
Check inside and outside faucets for any leaks. These leaks can waste hundreds of gallons in a 24 hour period.
Are you questioning a particular appliance? At the Norway library there is a tool called Watts up kilowat counter that you can check out for 2 weeks. You can plug this unit in and see how many Kilowatts that appliance is using.
Warm up to energy savings--winter ideas
~Ideas courtesy of WPPI~
You don’t have to live like a Scrooge to save energy this winter – small changes can make a difference. Here are some ways you can save while staying comfortable this winter:
Seal air leaks in your home. Install weather stripping and caulking the cracks in walls, window and door jams, and floors.
Keep the heat in. Place a rolled-up towel at the bottom of doors to the outside.
Make sure storm windows are closed, and use plastic window-film kits on windows that leak. Keep curtains open on during the day for a little extra solar heat.
Add insulation. In winter, a lack of insulation makes forces your furnace to work harder. Various types of insulation can be used throughout a home.
Tune up your heating system. Any furnace can be more efficient by scheduling yearly maintenance with a qualified contractor and replacing furnace filters regularly.
Install and use a programmable thermostat. Lower your thermostat to 65 degrees For less when you are sleeping or when no one is home. If you have baseboard heat, turn down the units in unused rooms.
Use ceiling fans. In the colder months, change the direction of your ceiling fans to rotate clockwise and distribute warm air evenly throughout the room.
Keep air returns clear. Move furniture away from heat registers and cold air returns to maximize air flow.
Take advantage of bright savings. Start by using compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs in your five most-used fixtures.
Going on a vacation???
Save watts at home even while you’re away
(ideas from WPPI)
If you take a vacation break, give your electric bill a break, too. There are many steps you can take to avoid wasting energy when no one is home.
Before you leave on vacation, take a few minutes to turn off and unplug equipment. You’ll save energy and avoid safety hazards. You might want to read your meter before you leave and when you return — it’s a good way to spot any hidden energy wasters. Turn off:
Lights: Turn off all lights except for one or two. Unless these lights are compact fluorescents, put them on timers that can be set to random patterns to discourage potential prowlers. Photo sensors or motion detectors are good ideas for outdoor lights.
Air conditioning: Turn it off. Close window coverings to help keep heat from building up in your home while you’re away.
Electric water heater. Turn off your water heater at the electric breaker panel if you are going to be away for more than a few days. If it is a natural gas water heater, turn it down but not off.
Refrigerator. If you’re leaving on an extended trip of a month or more, you might want to empty, clean and unplug your refrigerator to save energy. Prop the door open to prevent odors.
Many appliances draw energy even when they’re turned off. So, unplug your television, VCR/DVD player, stereo, computer, washer and other appliances. You may need to reset the clock on VCR/DVD players or clock radios when you return. For safety’s sake, don’t overlook small appliances that are best left unplugged when unattended — items like toasters, coffee makers, irons, curling irons, hair dryers and electric tools.
Dive into pool savings-
(source--WPPI's website)
Taking a dip in your swimming pool will cost a lot less if you implement an energy-and water-saving action plan today.
Use an efficient heater. New gas-fired pool heaters are more efficient than old ones. But to really slash your consumption, use a heat pump (which uses electricity to capture heat) or a solar heating system that relies on the sun’s energy.
Buy a cover. Pool covers are the most effective ways to reduce pool-heating costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. Plus, they help keep your pool clean and conserve water and chemicals by slowing evaporation. Bubble (or solar) covers are low-cost options. Vinyl and insulated vinyl covers are more durable.
Pick the right pool temp. If you won’t use your pool for several days, turn down the heater to save energy and money. Even during prime pool time, reducing water temperature by a degree makes a big difference.
Decrease your pump size. Using a smaller, high-efficiency pump may save as much as 75 percent on pumping-related electricity costs, according to a study by the Center for Energy Conservation at Florida Atlantic University.
Set the timer. Run your filter for shorter periods throughout the day rather than run it continuously. And avoid running the pump during peak energy demand hours.
Perform regular maintenance. Consistent cleaning minimizes the likelihood you’ll have to drain and refill your pool. Backwash and clean your pool filter as recommended by the manufacturer. And be vigilant about keeping an eye out for leaks.
Source: eco@home
Top 3 winter myths
Are you doing one of them?
Source: WPPI's website
There are many misconceptions on how to keep your utility bills down in the winter. The City of Norway and Focus on Energy are here to bust those myths – providing you ways to keep your energy costs down without sacrificing comfort.
Myth: Turning down the thermostat during the day will make my furnace work harder later.
Truth: Your furnace will run for a shorter time and use far less energy to heat up a cool house than it would if you kept the house warm all day.
Myth: You should close the vents in rooms you are not using to save energy.
Truth: Closing vents will restrict airflow coming out of the furnace, causing the blower motor to work harder which will affect the comfort level of the rest of the home.
Myth: Electric space heaters are better than heating the whole house.
Truth: These are major energy suckers. It is impractical, expensive, and potentially dangerous to have a space heater running for a long period of time. If you really want to cut energy costs for heating, try turning your thermostat down a degree or two.
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