Montgomery County Gazette
Montgomery County official recommends changes for chilly weather
by Alison Bryant.
November 17, 2010
The sun is setting earlier, and the temperature outside is dropping. Heavier coats are emerging, scarves are on the rise.
Face it. It’s cold.
So how can one keep that cold outside and still save money on energy bills?
Eric Coffman, senior energy planner with the Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection, offers up a few tips homeowners and renters can use to winterize their homes.
-Program the thermostat. A programmable thermostat, which allows users to pre-set temperatures and start and stop times, lets people use heat effectively, Coffman said. “We always recommend people start with a daytime of 68 [degrees] and a nighttime setback of 65 [degrees],” he said.
-Check for drafts. Examine windows and doors for gaps that let in cold air, Coffman said. Most home improvement stores sell low-cost foams, caulking and weather stripping to cut off the unwanted airflow.
-Change the bulbs. Move from incandescent light bulbs to compact fluorescent light bulbs for a quick, easy fix. Keep bulbs in mind for holiday lighting as well by purchasing LED lights that use less energy. Plus, they’re more durable and a permanent investment, Coffman said.
-Hire a pro. Do a little maintenance by hiring a professional to check out your furnace for efficiency. Take a look at the heat pump and make sure it’s up to date. “I see a lot of older heat pumps that aren’t working very well,” Coffman said. “It’s sort of like trying to heat your house with your oven. If you haven’t had your heat pump checked, you might want to have it checked out.”
-Get an audit. Hiring an energy auditing company to scan your house top to bottom for places where money may be flying out the window proves a solid investment. And, fortunately, Coffman said, now’s the time to find a good price on an audit. If Pepco supplies your gas, you can get a high quality energy audit for $100, he said.
-Use tax credits. Federal tax credits for energy efficiency improvements end in December. Cash out that credit for up to $1,500 to make changes around the house and replace old heating or cooling equipment. The county also offers a $250 tax credit for energy efficiency improvements, which can be used toward do-it-yourself or professional jobs.
-Buy from a competitor. Look into purchasing electricity through a competitive energy supplier. Preferably, find one who deals with clean energy. “Right now, there’s an opportunity for 10 percent lower rates by selecting a competitive supplier,” Coffman said. “There’s a great number of highly qualified providers.”
Small changes around the house can add up, Coffman said. If a homeowner hires an energy auditor to add insulation, tune up the heating and cooling systems and the like, the homeowner could save 20 percent on utility bills, Coffman said. “There’s no one magic bullet,” Coffman said. “But you combine all these little things and sort of put yourself on a personal work plan where you’re changing you’re behavior … it adds up and people can get to really substantial savings.”
And local organizations have been executing this concept all over the county.
Back in October, Rebuilding Together, a national nonprofit volunteer organization committed to helping low-income homeowners through home renovation and repairs, partnered with area organizations to improve energy efficiency in low-income homes. The Maryland Energy & Sustainability Co-op assessed a home on Dunsinane Drive in Silver Spring and completed a variety of energy-efficiency improvements to reduce the owner’s energy bills. The project was one of five in the county.
The homeowner forked out between $400 and $500 in energy bills for individual winter months, said Miranda Hitchcock, associate director of Maryland Energy & Sustainability Co-op. The co-op requested the services of Live Green LLC, an energy auditor, to note changes that could be made to save money. Live Green found potential savings of $1,000 per year, Hitchcock said.
“[The homeowner] had almost no bills in the summer, but in the winter, in order to keep the home warm, she was spending large amounts of money,” she said.
The co-op then brought in five volunteers from various local organizations dedicated to energy efficiency and tackled 10 of the most pressing issues, she said.
These included everything from replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs to wrapping and insulating hot water pipes to blowing insulation into the attic. Accurate Insulation LLC donated about $1,500 of insulation.
The work spanned three days over the course of about a month and a half. Rebuilding Together covered most of the material costs through grants and volunteers took care of the labor. Hitchcock said. The Maryland Energy & Sustainability Co-op will check in with the homeowner in a few months to see how much money the changes saved.
While the co-op focuses on energy efficiency, the core of its mission lies in building strong communities, Hitchcock said.
“Not only is green something we think is good for the environment, but it’s good for the community and the economy,” she said. “I think people are still under the impression that going green means spending a whole lot of money and not making anything back. And for us, it’s really important … to get out in the local community and find ways for people to do what they think is right and will benefit them.”
abryant@gazette.net
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