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Home > Bob on TV > CBS > The Early Show
May 17, 2001
Easy Energy Saving Ideas
Bob Vila's latest appearance on the CBS Early Show focused on a few common sense approaches to saving and conserving energy around the house.
Simple home fix-ups can keep your electrical meter from spinning out of control.
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Saving energy in the home can be accomplished in many ways—some large, some small. While a full-scale remodel to improve your home's energy efficiency may not be practical, taking a quick tour through your home can lead to many big steps towards smaller energy bills. For example, does your home have a southern facing exposure? The afternoon sun beating down on unprotected glass can cause the temperature inside you home to rise and your air conditioner to work harder. Planting shade trees or installing awning on windows exposed to direct sunlight can save on your cooling bills.
Is the second floor of your home too hot during the day? If so, check your attic vents. Improperly vented, the temperature in the attic can reach 130 degrees or more—and that heat can be transferred into your home's living spaces. Birds nest or debris covering vents can be costing you money—and the cost to fix them is often free. Even the colors you choose for your home can have an effect. Dark shades have a tendency to trap heat. That bright red room might be costing you more than a fresh coat of paint. The same goes for fabrics—consider a set of summer-colored slipcovers on furniture.
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Here are a few more basic tips Bob demonstrated on The Early Show:
Take Care of Your Air Conditioner
On window-mounted air conditioners, clean the filter and straighten any cooling fins (on the exterior-facing side of the unit) to improve cooling. Outside, clear away yard debris and shrubbery from around a central air unit for maximum efficiency.
Shade Windows
In rooms that receive a healthy dose of direct sunlight during the day, simply drawing the curtains can help reduce solar heat gain. Installing horizontal window blinds can solve two problems at once--blocking the sun and adding privacy.
Installing window film is another option with multiple benefits. Window films can help control the amount of heat that enters a home through the windows. Window film also blocks destructive ultraviolet rays, which can fade fabrics.
Timers and Thermostats
Simple light timers automatically turn lights on or off. High-dollar systems can create whole-house lighting schemes according to the time of day and weather, adjusting the homes temperature, opening and closing windows and raising and lowering blinds depending on the sun's location.
Programmable thermostats can reduce your home utility bills. Many models are direct replacements for older, non-programmable models. A basic programmable thermostat can automatically turn on an air conditioner (or heating system) at a preset time. For example, instead of leaving the air conditioner running all day, program it to turn on an hour before you arrive home from work to assure you are greeted by a comfortable environment.
Ceiling Fans
According to some manufacturers, a ceiling fan can save up to 40 percent on summer cooling costs, and up to 10 percent on winter heating costs. A ceiling fan cools by creating a "wind chill effect," not by lowering the room temperature. The wind chill effect makes you feel cooler by accelerating the evaporation of perspiration on your skin. If you have a ceiling fan in an 80 degree room, running the fan can makes you feel as if the temperature is 72 degrees. When used with an air conditioner, a ceiling fan can lower energy costs by raising the comfortable temperature setting on the A/C. During the heating season, a fan can help recirculate hot air that rises to a room's ceiling.
Clean Your Light Fixtures
Believe it or not, the impact of dirty, dusty, insect-laden globes, diffusers, reflectors, or shades on your fixtures' light production and efficiency is enormous. So, if you're aiming for efficiency, get up there and clean them off!
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