News From Terre Haute, Indiana

Home & Garden

January 9, 2006

Simple Ways to Conserve Fuel

No matter where you go these days, it seems everyone is talking about it. Coffee shops, grocery stores, talk radio ... nowhere seems safe from conversations about the rising cost of fuel across America. While the topic on the tip of everyone's tongue is primarily about prices at the pump, rising fuel costs are also hitting you at home, where conserving energy is no longer just an altruistic endeavor but a financial necessity as well. With that in mind, here are some helpful fuel conservation hints for those of you facing the unenviable task of paying a winter's worth of heating bills. · Turn down the thermostats whenever you know you'll be out of the house for a while. Whether you're heading to an evening movie or leaving for work in the morning, lowering the temperature on your thermostat while you're out is a great way to shave a few extra dollars off your bill. If you're going away for a weekend, you can turn your thermostat to as low as 55 F without having to worry about your pipes freezing while you're away. · Turn the thermostat down when you go to sleep at night. Oftentimes, sleeping in a house that is too hot is uncomfortable anyway, so lowering your thermostat 5 to 10 degrees can lead to a more comfortable night's sleep. Plus, you'll save around 10 percent on your monthly bill. · Purchase a programmable setback thermostat. Programmable setback thermostats can be automatically set to turn up the heat before you wake up in the morning and turn it down before you go to sleep. This will give you some backup in case, like most of us, you forget to adjust the thermostat yourself on a regular basis. · Throw a party. If ever there was an excuse to have some friends over, lowering your monthly heating bill is as good as any. The more friends, the merrier as well, as the more people in a room will lead to more warmth in the air. · Utilize a humidifier. Increasing the humidity in your home will make you feel warmer (allowing you to lower the temperature of your thermostat) while providing a few health benefits as well, namely reducing your risk of catching a cold and keeping your skin from drying out or cracking. · Keep your furnace clean. Having your oil furnace professionally cleaned once a year before the start of winter will allow the furnace to burn oil far more efficiently. On the same token, for a forced-air system, make sure vents are cleaned and that filters are new and free of debris. · Install storm windows. By installing storm windows, you are making it substantially more difficult for warm air to escape and cold air to get into your house. If you cannot afford new windows, use specialty plastic and tape sold at home centers to seal out drafts during the coldest months. While not the most attractive option, it certainly will help to keep your home warmer.

Text Only | Photo Reprints
Home & Garden
Latest News
Multimedia

Like us on Facebook!
Community Calendar
Loading…
Events by eviesays.com
TribStar.com Poll
Join the Conversation
Helium
Front page
AP Video
Raw Video: Israeli Embassy Car Attacked Nordic Festival Puts North Korea in Spotlight Coroner: Don't Know Houston's Cause of Death Yet Raw Video: Whitney Houston's Last Performance 'Rumor Has It' Adele's Rolling in the Grammys Bacteria Keep Swimmers Off Some Fla. Beaches Grohl, Grammy Nominees Cut Up on the Red Carpet Coroner: Houston Autopsy Results Weeks Away Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party Valentine Greetings Sent Worldwide From Loveland Arab League Wants U.N. Help in Syria Raw Video: Obama Budget Goes to Capitol Hill Greek Austerity Measures Spark Riots Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing Raw Video: Child Rescued After Kosovo Avalanche Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48 Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote Greece Passes New Austerity Deal Amid Rioting Police: Houston Found Under Water, Unconscious ShowBiz Minute: Houston, Grammys, BAFTAs
NDN Video
Adele's First 'Vogue' Cover! Scarlett Johansson's Bikini P-D-A Arm Wrestler Not Guilty Plea in Wife's Death Romijn's 60 Pound Weight Loss Jacqueline Kennedy's personal papers released Did Tyler Perry Have a Secret Wedding? Facebook Parenting: Father Posts Video Responding to Daughter's Post Raw Video: Houston Body Flown From L.A. to N.J. Police: Houston Found Under Water, Unconscious 'Bachelor' Free Falls into the Ocean Bobby Brown on Houston's Death Adele's revealing "60 Minutes" interview Gregoire: Marriage Equality Is Right for Wash. Kissing contest heats up Rosenthal: A's sign Cespedes Sandusky Can See Grandkids, Have Local Jury Apple of their eye at $500 a share Turkey's first face transplant Exclusive Video: Bobbi Kristina Leaving Hospital Obama Unveils $3.8 Trillion Budget
Parade
Magazine

Click HERE to read all your Parade favorites including Hollywood Wire, Celebrity interviews and photo galleries, Food recipes and cooking tips, Games and lots more.
  • -

    March 12, 2010

activity
Real Estate News