Week 1: Why are energy costs rising so fast?
The world's oil reserves are limited. Since 2005, the world's oil production has reached its peak production capability (see www.theoildrum.com). This means that the remaining oil will be more difficult and more costly to extract.
Decreasing supply combined with rising demand from the US, China and India as well as from investors means oil prices will continue going up.
Sponsored by First Universalist Church of Dexter
Week 2: What part of my old home do I insulate first?
Your attic. Why? Consider a drinking straw, if you hold your finger over the top of straw, the liquid in the straw does not move. Air flow in your house behaves the same way.
Without 18-24 inches of insulation in your attic, there is little to prevent the flow of air through your house as warm air rises up and out and cold air comes in through windows, doors and unsealed cracks.
Sponsored by the Christian Community Church
Week 3: Should I replace my old windows and storm windows?
A single pane of glass has an insulation rating of R-1. Adding a storm window increases it's R-value to R-2. A double pane insulated glass replacement window is still R-2.
A new window with low-E oxide coating increases it's thermal resistance to R-3. So you may want to keep the old windows, caulk around your storm windows and put your money into insulating drapes (quilts work great) and a plastic internal "storm window".
Sponsored by the Dexter High School Key Club
Week 4: After insulating my attic, what next?
The next item with the biggest bang for the buck is to caulk, seal and weatherstrip all seams, cracks and openings to the outside.
To test for air leaks, on a windy day, hold a lit incense stick by your windows, doors, fireplace, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic
hatches, and other locations.
If the smoke stream travels horizontally, you have found an air leak. You can save as much as 10% on your heating needs by reducing the air leaks in your home.
Sponsored by the First Baptist Church of Dexter
Week 5: How do I get Free Heat?
On sunny days you can get free heat through your south facing windows. If there are no obstructions, the sun sends about 900W of heat per sq. yard of perpendicular window area. That's about the same as an average electric heater!
You may want to cut down any trees which block your window because a leafless tree can block 40% of your winter sunshine.
Sponsored by the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sangerville
Week 6: Save money! Turn down the thermostat before you head to work.
The fuel required to reheat a building to a comfortable temperature is roughly equal to the fuel saved as the building drops to the lower temperature. You save fuel between the time that the temperature stabilizes at the lower level and the next time heat is needed. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more money you save.
Sponsored by Kevin Tremblay, Prudential Northeast Properties
Week 7: Save money! Turn down the thermostat before you head to work.
The fuel required to reheat a building to a comfortable temperature is roughly equal to the fuel saved as the building drops to the lower temperature. You save fuel between the time that the temperature stabilizes at the lower level and the next time heat is needed. So the longer your house remains at the lower temperature, the more money you save.
Sponsored by Kevin Tremblay, Prudential Northeast Properties
Week 8: Comparison of heating methods
Heating Method Avg. Cost/Fuel Unit ...................Avg Cost/Million BTU
# 2 Heating Oil $4.45 / Gal ................................................ $44.47
Propane $3.52 / Gal ......................................................... $43.48
Hardwood $230 /Cord ....................................................... $17.69
Wood Pellets $250 / Ton ................................................... $19.81
Electric Resistance $0.18 / Kwh .......................................... $52.75
Air Source Heat Pump $0.18 / Kwh ...................................... $21.11
Sponsored by the Maine Seeds of Peace Program
Week 9: Want to lower your hot water heating bill?
• Turn down the hot water temperature to 120 degrees (recommended by the Dept of Energy).
• Your washing machine uses 32 gallons and most detergents work well in cold water.
• Newer dishwashers pre-heat water to 140 degrees to kill bacteria.
• Showers use about 20 gallons, cut that in half with a low-flow shower head.
Sponsored by United Way
Week 10: What does it cost to leave your computer on?
An average PC and CRT uses 225 watts (W) and our electricity costs $0.18/KiloWattHour (KWH).
Therefore one hour of computer use costs 0.225 KWH x $0.18/KWH = $0.04 per hour. $.04 x 24 hours = $0.96, almost a dollar per day or $350 per year!
Sponsored by United Way
Week 11: How much does your shower cost?
The electricity needed to heat one gallon of water to shower temperature is about 0.183 kWh in Dexter.
At 2.6 gallons per minute and electricity costing $0.18/kWh, each minute costs 8.6 cents. A ten minute shower costs 86 cents.
A family of four taking daily showers costs $1,255.
Sponsored by United Way
Week 12: Stop driving like a maniac.
Edmunds.com tested ways to increase your gas mileage and they found the best way to save gas is to drive moderately.
If you avoid jack-rabbit starts and heavy breaking you can save up to 31%! Also lowering your speed 10 mph can save you 12%.
Sponsored by United Way
Week 13: What's lurking in your house after you turn off all the lights?
A "phantom load" is the energy that's sapped by appliances when they're plugged in, but not on. Use power strips or manually unplug DVD players, computers and cell phone chargers to save electricity.
If all phantom loads in US homes were stopped, *we could shut down 17 power plants*.
Sponsored by United Way
Week 14: Is your electric space heater emptying your wallet?
Most electric space heaters use about 1500 Watts at maximum power.
At our electricity rate of $0.18 per KWH, using a space heater at max power for one hour costs $0.27.
Running it continually costs $6.50 a day and $194 per month.
Sponsored by United Way
Week 15: 'Tis the baking season!
If you have a choice, bake with ceramic or glass pans instead of metal ones.
These materials retain heat better, so you can lower the oven temperature 25 degrees and cook foods in the same amount of time.
Sponsored by United Way
Week 16: Why recycle aluminum cans?
Recycling 40 aluminum cans saves the environment the energy equivalent of one gallon of gasoline. Americans recycled enough aluminum cans last year to save over 15 million barrels of oil.
However, we still toss away enough aluminum in 3 months to rebuild the entire US airline fleet.
Sponsored by United Way
Week 17: Are you Shopping Naked?
This holiday give the earth a gift.
Buy several cloth bags and remember to use them till you feel naked shopping without them.
Americans throw away 380 billion plastic bags annually
Sponsored by United Way
Week 18:
We wish you an energy efficient 2009, and remember, a watt saved is a watt that doesn't need to be generated!
Week 19: Do you plan to buy a wood or pellet stove?
Good news! There is a $300 Federal tax credit for biomass stoves (wood, pellet, corn) with a thermal efficiency rating of at least 75%, and purchased between Jan 1 and Dec 31 of 2009. You will need to file a 2009 IRS Form 5695 to report the purchase.
