Seasonal Tips

Tips to Help Save on Energy Costs During the Winter

Schedule a fall check-up of your heating equipment with a licensed contractor. Dirt and neglect are the main causes of system failures. Clean or change your system’s air filter monthly to save energy and help prevent system failure. Set your thermostat as low as comfortably possible.  By resetting your programmable thermostat from 72 degrees to 65 for eight hours a day, you can cut your heating bill by up to 10 percent. (Resetting not recommended with heat pumps.)                      Close the damper when you’re not using your fireplace. This will greatly reduce heat loss up the chimney. Never use a traditional fireplace for supplemental heating. A fireplace sucks air out of your home to fuel the fire and exhausts warm air out through the chimney. Leave shades and blinds open on sunny days, but close them at night to reduce the amount of heat lost through windows. Seal cracks and other openings in your home to minimize air leaks. Replace or add weather-stripping around door frames and window frames. You also may need to caulk between the frame and the siding on the inside and outside. Check the insulation in your attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors and crawlspaces to make sure it meets Energy Star-recommended levels. Learn about OPPD’s Energy Audit Home Air Leakage Test. Get more tips from the Department of Energy.

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Tips to Help Save on Energy Costs During the Summer

Schedule a spring check-up of your cooling equipment with a licensed contractor. Dirt and neglect are the main causes of system failures.

Clean or change your system’s air filter monthly to save energy and help prevent system failure.

Set your thermostat as high as comfortably possible. A one-degree increase can save 3 to 5 percent on energy.

Keep your house warmer than normal when you are away. Consider installing a programmable thermostat for this.

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Tips to Help Save on Energy Costs Year-Round

Dim or turn off any unnecessary lighting when not in use.  Use area lighting so you don't have to light the entire room. Use compact fluorescent light bulbs. CFL’s save energy and money. Check air registers. Make sure furniture and drapes do not restrict airflow.

For more tips, please email or call the OPPD Energy Advisor at 636-3850; outside the Omaha metro area at 1-800-648-2658.

Install sufficient attic ventilation. If there is no vapor barrier (see next item below) in the ceiling, you need one square foot of vent area for every 150 square feet of attic space. If the ceiling has a vapor barrier, you need one square foot of vent area for every 300 square feet of attic space. You have a vapor barrier on the floor of your attic if you have batt insulation with kraft paper on the bottom or if you have fill-type insulation with a plastic sheet underneath. Set your hot-water heater at 120 to 140 degrees. If your water heater is in a cool or unheated area, install an insulating jacket and insulate the hot-water pipes. Seal exposed ductwork with mastic tape, not duct tape. Mastic seals better and lasts longer. For more information on conserving energy, call the OPPD Energy Advisor at 636-3850 or 1-800-648-2658.

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