Energy Efforts that Don’t Pay Off
If you’re like me, you’re ready to do anything you can to cut costs, right? We listed six ways you can lower utility bills. Now it’s time for the list of efforts that really just aren’t worth your time. These items won’t reduce your bills by more than pennies, and they create loads of pollution just to manufacture. They’re just time suckers, and we say skip ‘em:
1. Don’t place that plastic film over your windows.
It doesn’t do much. Put your hand by the window in the winter. It’s still cold. All you’re really doing is sealing up the house and making it impossible to open your windows. That fresh air is essential to a healthy home! Thick curtains are a much better investment, and they don’t look tacky.
Total time: probably a lot. All that sticky plastic or tape? Ugh. Total cost: $5 Total savings: pennies, maybe more
2. Don’t put those little styrofoam plug insulators under your switch plates.
If your house is old or poorly insulated, you’re going to feel it around your light switches and plugins where the insulation is even thinner or nonexistent. Unfortunately, a sliver of styrofoam can’t do much to change that. They’re a pain to install. Pound for pound, this option offers the worst benefits.
Total time: 3-5 minutes per switch. Total cost: $2 a pack Total savings: probably nothing measurable. It has no R value, the scale used to rate your level of insulation
For more green thoughts, swing by A Lil’ Welsh Rarebit where Christy interviewed me on simple steps we can all start doing for the environment. She cleverly called it “Vegetarians Driving Hummers?” Thanks Christy!
And don’t forget to dish the dirt. Have any “must do” green things you hear about all the time? You know, the ones that just make you shake your head in disbelief? We’d love to hear what crunches your crackers.
March 11th, 2009 at 5:30 am
Actually, I totally disagree with #1. Obviously, it depends on how the window was manufactured. If it’s just cold because the glass is cold and that’s what you are feeling, then it won’t work. But if it is cold because there is a legitimate DRAFT because it is improperly sealed, and you are not in a position to buy all new windows, they make a HUGE difference. We currently live in a condo with two windows and a huge sliding glass door that extends the entire length of our living room. Last year, we didn’t use the plastic wrap. This year, we did, on the windows, and it for sliding doors. Our condo is only 700 square feet. We do not over heat — generally keeping it below 60 degrees — both last year and this year. Even though electricity is MORE expensive this year, it has been far COLDER here this year than last winter, we have been HOME more (and hence, had the heat on more weekends, lights on more since were were out of town frequently, etc). our electric bills have been almost $60 LESS per month. And the only difference we have made? The plastic wrap. 20 minutes to put it up on all the windows, and saving $60/month? That is not pennies!!!
Oh, and we already had super thick curtains to begin with — the windows in the bedroom even have blackout shades below thick curtains. And the addition of sealing plastic STILL made that much difference.
March 11th, 2009 at 9:03 am
I had a similar reaction to suggestion #2. I thought those outlet inserts were to block the flow of air, not to serve as an insulator.
March 11th, 2009 at 10:02 am
Hi Julie. Thanks for speaking up about your experience. I’m guessing you didn’t just cover the windows with plastic, but also the frames. Like you said, ill-fit windows with poor sealing do leak. Those cold drafts will exist, and that plastic barrier will help. In the average home, the windows will fit properly, and the plastic is useless because most people don’t put it on the frames. They just cover the glass.
You have us super curious about the savings you found now. Martin is an electric engineer obsessed with energy efficiency and loss. I know exactly how much it costs in hot water (which is metered and billed in Germany) and electricity to run the dishwasher and everything else in the house just because he likes to figure it out. (Our house is wild on Friday nights, huh?!) I promise not to let him loose near your home, Julie!
Congrats on the great savings in your bills. It must be wonderful to see!
Katie
March 11th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
I have real issues with the bottled water companies that claim you should drink their water because their plastic bottles contain x% less plastic. Like Poland Spring: I don’t care that your bottles have 30% less plastic, it’s still bottled water. I can bring my own tap water, thank you very much! It’s almost green-washing, but not quite.
March 11th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Like Julie, we also used the plastic film this year, on our 1930′s windows, and it has made a world of a difference. We can physically feel a temperature change, as well as see one in our monthly bills. We did cover the entire frame, as that makes a huge difference.
March 12th, 2009 at 7:31 am
I have to say that lowing my heat by a couple of degrees is not saving me any money, like they say, and only making me unhappy during the winter months. We keep our heat at 68 and are comfortable. We lowered it to 65 for a month and didn’t save a dime on our heating bill, not to mention we were freezing. Maybe it is only for people who keep their heat set at 70 or 72 but every time I hear “it can save you money” I want to yell!
June 30th, 2009 at 11:09 am
I would be very interested in hearing more people’s experiences with lowering the thermostat from 68 to 65 and saving money. Are the savings less if the energy source is electricity rather than gas or oil? Does Martin have data on the subject when the heat source is electricity, as well as the subject Erin Kathleen raised. She wondered if the savings are there if one is starting at a higher temperature, such as 70 or 72.
August 18th, 2009 at 8:55 am
I have to join in with those who disagree about the plastic film. Its usefulness depends on your situation. We have a 100 year old home in a historic district. There are strict requirements for replacing the original single-pane windows. The replacement windows are very expensive and we can’t afford them. Furthermore, the windows are required to remain functioning (which matters for resale), so you can’t just paint over or seal them shut. Unfortunately, we haven’t found any weatherstripping that works sufficiently well. So what do we do? We use the plastic film to reduce drafts and it makes a big difference.
I agree that ventilation is important — but the key is controlled ventilation, not just random drafts. For comfort in our rooms, it really does matter where the ventilation comes from! Sitting near a big, drafty window in cold weather is very uncomfortable. So… on goes the plastic film in the winter. We’ve never had trouble taking it off in the spring to open the windows. Perhaps it depends on the brand you choose.