focus on energy - The power is within you.
Home    About Us    Calendar    Contact Us    Evaluation Reports    Site Map   Search: 
Residential Programs Business Programs Renewable Energy Financial Incentives and Cash-Back Rewards Education and Research Programs Information Center Find Products/Services Verify Eligibility
 

Information Center Overview


Residential

Business

Renewables

Tool Lending Library

Training Opportunities

Energy and Education

Community Education
and Outreach

Winter Tips



Printable Version



Tips for saving energy at home and work this winter


|    Residential   |    Business   |    Renewable   |

Keeping your home, apartment, or business warm and comfortable this winter doesn't mean spending more on your utility bills. With easy energy tips from Focus on Energy, you will keep your energy costs down without sacrificing comfort.

Tips for residents
A few simple changes can help keep your home comfortable, durable, safe, and energy efficient - saving money, energy, and protecting the environment.
  • Myths: There are many misconceptions on how to keep your utility bills down in the winter. Focus on Energy is here to bust those myths—providing you ways to keep your energy costs down without sacrificing comfort.
    What are the myths?  [-]
    There are many misconceptions on how to keep your utility bills down in the winter. Focus on Energy is here to bust those myths-providing you ways to keep your energy costs down without sacrificing comfort.

    MYTH: Turning down the thermostat during the day will make my furnace
               work harder later.

    TRUTH: Your furnace will run for a shorter time and use far less energy to
                 heat up a cool house than it would if you kept the house warm all
                 day.

    MYTH: Turning your thermostat to the highest temperature will warm you
               up faster.

    TRUTH: No-the thermostat isn't like the gas pedal on your car-turning it to
                 the highest temperature setting doesn't warm you up any faster.

    MYTH: You should close the vents in rooms you are not using to save energy.

    TRUTH: No-closing vents will restrict airflow coming out of the furnace or
                 air conditioner, which will cause the blower motor to either work
                 harder to overcome the barrier, or distribute less air which will
                 affect the comfort level of the rest of the home.

    MYTH: Electric room heaters are better than heating the whole house.

    TRUTH: These are major energy suckers. It is impractical and expensive
                 to have a space heater running for a long period of time-and can
                 be dangerous if left unattended or used improperly. If you really
                 want to cut energy costs for heating, try turning your thermostat
                 down a degree or two.

    MYTH: I should wait until my furnace breaks down before replacing it.

    TRUTH: Not the case. Even though an average furnace lifetime is about
                 18-20 years, furnaces that are 10 years old are likely to be 15%
                 less efficient than models available today. Replacing an older
                 model with a newer model might cost you more up front but can
                 save you in the long run. Focus on Energy can help homeowners
                 make upgrades to furnaces economically with Cash-Back Rewards
                 for high-efficiency furnaces.

    MYTH: Adding insulation won't make that big of a difference with drafts.

    TRUTH: No-seal cracks, gaps, leaks, and add insulation to save 30 percent
                 on home heating costs. A Home Performance with ENERGY STAR
                 evaluation can help you find the best places to air seal.

    MYTH: The more insulation, the better.

    TRUTH: Sometimes less is more. Installing too much insulation in an attic,
                 wall or floor can be counter-productive. Insulation needs to trap
                 air to work properly. Forcing material into a wall cavity or over
                 insulating the attic will compress the material and diminish its
                 effectiveness.

    MYTH: Replacing a furnace with an ENERGY STAR model is enough to save
               energy and money.

    TRUTH:There are other variables to look at along with purchasing an
                ENERGY STAR model:
    • Look for a furnace that has an Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFUE)
      of 90% or higher.
    • Get a furnace with a variable speed motor and multi stages of heating
      to get the most out of your gas and electric usage. Electrical savings
      alone can be over $100 per year.
    • Ask the contractor to perform a heat loss calculation to make sure the
      furnace is sized properly for your home.
    • Get several quotes and use a contractor that you feel comfortable with.
      Ask your friends, relatives and neighbors for references. Remember, a
      company's size and prices don't always indicate the quality of
      the workmanship.
  • Fact sheets

  • Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® evaluation - This is one of the best and most comprehensive ways to save energy at home. A partnering consultant will identify hidden problems in your home and recommend money-saving ways to make your home more energy-efficient. Plus they will tell you about Cash-Back Rewards you may qualify for!
Ask Focus on Energy
Got questions? Want to learn more about energy efficiency or renewable energy? Ask the team with energy in its name, Focus on Energy.

For more energy saving ideas, please call Focus on Energy at 800.762.7077.

Tips for businesses
Winter is here and you know what that means: higher heating and energy costs for your business. While the weather outside may get below zero, the energy experts at Focus on Energy have helpful tips to help you save energy and money. Follow these best practices for some low-cost and no-cost ways to help you business get ahead this season.
  • Tips: There are many low-cost and no-cost ways to manage costs in the winter. Focus on Energy is here to provide you with ways to keep your energy costs down without sacrificing comfort.
    What are the tips?  [-]
    Install (and use!) a programmable thermostat. Using a programmable thermostat is an easy way to save on winter heating costs. Your business may save up to 3 percent on heating costs for each degree you lower your thermostat. Make sure to install a thermostat that will automatically manage your building's temperature-lowering the temperature when the building is unoccupied.

    Simple maintenance Regular maintenance of your building systems can save up to 20 percent on overall utility costs. Insulate hot water tanks and pipes, inspect ducts and windows, and seal leaks. These simple actions can really improve your business's bottom line.

    Weatherization can yield big savings. Weather-strip and caulk cracks in walls, jams, and floors. Replace weather stripping where old, worn-out weather stripping may be.

    Measure your facility for proper attic insulation. Consider upgrading with spray-foam or batt insulation. Additional insulation can be blown into walls, and today there are options for insulating flat roofs, crawl spaces, and floors.

    Maintaining heating equipment. Businesses can save money on their heating bills this winter, simply by maintaining their furnaces. Basic maintenance like changing air filters and keeping the area around the furnace free from debris can help cut overall heating costs by 10 percent, and reduce fan energy use by 30 percent. Visit focusonenergy.com/tune-ups for cash incentives you may qualify for.

    Purchase energy-efficient equipment. When it comes time to eplace equipment, look for the ENERGY STAR® label-your assurance of quality and energy efficiency.

    Limit the runtime of holiday lights. Run your holiday lights for no more than six hours a day and consider purchasing a lighting timer to switch them on and off automatically.

    Save big this season with LED holiday lights. Deck the halls with LED holiday strings. Replacing older incandescent lights with efficient LED lighst, such as ENERGY STAR® qualified LED lights, can use up to 99 less energy. It's a beautiful way to save on your energy bills.

    Winter savings for dairy farms. A dairy farm with a herd of up to 500 cows can save an average of $3,500 each year, simply by converting from electric to natural gas water heating. Have more than 500 cows? That savings goes up to almost $6,000 a year.

    Energy savings in the office. The energy used by one office worker for one day actually creates twice as many greenhouse gases as the employee's commute to work. Improve overall business efficiency by having a site evaluation, developing an energy management plan, and tapping into cash incentives from Focus on Energy for energy efficiency upgrades.
  • Other energy-saving resources

Ask Focus on Energy
Got questions? Want to learn more about energy efficiency or renewable energy? Ask the team with energy in its name, Focus on Energy.

For more energy saving ideas, please call Focus on Energy at 800.762.7077.

Renewable energy
Many Wisconsin residents and businesses are taking energy efficiency to the next level by harvesting power from renewable energy resources - sun, wind and biomass. Focus on Energy offers technical assistance and financial incentives to help you identify and install the renewable energy systems that make sense for you.

Visit our renewable energy page to learn more.

For more energy saving ideas, please call Focus on Energy at 800.762.7077.

Are you an average homeowner?

Click here to see if your energy use is similar to other Wisconsin residents. By comparing habits, you can see what the biggest energy users are and the places where you can save money by making improvements.

Learn more >




Sign up for our eNewsletter


To receive quarterly updates on the latest happenings and information from Focus, sign up for our eNewsletter.





Ask Focus on Energy
Got questions? Want to learn more about energy efficiency or renewable energy? Ask the team with energy in its name, Focus on Energy.

Learn more >



© 2010 Wisconsin Focus on Energy. All rights reserved.    Focus' privacy policy.    Toll-Free: 800.762.7077    Email: Focusinfo@focusonenergy.com