OCR Text |
Show iMcaey Saving IcteasJ Save DollarsEnergy With Home Projects Do-it-yourself home mainte-. mainte-. ' ' nance and installation projects are an obvious way to avoid the cost of professional service calls. If they also save you money on utility bills, you're even more money ahead, and you'll be conserving energy at the same time. There are some energy-related projects you can do for your home that can save you literally hundreds of dollars a year, depending on the temperature tem-perature range, according to the home improvement experts at Sears. For example, installing install-ing additional insulation, an easy do-it-yourself job, can cut $75 to $150 off your heating andor air conditioning costs. In fact, proper insulation is ' so important to saving fuel, that the government is now considering a substantial tax deduction for insulation costs. If this happens, you will be receiving re-ceiving a deduction for saving money not a bad deal at all. Storm windows also can be a big help. Sears recommends storm-screen insulating windows win-dows which are easy to install and, because the glass panes can be raised to let fresh air in through the screen, they can be left installed year around. Further, if your home is air conditioned, you can save 15 per cent by leaving the storm panes closed when the air conditioner con-ditioner is operating. Whether or not you have air conditioning, you should make sure your attic is fan ventilated. venti-lated. An attic fan will remove hot air during warm weather to lower air conditioner operating oper-ating time, or perhaps, to avoid the need for air conditioning altogether. Some other ways you can save on your utility bills and energy usage not to mention reducing furniture and carpet fading include having insulated insu-lated draperies, awnings and tinted windows where the sun shines in. All will cost some money initially, but they will more than pay for themselves in the long run. Finally, don't forget the importance im-portance of your thermostat. When heating, keep it set at 68 degrees or lower. (Each degree lower will save about 3 per cent on power consumption.) When cooling, set the temperature at 78 degrees or higher. (Each degree de-gree the thermostat is raised cuts 5 per cent off air conditioning condi-tioning costs.) |