Maine’s Bundle Me Up program offers energy-saving tips for winter

We’ve certainly been spoiled this winter with the mild weather.

The culprit could be global warming, El Nino, or just random luck. No matter the cause, snow shovels and snowblowers have stayed in the garage and furnaces have not been running full-bore.

Last week the thermometer dipped enough to get our attention, and we are a long way from spring. That little cold snap may have been just what was needed to get us to review our homes to be sure we’re doing all we can to reduce heat loss and save fuel. Oil prices have settled a little but are still high and conservation can save hundreds of dollars over the season.

Maine’s Bundle Me Up program and Web site offers energy-saving tips that might help make your home more comfortable and energy efficient as winter’s second half nears.

Visit www.BundleMeUp.org for money-saving ideas and worksheets to calculate savings in dollars and cents. Here are a few examples:

. Set your thermostat back. For each one degree set back, there can be $50 savings in the annual oil bill. Consider installing one of those automatic thermostats that can turn the heat up or down at specified hours of the day. These can be much more efficient than a manually changed one.

. Insulate heat pipes and duct work. Inexpensive foam insulation and good old duct tape can help your home be more efficient.

. Tune up your heating system. The annual savings can be $124 in saved oil. Oil savings should pay for the cost of the tune-up. It will also help extend the life of the heating unit.

. Replace incandescent light bulbs with the new-fangled, funny-looking fluorescent ones. Yes they do look “strange.” Yes, after the switch is turned on there is a slight lag before they light the room. Yes, they are more expensive to buy. That said, over time you’ll save enough energy to pay for the bulb. They are also safer as they do not get as hot as an incandescent bulb. If “instant-on” is your goal and the light unit is a chandelier or multiple-bulb fixture, using only one socket for incandescent and the rest for fluorescent energy savers will supply instant light and energy savings as well.

. Close fireplace flues and dampers. Some fireplaces don’t have a damper, so heat is sucked up the chimney. Even while a hot fire is roaring, much of the heat is lost. If a fireplace isn’t used, try putting loose insulation in a plastic trash bag and jamming it in the flue to stop heat loss. It is important to notify all inhabitants that the flue is blocked or place a visible note in or near the fireplace so someone does not unwittingly start a fire with a blocked flue.

. Close off unused rooms. Less square footage heated, more energy saved.

. If you have a forced-hot-air furnace, change or vacuum the filters every month.

. Close storm windows and use drapes or curtains to cover outside windows. Walk around the outside of your home to inspect storm windows. It is amazing how many storms you think are down are actually up, especially in children’s bedrooms. No wonder the house seems cold!

. Insulate, caulk, and weather-strip doors and windows as necessary. This is often best done in the fall, but it’s never too late to do so.

. Install water-saving showerheads. If you are still using the old-style ones, you are pouring $126 a year down the shower drain.

Perhaps with some judicious energy savings this year in our homes, we can fund a good part of next winter’s vacation in the Bahamas.

Consumer Forum is a collaboration of the Bangor Daily News and Northeast CONTACT, Maine’s membership-funded nonprofit consumer organization. Individual membership costs $25; business rates start at $125 (0-10 employees). For help and information write: Consumer Forum, Bangor Daily News, P.O. Box 1329, Bangor 04402-1329.