Experts offer advice on cutting energy bills

BANGOR – How to cut heating costs safely was the focus of a panel discussion Monday night that brought together experts in areas ranging from weatherizing homes to improving the efficiency of furnaces to safety, as well as how to access financial aid.

Organized by Sen. Joseph Perry, D-Bangor, and co-hosted by members of the Bangor legislative delegation, Monday’s round-table talk was one of two set for this week. The other will take place from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday at Hermon High School and will feature a similar lineup.

Monday’s session, which drew more than 30 people to City Hall, was broadcast live over the city’s government access cable television channel and was recorded so it can be rerun in the coming weeks.

The discussion was prompted by the impending heating crisis. With heating fuel and electricity costing more every year, a growing number of households are becoming desperate and putting safety by the wayside as they struggle to stay warm.

As several of the experts noted, many of the tips and suggestions they shared Monday should be familiar to anyone who lived through the Ice Storm of 1998, when widespread power outages and the shortages of some types of fuel tested the mettle of Mainers.

Bangor Fire Chief Jeff Cammack said that so far this year, Maine has seen 12 fire deaths. He and his counterparts across Maine are anticipating more deaths once cold weather hits.

Following are some of the experts’ suggestions:

. Plug the holes in your home to prevent the loss of costly heat. Use weather strips around doors, caulking around windows and plastic film to cover leaky windows and insulate around outlets and holes where telephone and cable wires come in, to name a few.

“Weatherize is what we’re preaching here,” said MaineHousing Director Dale McCormick, one of several participating panelists.

“It’s a win-win-win-win situation,” she said, adding that the benefits of doing that cannot be emphasized enough. Weatherizing one’s home can shave an average of 20 percent off the typical household’s annual heating cost, is good for the environment and reduces dependency on Middle Eastern oil, she said.

Cammack said plastic film should never be applied to the insides of doors or windows because in the event of a fire, the film can melt and cause serious burns for fire victims trying to escape and pose problems for fire crews trying to rescue them.

. Get your new furnace inspected to make sure it is properly installed, or make sure your existing one is running efficiently to avoid wasting fuel, Danny Maher of Maher Heating of Brewer said.

Cammack said many local fire departments, including Bangor’s, offer free inspection services. Better yet, he said, check with inspectors before purchasing a new system to find out if it’s the best option and where and how it should be installed.

. Use caution and common sense when using alternative heat sources, such as kerosene or electric space heaters, Cammack said. In the case of electric space heaters, never use an extension cord.

“We have had several incidents in Bangor where that has been an issue,” Cammack said.

He also said kerosene heaters should not be used in unventilated areas. Homeowners who do use them should install a carbon monoxide detector.

. If closing off rooms or portions of a home to save the cost of heating them, make sure proper winterization methods are used. In some cases, antifreeze may be needed to prevent pipes from bursting, Maher said.

. Have an energy audit conducted by a certified auditor.

An audit, which McCormick said involved adding air pressure to a home and using infrared technology to see where the heat leaks are, costs about $600.

Not only can it inform homeowners about where they can get the biggest bang for their buck, an audit also is a prerequisite for applying for a low interest loan from the Home Energy Loan Program, or HELP, which provides low interest loans of up to $30,000 for eligible Mainers, said Cathy Maher of Camden National Bank, one of eight authorized HELP lenders in Maine.

. Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs. Dick Bacon of Efficiency Maine said that the energy-saving bulbs can save $1 a month per socket. Though they cost more up front, they can last up to seven years. Rep. Patricia Blanchette, D-Bangor, said she keeps receipts from the bulbs so they can be replaced for free if they don’t live up to their guarantee.

. Use your index finger.

“There’s no silver bullet for saving energy,” Bacon said, but common sense can go a long way. Turn lights off when leaving a room and turn the thermostat down when leaving your home.

dgagnon@bangordailynews.net

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