Save money on energy bills for your Summit County vacation home
With the new emphasis on going “green” and the added impact of the current economic situation, saving money by saving energy is a good thing!
The Governor’s office and Xcel Energy are offering information on how you can do just that. I also recently attended a class put on by the Summit County Builder’s Association on building green, and came away with some information on rebates and money saving ideas. Here are a few of them.
- Change your lightbulbs to Compact Flourescent (CFL) bulbs. They are available with warmer light and you don’t have to have the ugly squiggly bulbs. You can buy “normal” looking light bulbs that are CFL bulbs. CFLs are more expensive initially, but use much less energy and don’t have to replaced as often. One 20 watt CFL bulb will cost 39 cents for one month, 8 hours a day, while a 75 watt incandescent bulb costs $1.40 for the same period of time. A significant difference!
- Unplug appliances and TVs when they are not turned on. Or it may be easier to put them on a surge protector and unplug it when you are not using them. Unplug your cell phone charger when it is not charging the phone.
- Install motion detectors in closets or garages if the lights tend to get left on (as in my house!) You can set them to turn off after a chosen period of time.
- Repair leaky faucets and use low flow showerheads.
- Control air leaks. Warm air can leave through recessed cans and vent fans in the ceilings. Cold air can come in through penetrations in the outside walls for electrical and water supplies etc. Caulk doesn’t last very long so check to make sure it has not deteriorated. Be sure windows and doors are airtight and add weatherstripping if need be.
- Use a small appliance instead of a large one if possible. A toaster oven or microwave will use less energy to heat food than the oven.
- If you are replacing appliances, water heater or furnace, make sure you use Energy Star rated appliances. They use much less energy and are cheaper to operate. Clean the refrigerator coils frequently, especially if you have pets in the house.
- Have an energy audit done on your home. The High Country Conservation Center has a person on staff who will spend a couple of hours with you checking out your home and offering you recommendations to improve its energy use. The cost starts at $250 and depends on the size of the home.
Rebates for upgrades are available for homeowners in Frisco, Breckenridge and unincorporated parts of Summit County from HCCC. They will cover 20% or up to $300 (whichever is less) for a qualified contractor to perform air sealing and insulation upgrades to the attic and exterior walls. Other rebates are available when you add solar hot water or heat to your home, from the Federal Government, the State and some of the Towns . For more details, click on the links have have incorporated into this post.
March 30th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
I’ve always wondered what the typical cost per month of gas usage/electric is up there. I know each house is different, but is there an average for like a 3000 sq. foot home?
March 30th, 2009 at 3:51 pm
HI Jim,
they are just all over the place, depending on the type of heat and the age of the property. My house is probably fairly typical, as it was built in 1973 and has been added onto a couple of times. It is smaller than 3000 sq ft, at about 2600. My bills vary from a low of around $90 in the summer to a high of perhaps $325 in the coldest month. That is for both gas and electric together. A new home should not be higher than that, even if it were somewhat bigger, as it will be much more efficient than my house. I do keep my home cool and use CFL lightbulbs and an on demand hot water heater. We don’t need AC, (just open a window) but we make up for it with heat usage.