Energy Conservation
Energy conservation can save you thousands of dollars annually. Make sure your home isn’t sending money out the door, through the window or up the flue with the following energy conservation tips. The power to conserve is in your hands.
Weatherization tips:
- Check your home for places where heat can escape, including gaps around doors and windows, and wall openings for TV cables, pipes and dryer vents.
- Install programmable thermostats that lower the home’s temperature when you’re away during the day. Set it at 65 to 70 degrees during the winter, and 60 degrees when you’re away for more than a few hours. When you leave on vacation, turn down the thermostat as well.
- Make sure your furnace is ready for winter with an inspection by a qualified service technician. Change out furnace filters each month, especially if you have pets, and make sure furnaces and water heaters are properly ventilated with no blockage.
- Check the insulation levels in the house. It may be possible to add insulation to the attic, walls and floors. Insulate ductwork in uninsulated spaces.
- Do not block airflow; give your baseboard heaters, air inlets and outlets adequate room for airflow to make your heating system work the way it’s designed.
- Keep your fireplace flue closed when the fireplace is not in use, and install glass doors on the front of the fireplace to keep room heat from going up the chimney.
- Turn down your water heater’s operating temperature to 129 degrees or less.
- Save money by looking for appliances that meet Energy Star guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy.
Weatherization Programs
- AHFC Weatherization Program - Home weatherization program for low income residents.
- RurAL CAP Weatherization Program - Free weatherization upgrades for low and middle income residents.
- CIHA Weatherization Program - Free weatherization services for qualified residents in Anchorage.
- ACDC Weatherization Program - Weatherization program for qualified tenants and homeowners in the Mat-Su and Kenai Peninsula Boroughs.
