Before we get into saving you money with methods to lower the number of units
that you spend on your fuel each month, we do need to show you the benefits of
energy savings by smart investment.
Because the world is in a fuel crisis and the cost of gas and other energy means
continues to rise, there are those not so nice guys out there that are promoting
products that are anything but a way to save money. These products may work,
but probably do not.
The trick is that you need to know before you purchase them if in fact they are
something that is cost effective or if they are something that will be a waste of
your hard earned money.
We can help you with a few good tips about purchasing any item that may be
presented to you as a way to save energy on your home’s fuel usage. Take some
time to really think about what you are investing in before you do so. This alone
can save you money.
Tips for Analyzing Benefit
Take these tips to heart:
• What is the product promising to do for you? Any product that is
promising amazing results is probably not providing them. If there was a
miracle product out there, wouldn’t we all have it by now?
• What is the cost of this product in the first place? How much will it cost
you to purchase, install and then use this product?
http://www.capturegreenenergy.com/
8
• Does this cost actually figure any savings to you within the first days of
use? In other words, it should be able to immediately help you to save
money on your energy needs.
• Finally, how long will it take you to make up the difference in the cost of
the product over the amount of money you have invested in it? If you can
not get your costs back quick enough, it too may not be the right choice for
your needs.
When you take these things into consideration, you will find yourself better able
to understand the true benefit of any supposed energy savings gadget that is out
there. Now, there are sure to be those things that do actually work too. But, you
need to find them first.
Know Before You Buy
There are several things that you should know about before you invest in these
energy savings products as well. Now, mind you, if you are talking about a ten
dollar investment, it does not take all of this research. But, if you are talking
about replacing or amending any of your major energy producing systems in your
home, such as your furnace, then it pays to pay attention to the details.
One thing to find out is who the company that is offering this product actually is.
For example, who is marketing this product to you? If you can take a few
minutes to find this out, you can log into the Better Business Bureau’s website
and find out if in fact they have had any claims put in against the company or
person that may in fact have to do with this product.
You can also search for reviews of the product by using your favorite search
engine and the name of the product followed by the word review. When you do
this, you may find several different websites all providing a different look at what this product can or possibly will not do for you.
Take the time to determine if there are good or just bad points to this product.
http://www.capturegreenenergy.com/
9
Also beneficial is to take some time to learn about the way that the product’s
manufacturer backs up their claim. If you find that the product does not work as
effectively as it has promised, can you send it back to them? If so, before you
even purchase it, you should know where you can return it to get your funds back.
Doing these things is almost a must when you are purchasing from a company
that you have not heard about in the past. What’s more is that protecting yourself
is something you have to do.
Is It Worth The Cost?
There are plenty of traps out there that can really cut into any potential that you
have in gaining anything from a product. But, the bottom line is that the product
that you are purchasing to help you to save money must be able to actually do
that.
To do it, the cost of the product must be able to be made up quickly by the
product saving you the money.
You should also take some time to determine if this product fits a need that you
have. If you are investing in a $2000 new furnace for a home you do not use, it
may not be all that beneficial to you. But, if you use that furnace each day, then
this money can come back to you ten fold quickly, if the product is worth the
investment of course.
Finally, although we have said quite a few negative things here regarding
products on the market that may not be beneficial to your home’s energy efficient
needs, it is important to note that there are plenty of great companies and
services out there that actually are capable of providing the highest quality
service as well as lowering your costs for fuel.
In fact, if you think about it, solar panels wouldn’t be around if someone hadn’t
thought to use the sun’s powers to heat us.
You also would not have plenty of the other things that we use each and every day
to if someone hadn’t thought that this was a great idea and then made it happen.
http://www.capturegreenenergy.com/
10
Therefore, it does make good sense to insure that you do take the time to consider
what the product is and what it is promising. While there are scams out there,
there are also quite a few beneficial products on the market that can better your
ability to save money on your home’s fuel needs too.
http://www.capturegreenenergy.com/
11
Chapter 3: Getting Started By Finding Your Biggest
Needs
Now that you have an idea of how to go about considering any and all products
that you will put into your home, you should be considering what your biggest
potential need for your attention is.
As you found out just how much you are spending each month on your energy
needs, you should be able to see which your largest consumer is. For most
people, this is gas.
Gas
Gas is quite expensive and there is no doubt that in the coming years the prices of
it will continue to rise. But, there is more to consider than just that. Think about the fact that within the next sixty years, most scientists believe that we will have exhausted all of our crude oil supplies around the world, leaving all of us to face
the fact that there may not be any gas left to use.
As the supply of a product dwindles, the costs of it go up. To make matters
worse, we continue to use more and more gas each and every year.
In addition to that, gas is not the world’s healthiest fuel choice to burn. It does not help the environment when we burn it daily in our cars and to heat our
homes. Simply, depleting the vast resources we have a well as hurting the
environment while we use it are two reasons to stay away from gas usage.
So, what does this mean? It means that now is the time to look at how you can
save gas costs within your home. The prices are going to continue to rise and
there is no doubt your bills will continue to rise as well. Yet, this does not have to mean that you can keep losing a great deal of money either.
There are plenty of ways to save on gas, as you will see throughout this e-book. If it is your biggest cost in fuel usage in your home, this is where you want to start.
http://www.capturegreenenergy.com/
12
Others to Think About
Of course, gas it not the only type of fuel that you use in your home. In fact,
electricity can be another potential money saver is you learn to use it wisely. In
fact, all you need to do is to invest your time in finding out where you use these
fuel sources and how you can save in doing so.
What Do I Do Now?
Once you have found out what your fuel costs are and where your largest money
saver is, you can begin to look for answers to your specific needs in energy
savings. But, there are some other things to think about too.
Making the big changes can be costly. Therefore, you will want to do all of our
little changes first so that you can go back later and make larger ones with the
funds that you save. Here’s what we mean.
If you take the time to install some added insulation in your home, you will begin
to reap the benefits of needing less fuel to cool or to heat your home. Now, take
this savings and consider stockpiling it, so to speak. When you can, down the
road consider purchasing solar panels for your roof so that you can begin using
literally free power instead.
There is no doubt that some changes are going to be costly, but if you can find
them beneficial in the long run, they may be well worth it.
http://www.capturegreenenergy.com/
13
Chapter 4: Start Small For Big Savings
Throughout the next chapters in our e-book, you will find many, many different
tips and tricks to helping you to save money on your home’s energy needs.
But, as we mentioned, it is smart, even most beneficial to start small and work up
to larger changes in your home. Now, that does not mean that you can not do
both, but we will begin talking about some of the small, inexpensive ways that
you can begin to see energy efficiency in your home.
In the next pages, we will list some pretty simple things you can do right now to
get started at saving your hard earned money.
Insulate Your Water Heater
There are several things that you can improve with your water heater to see
benefits in energy savings.
First off, do you realize that you are heating water to a certain temperature for
your shower or your washing machine only to bring that temperature down by
mixing it with cold water so that it is usable? Most people can not use straight
hot water and that’s where some savings can come in. Lower the hot water
temperature to the lowest comfortable setting for your needs.
If you have an energy efficient hot water heater, you can save a great deal of
money just not heating the water as hot as you normally would. Most hot water
heaters have dials that you can use.
You can lower it just a bit or a good amount, just do not drop it below 120 F, as
this is an unsafe level for bacteria and sanitation reasons. This is especially
helpful if you have an electric heater.
Another thing to consider doing is to install a timer on your water heater. What
is the sense of warming water over and over during the day if you are not home or
do not use it during the day? Have the water heater timer kick on before you
come home from work so that hot water is ready and waiting for you.
http://www.capturegreenenergy.com/
14
Even better is insuring that the timer keeps the heater off during the night when
you know you won’t be using it. You can again set the temperature on your hot
water heater to aid in getting it right.
Probably one of the largest benefits in regards to your water heater is to have it
insulated. Most of the time, your water heater will already be insulated, you just
need to take it to the next step. By adding insulation around the outside of your
water heater, you are keeping the heat inside the water heater and therefore
reducing the need for the heater to turn on and heat, using fuel to do so.
This is a large benefit to anyone that is perhaps housing their water heater in the
basement or in another area of their home that is not heated.
There are two solutions here. First, you can purchase prepaid hot water heaters
to easily apply to your hot water heater. These fit snuggly over it and take just
minutes to install.
Another option is to consider making your own with strips of insulation cut the
size of the circumference of the water heater. Use duct tape to keep it in place.
Just be careful not to cover the areas where gas or piping are located otherwise
the water heater will not function properly for you.
Your Piping
The next big yet easy energy saving solution for you to consider is to insulate your home’s piping. Piping carries hot water to and from the various faucets in your
home. The route that it takes is important to consider.
In addition, it is important to insure that while the hot water is traveling to its
destination it is staying as hot as possible. If not, you will be tempted to just up the temperature on your hot water tank.
Yet, all you will need to do is to insulate the pipes to insure that the water
temperature does not drop when traveling form the hot water heater to the actual
place where you will use it.
http://www.capturegreenenergy.com/
15
This can be very beneficial to those that have piping that runs through areas of
your home that are not heated, such as the basement or even outside. When this
happens, the temperature of those pipes can become very cold, especially in
winter months, drastically lowering the temperature of the hot water you need.
To remedy this, just purchase and install insulation for your hot water pipes. You
will find very easy to use pre-made foam pipe insulation available to use.
To do so, just cut down one side of the insulation with a sharp knife so that you
can insert it over the top of the piping. Make sure to measure for a snug fit too.
Snap it onto the piping. When you come to a corner, joint or other angle, all you
need to do is to bend the foaming to form fit over the piping. Most of the time,
this is easy to do. Then, use duct tape to cover any of the slits you have made and the joints.
It also pays to do this with cold pipes as well. These pipes often sweat and then
drip onto the other hot pipes, again, lowering the temperature in them. In
addition, insulating them can help to protect them from freezing and or breaking
during winter months.
You’re Furnace
Your furnace is probably one of the largest consumers of energy in your home. It
makes sense that you should want to take into consideration any and all different
types of ways to keep those costs lower.
One of the simplest yet most effective methods to keeping your furnace running
efficient is to simply change the furnace filters often. Both your air conditioning units and your heating units have filters that allow air to pass through them.
When your filters are clogged with dust and other stuff, it makes it harder for the
air to get into your unit and therefore makes the unit work harder.
http://www.capturegreenenergy.com/
16
The harder that it works, the more energy it needs to have. In fact, if they are
overly clogged up, you can cause your entire unit to become overheated and then
find problems such as your compressor going.
See, the problem here is not the costs though. Your filters are likely to cost just a few dollars and they are even easy to replace. Yet, people just do not get to their furnace and take care of it as often as they should. You should check your furnace
filters each month.
There are two different types of filters you can use. The first is the standard type and these are very inexpensive to purchase and are disposable. Many people
dispose of these each month just to make it easier on themselves instead of
having to bother with checking them.
If you purchase other type, which is a more expensive, allergen and small particle
filter, you may not want to dispose of it each month. Rather, put it up to the light to see if in fact light can make it through. If not, then it is time to replace them which is likely to be one time every three or so months.
You may also have a self charging electrostatic filter. These filters still need your attention at least each month. Here, you will want to clean them monthly by
rinsing them from the clean side. These usually need to be replaced one time
every several years.
Another benefit that you can get from your furnace is to insure that you have it
checked and cleaned each year. You should do this as it can help to improve the
overall efficiency of the unit. Most heating and cooling experts say that having
the unit checked each month can help you to save throughout the year and keep
you from having to replace the unit too soon.
Ceiling Fans
Another aspect of your home that you can save some money on is the ceiling fan.
Most homes have these installed throughout them. If you do not, consider
adding them. Most of the time, they are not too costly, and can even be found
quite inexpensively.
http://www.capturegreenenergy.com/
17
You can save a great deal of money with ceiling fans if they are used right.
In the summer, use your ceiling fan in a counterclockwise direction. Allowing it
to spin this way will keep air moving. Moving air feels cooler and therefore you
will not need to use your air conditioning as much. In addition, it will help to
keep the air moving and keep the thermostat set higher. The air conditioning
units in homes will use a great deal more energy then that of a ceiling fan.
But, in the winter, you should use them as well. In this case, have them spin at
their lowest setting and in reverse (clockwise) so as to push the hot air that rises from the ceiling down onto the working area of your home.
At the lowest setting, it will not cause a breeze in your home either but will keep
the furnace from having to be set too low during the winter months.
In the coming chapters, we will talk more about other elements in your home that
need to be taken into consideration when it comes to energy efficiency.
There is no doubt that you may be thinking that covering your pipes and keeping
your hot water tank insulated are going to cost you some money. That is true. In
fact, you may find yourself spending a couple of dollars and investing some time
in making sure that those things are happening.
Yet, the benefits of doing these things with these units in your home are definite.
There is not doubt that you can keep your energy costs down by investing a little
money in these projects.
Chapter 5: You’re Window Savings
http://www.capturegreenenergy.com/
18
Consider your windows. Are they everything that they can be to you?
There is no doubt that windows in a home are necessary, but they can cost you a
great deal of money when it comes to energy. The fact here is that windows allow
for air to pass through them easily. In effect, they can be a huge part of you
energy usage.
In fact, those that have windows that are not providing a good amount of
insulation can be looking at up to 35 percent of their loss to come from their
windows. 35 percent of the energy that you use can be due to your windows.
Should You Replace?
To repair this problem, there are several things that you can do. First off, this is one case when you will want to carefully consider the benefits of replacing your
windows. If you have older windows, it may be necessary to replace them.
Windows on a home should be replaced any place from every ten years to every
twenty depending on the type of window and its insulation. It is not so much
their age, though, as the way in which they work.
What you are looking for is a good level of protection. You want the heat to stay
in during the winter months and the cold to stay out. Flip flop that for the
summer months. Nevertheless, this can be hard to do for older windows.
Those that have fewer than two panes of glass should be replaced for additional
energy efficiency, if your budget allows for it.
If there are cracks, breaks and other areas where the window is compromised,
these too should be replaced beyond a doubt.
But, when it comes to replacing windows, it is not necessary about purchasing the
most expensive one out there. Because the windows in your home make up such
a large, large faculty of the energy that you use, you want to purchase the highest
quality, energy efficient windows that you can.
http://www.capturegreenenergy.com/
19
They should look the way that you want them, but it is more important to get
those that will keep temperatures even throughout the home instead.
The cost of replacing windows is a large one, yet the fact is that they can save you a great deal.
It may be that you wish to wait a couple of additional months before purchasing
windows and that is just fine. In the meantime, why not consider any of these
other window tips to save you money?
The Candle Check
We can not always feel or see a draft that is being caused by your window. To
help you to see if there is in fact air coming through any area of your windows,
use the candle check.
• Take a candle (or you can use a piece of lightweight thread if you like) to
your windows. Do this on a windy day where the trees are moving.
• Next, run the candle or thread along the edges and the panes. Do this
slowly as to not move the candle fire or the thread any more than
necessary. Notice where the candle or thread moves. If there is movement
from an area, then this i