In the face of rising utility rates this winter, experts cite many cheap or low-cost strategies Oregonians can use around their homes to save on their energy bills.
Jami Seymore, a spokesperson for Energy Trust of Oregon, a nonprofit that helps people and businesses save energy and money, said heating is most often a household’s largest energy expense, especially during winter, but it’s also likely their biggest opportunity to save. For starters, she recommended paying careful attention to any place where warm air can escape.
“All those little small gaps and cracks around the house, whether that is around your windows, your pipes, your exhaust fans, all of those in a typical home can add up to about the same loss of energy and comfort as leaving a window open year round,” she said.
Seymore said it is best to focus on sealing up gaps before adding insulation, in order to get the most benefits from it.
Research shows nearly one in three Americans struggled to pay utility bills last year.
Seymore said one of the easiest ways to save money is keep your thermostat a little lower. She recommends keeping it around 66 degrees while at home and lowering it by a few degrees at night or when no one is home. She also encouraged people to change their air filters every three months or more during heavy-use seasons to keep heating and cooling systems efficient.
“If you check it and your air filter is dirty, change it, because a dirty air filter is really going to make your system work a lot harder,” she said. “And that’s a big waste on energy.”
If people are struggling to pay utility bills, Seymore said, they should check with their utility provider, which may have programs to help, especially during the winter. She said Energy Trust of Oregon offers cash incentives that lower the cost of energy-saving tools such as insulation, windows and heat pumps – with higher incentives for low to moderate-income households.
By Isobel Charle – Producer, Oregon News Service
