Resources

• 'Tis the Season to Tune Up Your Home's Heating System
• Top Ten Tips to Manage Your Heating Bill

Energy-Efficient Heating Tips

• During sunny days, keep the curtains open on windows facing south and west.
• Move furniture away from the air registers.
• Caulk and weatherstrip windows and doors. Plug gaps around pipes, ducts, fans and vents that go through exterior walls
• Get your heating system tuned up.
• Set the thermostat as low as comfort permits. Each degree over 68°F can add 3 percent to the amount of energy needed for heating.
• An efficient temperature setting for the overnight hours or when you’re away is 10° lower.
• A fireplace is not a good way to heat your home.
• About 60 percent of your energy bill this winter goes to heating your home.
• In the heating season, water vapors from bathing and cooking are beneficial because they help humidify the home. Use kitchen and bath exhaust fans sparingly in the winter to keep as much heat as possible inside your house.
• In the winter, the air is normally dry inside your house, which is a disadvantage because people typically require a higher temperature to be comfortable than they would in a humid environment. Therefore, efficient humidifiers are a good investment for energy conservation.
• Locate the heating thermostat on an inside wall and away from windows and doors. Cold drafts will cause the thermostat to keep the system running even when the rest of the house is warm enough.
• Lubricate pump and blower bearings regularly in accordance with manufacturers' recommendations to limit the amount of energy lost to friction and to extend equipment life as well.
• Close heating vents and radiator valves in unused rooms. Make sure that drapes, plants, or furniture do not block registers for supply or return air.

Buying Tip

• Consider buying a high-efficiency electric air source or ground source heat pump. Look for units with the ENERGY STAR logo.

Energy-Efficient Heating Products

GeoExchange Systems

• GeoExchange heating and cooling systems (also known as "ground source heat pumps" or "geothermal heat pumps") use the constant temperature of the earth to provide heating comfort in the winter and cooling in the summer. Along with their high level of comfort, they provide the highest levels of efficiency for heating and cooling. In fact, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency performed a study and concluded that GeoExchange systems provided the lowest operating costs and best environmental performance, even when compared to advanced fossil fuel systems.
• Studies have shown that GeoExchange systems can save homeowners 30 - 70 percent on their heating bills and 20 - 50 percent on their cooling bills, when compared to standard heating and cooling systems.
• There are now a large number of builders and contractors who have experience with the installation of these systems, along with hundreds of thousands of satisfied homeowners.
• Some sample Web sites for products:
  • EPA Energy Star program for geothermal heat pumps
  • GeoExchange Information Center for homes
  • FHP Manufacturing Inc. Geothermal Information
  • WaterFurnace International Inc. product information

Disclaimer: The Web sites provided are for information purposes only. EEI does not endorse the manufacturers or distributors shown, nor does it make any guarantee about product performance. EEI is not responsible for any of the content, pricing, or claims on the following Web sites.