by Jerry Loney

A touch of frost has come, and the changing colors give us the clear warning winter is coming. Every year it seems I send out a message reminding you to get ready for winter (as if it isn’t obvious), and every year I talk on how to be more energy efficient. I might even sound like a broken record, but the simplest things do make a difference. Below are some affordable and no-cost things that can be done to reduce energy consumption.

• Set the thermostat to 68 degrees. 
• Run ceiling paddle fans on low, blowing upwards.
• Change furnace filter monthly.
• Ensure windows are sealed by locking them. 
• Insulate exterior wall outlets and switches   with foam pads.
• Caulk along windows and doors with a clear sealant.
• Close fireplace dampers when not in use.
• Caulk all exterior wall penetrations.
• Close drapes at night to keep heat in. Open during the day for solar heat.  
• Insulate attic access door.
• Do not close off unused rooms that are conditioned by forced-air systems. 
• Do not close supply air registers.
• Check to be sure return grilles are not blocked by furniture or bookcases.
• Do not use roof-top power ventilator for attic exhaust.
• Use heavy-duty, clear sheets of plastic on the inside of windows to reduce the amount of cold air entering your home.
• Minimize use of electric space heaters.
• Ensure Air Source Heat Pumps are kept clean and free of debris.
• When using the fireplace, reduce heat loss by opening damper in the bottom of the firebox (if provided) or open the nearest window slightly.
• In basements, caulk and seal the sill plate and band joist.
• Ensure floor registers are not blocked with rugs, drapes or furniture. 
• If in unconditioned space, insulate your ducts and make sure they are tightly connected to your HVAC equipment.

If you can invest in equipment that would require savings over a short period of time, hundreds of dollars each year in heating costs could be saved.

Again I need to express the benefits of Air Source Heat Pumps (ASHPs). Instead of creating heat, they move heat. Even with cold outdoor temperatures, there is heat in it, and heat pumps pull that heat into your home without creating more emissions from fossil fuel furnaces.

Electricity is needed to operate ASHPs but at a much lower amount than is needed to create heat for the space. A normal heat pump can heat your home down to 20 degrees before losing the 250% to 300% efficiencies they produce. And now today, there are ASHPs that will heat homes down to -10 degrees without starting an alternate heat source. It is true that as the temperature drops so does their efficiency, but the operating costs are still less than that of changing fossil fuel costs. Take a new Cold Climate Air Source Heat Pump (CCASHP), for instance, which the specifications say will heat down to -10 degrees (even their efficiency drops with temperature), but there are still efficiencies by moving heat than having to produce it. In Minnesota there are 69 days from October – April when temperatures are below freezing and, of those, 21.5 days that fall below zero degrees annually.

Your 2,500 square foot home has a 75,000 Btu 90% efficient propane furnace that burns 0.23 gallons per hour with temperatures at 20 degrees. This is the temperature where most ASHPs need to be turned off and alternate fuel sources used. At 0.23 gallons per hour, you would be consuming 5.52 gallons per day. With propane cost at $2.00 per gallon, heating costs would be $11.04 per day.

The equivalent in electricity of 0.23-gallon x 91,500 Btu’s per gallon / 3412 Btu’s per kW = 6.17 kW per hour or 148 kWh per day. With ASHP efficiencies between 250% – 300%, 59.2 – 49 kWh per day. On the general service rate of $0.1288, the cost of operating that ASHP would be between $7.62 and $6.31 per day, or roughly half of that for $2.00 per gallon propane.

If you would place your ASHP on the Dual Fuel rate of $0.067 you could reduce your heating cost further from $7.62 to $4.02 or from $6.31 to $3.32 per day.

[re: chart below]

Propane $11.04 per day

ASHP on General service rate $7.60 – $6.31

ASHP on Dual Fuel program rate $4.02 – $3.32.

To learn more about saving money on your energy bills give me a call at 218-743-1313.

Until next time.

Jerry