Green-e-ology – Conserving The Heat

Old Man Winter is sneaking up on us – making his way through fallen leaves, rain puddles and dark skies. The days are shorter and the nights are colder. I’ve officially been moved out of flip-flops and tank-tops and pushed towards a cold weather wardrobe.

I love the seasonal change – the falling leaves, cold winds, rain and future falling snow are the sugar and spice of the season. But no matter what my level of love is for the cold front moving in, I don’t dig the rise in heating costs that tags along with it.

I’ve begun hauling out the wool blankets and adjusting the thermostat to manage the cool wet weather. Unfortunately, as the temperature inside our home rises to keep us cozy, it slips right on out through our many cracks, crooks and crannies. And those same spots are bringing cold air in. Honestly, there are sections where you can feel the wind!

You see, we have a 100-year old house that leaks like crazy. Our house is dreadfully inefficient and its age, charm and character are becoming rather expensive. Last winter we went through almost $2000 worth of oil!

[excuse me while I catch my breath – it’s still painful]

I don’t want to go through that much money or oil this season. It’s just ridiculously wasteful on all fronts.

There’s a lengthy list of reasons as to why our home is so inefficient – an old house not tightly constructed, poor insulation in some spots and no insulation in others, old single pain aluminum windows and numerous cracks around door and window frames to name a few. No matter what and where - we are losing warm air and gaining cold air. Something needs to be done.

My wheels have been spinning with energy conservation tactics to battle this persistent winter problem. Our home is going through a major renovation – okay, complete overhaul – so there will be issues while we level and re-insulate and construct and replace. But, there are things we can do to alleviate the amount of heat leaking from our home this season – making it comfortable and economical during this time of construction.

There are many factors to consider – the main ones being time and money, but things like my spouse being perpetually chilly and the comfort of guests (just temperature wise, I can’t do anything about the lack of doors and hideous interior quite yet!).

So after some thinking and some research, I’ve come up with two lists sorted by the reality of them happening – “immediate” and “future”.

This is what’s about to happen/already is happening:

-Install a programmable thermostat to replace the manual one (already purchased),

-Cover unused outlet covers (done),

-Turn down the thermostat at night and during times we are out of the house (done),

-Cover the windows with plastic (bought & scheduled for this weekend!),

-Block drafts with a door snake (looking for pattern to sew my own),

-Use caulk and/or expandable foam to seal leaks around doors, windows and around plumbing,

-Take a water bottle to bed,

-Layer up with socks, sweats and sweaters instead of cranking up the heat (only the spouse left to comply!),

-Cut off the fingers of gloves and wear them around the house (not loving but willing to try),

-Use electric blanket (must dig that out),

-Clear obstacles from heat registers,

-Enjoy a warm libation (all over this one!),

-Explore passive solar heating (found lots of information so far),

-Ensure the furnace filter is clean,

-Install weather stripping around doors and windows,

-Close registers in unused rooms and

-Pile on the blankets (done).

This is what’s planned for the future (when money and time allow):

-Replace current furnace with a high efficiency furnace,

-Consider storm windows,

-Replace all windows with double pane energy efficient windows,

-Install window shades and/or curtains on all windows,

-Place sufficient insulation inside our walls,

-Close off unused rooms (when we have bedroom doors!),

-Implement passive solar heating (if it works for our house),

-Install a wood stove with insert,

-Replace our oil tank with some other back-up heating system (heat pump or electric baseboards),

-Pad our attic with sufficient insulation and

-Get an energy audit to tell us where the major leaks are and get an idea of the overall cost and benefits of stopping them.

These lists are nowhere near complete– research, evaluation and re-evaluation are ongoing around here. The spouse and I have a plethora of ideas aimed towards attaining an eco-erific house.

Of course, each home differs but doing as much as you can, can save some energy and some money. Even steps that seem trivial (covering unused outlet covers) matter. Every little bit counts and collectively small bits add up to big energy savings.

In no way am I reinventing the wheel here. I’m just a girl doing her best to get green and save some green.

As the mercury starts its dive below zero, what have you done/or are planning to do to get your home more heat efficient? I would love to know.

All photos and content © B. Clempson

Tags: Bevin Clempson, Comox Valley, energy, energy conservation, energy efficient, energy saving, energy-efficient buildings, green living, heat conservation, heating costs, low-cost heating, Our Big Earth Media Co., The Green Home, Vancouver Island

Category: HEALTH & HOME, The Green Home