With cold weather comes another seasonal depressant — costly electric bills.
As fall sets in and jackets become essential, many people crank up the heat to stay warm in their homes.
Keeping heating bills low
As it goes, students most likely don’t have an exorbitant amount of money to spend on monthly bills. With these energy-saving techniques, keeping warm doesn’t have to be a huge investment.
Insulate windows and doors
Simply putting sheets of plastic over windows to create a seal can dramatically improve a room’s insulation.
“That’s where the majority of heat is lost, is through the window,” said Chris McTaggart, head of the sustainability committee for the MSU Student Housing Cooperative.
By sealing off windows, the heat in the room will be insulated and cold air outside can’t leak inside, McTaggart said. Home Depot, 936 S. Waverly Road, in Lansing, sells black and clear sheets of plastic for $38.27.
Duct tape also is a good way to insulate a window.
Just put the tape around the edges of the window where cold air would be most likely to seep through.
Professor Jim Detjen, the director of MSU’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, agrees that insulation is key.
“You can get window kits containing plastic that you can put over windows to help retain heat,” Detjen said.
Vet’s Ace Hardware, 2416 N. East St., in Lansing, sells indoor window insulation kits for $3.99-$9.99.
“You can also get door stoppers at Ace Hardware,” Detjen said. “Those are basically ways to plug in drafts under doors.”
Keep degrees down
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The most energy-efficient way to save money is to turn the heat off before bed, McTaggart said.
If a house has the heat on during the day, shutting it off at night can be very effective.
“It’s nice to come home to a nice and toasty house in the winter,” McTaggart said, “but if you can handle it, just have the temperature set lower and wear layers.”
Detjen said turning the heat down also reduces energy use.
“Especially if you’re on a tight budget, reducing the heat a few degrees can save you money when it comes to heating bills,” he said.
Use space heaters and electric blankets
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A good way to heat up a small space, like a dorm room or a bedroom, is to purchase a small space heater — if used in moderation.
Most space heaters come with different thermostat settings that can be adjusted depending on how warm the room needs to be.
Local stores such as Target, 4890 Marsh Road, in Okemos, and Wal-Mart, 3225 Towne Centre Blvd., sell space heaters for $14.99-$79.99.
Just remember not to keep these running for long periods of time or it’ll defeat the purpose of trying to save money.
If the heater isn’t enough, try an electric blanket.
Just put one between a comforter and a sheet and beds become warm and toasty in no time. Wal-Mart has a variety of different blankets to choose from, running from $29.96-$80.
Urban Options
For those interested in improving the energy use in their homes, Urban Options, 405 Grove St., offers a variety of services to help save energy and money.
“If someone was in a dorm, they could get energy audits done by Urban Options to come and see how they’re wasting energy,” Detjen said. “I strongly recommend contacting them to learn ways to save energy.”
Through its Web site at www.urbanoptions.org, a list of educational programs offered is available, as well as the information needed to schedule a home energy check-up.
“It costs $150 for this service, so it may be more for homeowners than students,” Detjen said. “If that’s a bit much, just go to the Web site and there are a bunch of tips on how to make a home more energy efficient.”
