Keeping Cool, Part Two

Susan S. Kaplan

Marketing & Outreach Coordinator, Department of Energy Resources

View Susan's Complete Bio

Do you know that a typical U.S. household spends almost 20 percent of its utility bill on cooling? To make your dollars go further, you can take several low cost steps to stop wasting energy and save money.

* Remember to have your HVAC system serviced annually to ensure it’s running at optimum efficiency for money and energy savings.

* Swap out incandescent bulbs with more energy-efficient lighting choices. Energy Star qualified lighting not only uses less energy, it also produces about 75 percent less heat than incandescent lighting, so cooling bills will be reduced, too.

* Seal your air ducts. As much as 20 percent of the air moving through your home’s duct system is lost due to leaks and poor connections. Seal duct work using mastic sealant or metal tape and insulate all the ducts that you can access (such as those in attics, crawlspaces, unfinished basements, and garages).

* Make sure that connections at vents and registers are well-sealed where they meet floors, walls, and ceilings. These are common locations to find leaks and disconnected ductwork.

For help with these and other energy saving actions, contact Mass Save, an initiative sponsored by Massachusetts’ gas and electric utilities and energy efficiency service providers, which work closely with the Department of Energy Resources.