How well do you control your energy usage

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around energy usage control in residential settings, focusing on insulation, heating, cooling, and energy-efficient practices. Participants share personal experiences and strategies related to energy conservation, the effectiveness of various home improvements, and the impact of building codes on energy efficiency.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants discuss the importance of insulation, mentioning updated building codes, double-glazed windows, and cavity wall insulation as key factors in controlling energy usage.
  • One participant highlights their efforts in sealing cracks and updating storm windows in an older home, while another mentions the challenges of energy issues in older constructions.
  • Several participants share their methods for monitoring and adjusting heating and cooling systems, including the use of real-time energy monitors and HVAC vent adjustments.
  • There is a debate about the balance between comfort and energy conservation, with some participants expressing a willingness to pay more for comfort while others suggest alternative methods like wearing sweaters instead of increasing heating.
  • Participants discuss the potential benefits of solar panels, with one noting a 20% savings on electricity bills, while others raise concerns about state policies affecting net metering for solar energy.
  • Some participants reflect on the irony of temperature preferences in summer and winter, while others share strategies for maximizing natural heating and cooling through window management.
  • There are discussions about the effectiveness of LED lighting as a means to reduce energy consumption, with mixed experiences regarding initial costs versus long-term savings.
  • One participant raises questions about the value of storm windows, citing conflicting information about their effectiveness in reducing energy costs.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a variety of views on energy conservation strategies, with no clear consensus on the effectiveness of specific methods like storm windows or the necessity of solar panels in new builds. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the best practices for balancing comfort and energy efficiency.

Contextual Notes

Some claims about the effectiveness of home improvements and energy-saving measures are based on personal experiences and anecdotal evidence, with participants acknowledging the complexity of energy efficiency in older homes versus newer constructions.

  • #31
wolram said:
Like is your house insulated to updated code, double glazed widows, cavity wall insulation, Do you control you energy usage
The house my wife and I live in is fairly new (built in '98), so it adheres to all the building codes in place then. All the windows and sliders are double pane, and the walls, ceiling, and floors are well insulated. I replaced the outside lights with LED bulbs a few months ago, and I replaced the switch for them with a timer.

The thermostat is digital, and is set to accommodate my wife's preferences for heating. The thermostat comes on when she gets up (she's still working -- I'm retired), and go off at 9AM. She gets home about 3PM, so the thermostat kicks in again at that time, and goes off at 10:30PM, with a setting of 60 deg (F). When it's on, it's set for 69 deg (F). If it were just me, I would set it a bit cooler, but she isn't as well adapted to cooler temps as I am. The house is well enough insulated that it almost never cools down to 60 during the night, which would cause the theirmostat to start the furnace.

Our house is in W. Washington, where the temps are pretty moderate. During the winter, it might get down into the low teens (F) for a few days, but this is pretty rare. In summer, the high temps can get to the mid-90s (F), but the usual temps are mid-70s to mid-80s (F) (say 20 to 25 deg. C). As a consequence, very few houses are air conditioned. In the almost 50 years I've lived in this state, I've only ever seen it get above 100 deg. (F) twice.
 
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  • #32
russ_watters said:
Hehe - where I live, 20-30F is a common daytime high in the middle of winter.

Another issue that can get complicated is how to heat your home when you have multiple methods available. I generally recommend using a space heater for a bit of spot heating in the room you are in, but if you overdo that, it may end up costing you, especially if you have natural gas fired central heat. If the electric space heater is really blasting, it might cost more to heat that room than it would to heat your whole house with gas.

We have a coal fire which heats the house and the water, people think a coal fire is inefficient but we only stoke it up three times a day.
 

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