University of Missouri Extension

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Key way to decrease your home's energy consumption?
Barbara Buffaloe
Architectural Studies
College of Human Environmental Studies
University of Missouri-Columbia

Improving the energy efficiency of your home reduces the amount of energy you need to use to keep it warm or cool. The highest amount of home energy consumption is done by your home’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems.

An easy, low-cost way to increase efficiency in your HVAC system is to clean or replace your furnace’s air filter on a monthly basis.
Annual checkups of your HVAC system by a professional are also an easy way to maintain the appliance’s efficiency.
A programmable thermostat has a moderate upfront cost but can save around $150 annually by automatically adjusting your thermostat to energy-saving temperatures while you are not home.
Maintaining your system’s ductwork is an easy way to ensure overall efficiency.
Updating these systems with Energy Star-rated appliances can have a significant initial cost that ends up saving you money on your utility bills.

Additional low-cost methods for reducing your home’s energy consumption:

Cleaning refrigerator coils; removing frost from freezers
Keep lights clean; shut off when not in use
Replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescents
Leave your South-facing windows’ curtains open in winter and closed in summer to collect or prevent solar heat gain.
Installing insulators behind electrical outlets
Re-leveling your blown-in attic insulation
Insulating attic access door
Setting ceiling fans in up-flow mode
Insulating Water Heater and set its thermostat to 120°
Weather-stripping around windows and doors

Additional moderate to significant upfront cost methods for saving energy include:

Adding insulation to walls and ceiling
Replacing / adding ventilation systems
Replacing doors and windows with Energy Star-rated models

It can be helpful to do a home energy audit to determine your household’s current energy use. For additional information please refer to the Missouri FAmilies Housing Feature article on heading off your rising heating bills.

For more information see: http://missourifamilies.org/quick/housingqa/housingqa17.htm

Take credit for saving energy
Amanda Schad, Editorial Assistant, Extension and Ag Information,
University of Missouri

If you have recently added energy-efficient improvements to your home, the payoff can be threefold. Energy-efficient items protect the environment and can save you money on utility bills. Now they can save you money on taxes as well, according to a University of Missouri Extension tax expert.

In 2005, President Bush signed the Energy Policy Act to offer tax credits on qualifying energy-efficient appliances, vehicles and home improvements. The tax credits apply to home items purchased and installed between Jan. 1, 2006 and Dec. 31, 2007. Other tax credits are available for solar panels, hybrid cars and cars that use alternative fuels.

“The federal tax credits for energy efficiency are meant to offset the cost of energy improvements and appliances,” said Andrew Zumwalt, an associate with MU Extension’s Voluntary Income Tax Assistance program.

“Credit is broken down into two types: residential energy property costs and qualified energy efficiency improvements,” Zumwalt said. “The efficiency improvements keep the heat in or keep the cool in. The property is what actually produces the heat or cool.”

Homeowners who have installed qualified improvements to their primary home, such as insulation, exterior windows or doors or a metal roof, can receive credit equal to 10 percent of the amount paid or incurred. Assembly or installation fees cannot be counted toward the credit amount.

Homeowners who have installed residential energy property, such as certain electric heat pumps, air conditioners and water heaters, qualified furnaces or hot water boilers, can receive credit for any costs incurred in 2006.

The total amount of credit available for these additions is limited to $500 for both 2006 and 2007.

To receive credit for an Energy Saver home improvement, homeowners should fill out IRS Form 5695. “In addition to filling out the form correctly, you also need to be able to show receipts of purchase and either the Energy Star label or the manufacturer’s certification statement,” said Barbara Buffaloe, associate in the MU Housing and Environmental Design program.

Check the manufacturer’s Web site to see what specific documentation is required and whether you need to include the documentation with your taxes or just keep it on file, she said.

Even if the energy-saving device you were thinking of purchasing isn’t on the tax credit list, there are still benefits to owning it, Buffaloe said.

“With an energy-efficient appliance, there is an initial upfront cost,” she said. “But, the life-cycle cost savings, or savings from lower energy bills for the life of the appliance or improvement, will make up for it. Plus, if you plan to sell your home, you can promote those additions as an extra bonus.”

For more information see: http://missourifamilies.org/features/financearticles/cfe21.htm

REDUCE YOUR GASOLINE CONSUMPTION AND SAVE

With rising gas prices, saving a little at the pump can add up to substantial savings. Consider that if gas costs $3.25 per gallon (which gas prices could very well hit this summer) and you waste even just 1 pint each day at 41 cents a pint, that’s $12.30 a month. Multiply that by 3-4 months and you have a free tank of gas!

Here are some tips to increase your car’s fuel efficiency, save money and help the environment all at the same time.

♦ Walk or bike whenever possible.
The best way to save on gas is not to buy it. Check to see if your community has any organizations or programs to promote the development of an integrated bicycling, wheeling, and pedestrian network. (Here in Columbia, visit http://www.pednet.org/)

♦ If possible, adjust your work schedule to arrive and leave work at off times to avoid peak rush hours and traffic jams.
You’ll spend less time idling in traffic and consume less fuel.

♦ On short trips or at low speeds, air conditioners dramatically reduce gas mileage. Drive with your windows down or run your air conditioning at a lower setting.

♦ At high speeds, open windows create drag and reduce your gas mileage, so it’s cheaper to use air conditioning on highways.

♦ Turn off the air conditioning a few minutes before you reach your destination. Let the fan circulate the cool air.

Cars in poor running condition use more gas. Even if you don’t do the work yourself, a tune-up will pay for itself in better gas mileage.

♦ Clean or change the air filter. According to www.fueleconomy.gov replacing or cleaning a clogged air filter can improve your car’s gas mileage by as much as 10 percent.

♦ Use the recommended grade of motor oil.
Using the manufacturer’s recommended grade of motor oil can improve your gas mileage by 1-2 percent. Look for motor oil that says “Energy Conserving” on the API performance symbol to be sure it contains friction-reducing additives.

♦ Steel-belted radial tires may increase gasoline mileage by up to 10 percent.

Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) can lower your gas mileage by 33 percent at highway speeds and by 5 percent around town.

♦ Don’t “top off the tank”. Some of the gas may expand in the heat and overflow from the tank.

♦ Don’t use a higher octane gas than you need. Most cars are built to run on regular unleaded gas.

Dump the garbage
While it’s important to have a spare tire and an emergency kit, check to see if you’re carrying extra unnecessary weight. Remove the pet food, kitty litter, chains or school books from the trunk and you’ll save money. The more weight you haul, the more it costs.

♦ Fuel is an important part of the total cost of owning a car. Selecting a fuel efficient car can save you thousands of dollars. Assuming a gas price of $3.00 per gallon, the difference between a car that gets 20 miles per gallon and one that gets 30 miles per gallon amounts to $4,063 over a 5-year period. (To calculate the savings for your own situation, visit http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/savemoney.shtml ).

Electric space heaters can help offset soaring heating bills — here’s how to use them safely

Robert Thomas, information specialist, MU Extension and Agricultural Information, University of Missouri

         Families using electric space heaters to offset the soaring cost of natural gas to heat their home this winter should consider several safety measures, said a University of Missouri safety specialist.

        A portable electric space heater allows you to warm rooms most used while lowering the setting on the home's central heating unit, but be cautious, said Karen Funkenbusch. "Electric heaters don't have an open flame, but heating elements can be hot enough to ignite nearby combustibles like draperies, paper, clothing or furniture," she said. According to national statistics, portable and fixed-space heaters caused a disproportionate share of the home-heating fire deaths. Space heaters were involved in 25 percent of the home heating fires and 74 percent of the deaths. The leading cause of most space heater fires was the ignition of combustibles left too close to the heater.

      Be sure to check surrounding objects and refer to the manufacturer's instructions to see how far the heater should be placed from combustible materials, she said.

Regardless of the type of heater you use, be sure to have a smoke detector on each floor of your house, Funkenbusch said.

Parts of this article were adapted from: "Electronic Space Heaters," Publication #98, U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission at http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/pubs/hard.html

What Do Increased Fuel Prices Mean for Farmers?

     What do increased fuel prices mean for the local farmer? Researchers at the University of Missouri have some basic numbers that help answer that question, but the impact also depends on what the producer is raising.

      “Per acre costs for fuel and fertilizer for growing corn could be up 15 to 19 percent from 2004,” said Dave Whitson, agricultural business specialist, University of Missouri Extension. Fuel and fertilizer costs are closely linked as natural gas is used in the process of manufacturing nitrogen fertilizer, and the cost of transportation is directly related to the fertilizer cost. “The fact is, cropping practices, application rates and contracts made last fall can affect the current cost,” said Whitson.

      The soybeans costs range from $23 to $34 per acre. However, soybean production generally requires less fuel per acre. Soybean plants are a legume so they save the producer money by fixing nitrogen from the air, mostly eliminating the need for that fertilizer. “Fuel and fertilizer production costs for wheat now range from $34 to $43 per acre, an expected increase of more than 14 percent from 2004,” said Whitson.

      For fertilizer, the increases and volatility of prices for natural gas have surpassed those for gasoline and diesel. Adding to the problem is closure of U.S. nitrogen fertilizer manufacturing plants. Over 20 percent of the domestic production capacity for nitrogen fertilizer has been lost since mid-2000 due to permanent plant closings. “In general, fuel consumption ranges from 3 to 10 gallons of fuel per acre, depending on the crop grown and the type of tillage used. Some crops that require irrigation and drying for storage could have much higher fuel use,” said Whitson.

       The Illinois Farm Business Management Association indicated that corn-soybean farmers averaged $8.95 per acre for fuel and oil in 2004. “If fuel prices remain at the current level, we would expect the increased cost of fuel for 2005 to be 75 percent higher, making the fuel cost nearly $16 per acre,” said Whitson.

Extension specialists agree …
Fuel Saving Steps Can Help
Farm’s Bottom-line This Year

      Since oil prices raise the cost of gasoline and diesel to power farm tractors, Extension specialists agree steps can be taken that will have a positive impact on a farm’s bottom-line this year.

FORAGE
     Gary Naylor, a livestock specialist with University of Missouri Extension in Buffalo, Mo. has some suggestions based on his own experience. “It is a lot less expensive to let the cattle harvest the forage than machinery. This might mean electric fencing so you control where the animal eats,” said Naylor. Spraying for weeds would also take less horsepower than brush hogging according to Naylor.

SOIL TEST
     Dr. Gordon Carriker, an Extension agriculture business specialist in Ozark, Mo., says the first step to saving fuel on the farm is taking a soil test. “If producers don't have to put down lime or fertilizer, they reduce fuel costs and the higher costs of petroleum-derived fertilizers. If they do need fertilizer, they should put down just the amount the soil test recommends,” said Carriker. It is also important to calibrate chemical spraying equipment, so producers know they are putting down the correct amount of herbicide/insecticide.

NO-TIL
     Ed Browning, natural resources engineering specialist with Extension, says cutting back on tillage is another cost-savings step worth considering. “Consider using minimum tillage to reduce the number of trips over the field, or this might be the time to switch to no-til planting,” said Browning.

TRACTORS
     When it comes to farm tractors, keeping equipment maintained and serviced will reduce fuel usage according to Bob Schultheis, Extension’s natural resource engineering specialist in Marshfield, Mo.
“Do things like repair fuel and oil leaks, clean or replace air filters, use the recommended grade of motor oil and use properly inflated radial tires,” said Schultheis.   Properly-inflated radial tires provide a larger, flatter footprint than bias-ply tires.

      “Tractor owners should also gear-up and throttle down. In other words, reduce engine RPM up to 20 percent and shift to a higher gear to maintain ground speed. This will result in 15 to 30 percent fuel savings,” said Schultheis.

BALLAST
      It is also a good idea to use ballast to keep wheels from slipping and using more fuel and keep tires properly inflated.    Ballast the tractor to allow 8 to 15 percent wheel slip for the best efficiency. See MU Guide G1235 at http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/agengin/g01235.htm for more details.

MULTIPLE USES
      One of the easiest, but most overlooked steps, is combining errands to eliminate multiple trips, and using two-way radios to communicate with those in the field, instead of driving out to check on them.    Schultheis says it is also a good idea to consider modifying equipment, so you can perform multiple field operations in one pass.    “Match the tractor to the load. Investigate whether auto-steer technology can make your farming more efficient by eliminating equipment overlap,” said Schultheis.

Fans Increase Air Circulation,

Decrease Cooling Costs

    The hot, humid weather of summer makes families look for ways to stay cool at home.

    According to Donna Chilton, housing and environmental design specialist, University of Missouri Extension, natural ventilation is a great way to cut utility costs, but it is sometimes not enough to keep cool and comfortable.

    “Fans, particularly ceiling fans, are a good option to increase air circulation while saving energy. Central and window air-conditioning units use a lot of energy and are expensive to operate, but they are more effective in controlling humidity,” Chilton said.

CEILING FANS
     There are two ways ceiling fans can reduce cooling costs:

      Using ceiling fans instead of an air conditioner will give the most savings, up to 80 percent off cooling costs. Using fans with your air conditioner increases air circulation and makes you feel cooler at a higher temperature.

     “By using fans, the thermostat can be raised two to six degrees without losing comfort, resulting in a 15 to 30 percent savings,” said Chilton.

     In addition to ceiling fans, oscillating fans or box fans also can be used to help circulate air in the home. Oscillating fans rotate from side to side and cool a wide area. Box fans do not rotate, but they can be placed wherever air circulation is needed.

     “Just remember, box fans are not as energy efficient as ceiling or oscillating fans,” said Chilton.

WHOLE-HOUSE FANS
      A popular alternative to ceiling, oscillating and box fans are the whole-house fan, which can save up to 60 percent off cooling costs if used in place of an air conditioner.

     The whole-house fan is placed in the attic where it draws hot, stale air up through roof vents while fresh air is drawn in through the windows of the house. This breeze makes the indoor temperature seem cooler.

     This is an energy-efficient cooling option, but the whole-house fan may not be powerful enough when the temperature exceeds 85 degrees or when humidity exceeds 75 percent.

      “One disadvantage of the whole-house fan is that windows must be open at least part of the time, and humidity, dust and pollen control may be a problem,” Chilton said.

     The thing to remember, according to Chilton, is that any type of fan used in the home will increase air circulation.

     “Circulated air helps people feel cooler at higher temperatures and requires less work from the air-conditioning. Since fans use less energy than air-conditioning units, it is worth considering some type of fan to help you stay cool in your home,” Chilton said.(return to top)

Make Energy Savings Goal With
New Refrigerators
by Donna Chilton, Environmental Design Specialist

A refrigerator can account for as much as 15 percent of a home’s total energy use according to Donna Chilton, environmental design specialist, University of Missouri of Missouri Extension.

“If you’re thinking about replacing your refrigerator, or you are shopping for a new one because of a loss related to the May 4 storms, shop with energy costs in mind. Energy-efficient appliances will be more expensive to purchase, but they will cost less to operate over the lifetime of the appliance,” said Chilton.

Energy Guide labels can help consumers make valuable cost comparisons impacted by efficiency. The bright yellow and black labels show the estimated yearly electricity consumption to operate an appliance, along with a scale for comparison among similar models. The scale shows the least and most energy used by comparable models.

When shopping for a new appliance, Chilton recommends looking for the ENERGY STAR® label. ENERGY STAR® labeled refrigerators incorporate a number of advanced features to save energy while keeping food fresh. ENERGY STAR® refrigerators exceed minimum federal standards for energy consumption by at least 10 percent.

“An ENERGY STAR® refrigerator saves between $35 and $70 in energy costs per year, compared to models built 10 years ago,” Chilton said. “These manufacturers use better insulation, more efficient compressors, improved heat transfer surfaces and more precise temperature and defrost mechanisms to make a more efficient refrigerator.”

REDUCE YOUR GASOLINE CONSUMPTION AND SAVE

Not too Late to Winterize Home against the Cold

Not too Late to Winterize Home
against the Cold