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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
(NAPSI)-Here are tips to help keep your home comfortable without sending your heating bills through the roof.
• Take advantage of federal tax credits. Homeowners can receive a tax credit of up to $500 per home for qualifying improvements made in 2006, 2007 and 2008. Tax credits are available for many home improvements including high-efficiency heating and cooling equipment, such as propane water heaters and furnances. For more information, visit www.energytaxincentives.org.
• Keep out the cold. Experts say the average American home loses between 10 and 50 percent of its energy through inadequate insulation and inefficient lights and appliances. Insulate, especially in attics and basements, replace old, drafty windows and weather-strip doors.
• A time-set thermostat can cut annual heating bills by as much as 10 percent per year by turning your thermostat back 10 to 15 percent for eight hours a day.
• Upgrade to an Energy Star®-rated furnace or boiler to reduce heating bills by almost 30 percent.
• Always be prepared. Discuss fuel payment plan options with your propane retailer. Many retailers have budget payment plans that let you spread your projected annual cost of propane over many months, lowering the costs of seasonally higher bills. Arrange a regular propane delivery schedule with your propane supplier so you're never without fuel.
• Inspect and tune up your heating system regularly to keep it efficient.
• Switch to a propane water heater. Over time, propane water heaters can save up to a third compared to electricity and they heat more than twice as much water in an hour as a comparable electric model, reports the Propane Education & Research Council.
• Turn down your water heater from the standard 120 degrees to 115 degrees. You could save more than 10 percent on your water heating bill.
• Change your furnace filter monthly. Clean filters will increase efficiency. If you're on a monthly payment plan, use receipt of your monthly propane bill as a reminder.
• Wrap your water heater in an insulating blanket.
• Increase your water heater's efficiency by draining it every six months to remove mineral deposits and sediment.
• Install flow-restricting showerheads. You can cut hot water usage by up to 50 percent without affecting shower pressure.
• Run washing machines, clothes dryers and dishwashers only with a full load.
For additional tips and information or to learn more about propane, visit www.usepropane.com or call (202) 452-8975.
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