Here are some great tips from our friends at Rinnai for saving money, and ‘Going Green!’

Greenify with Rinnai

With fuel prices on the rise, people are looking for numerous methods to save on utilities. Rinnai has already generated up to 40% in energy cost savings with your tankless water heater. Additional basic, eco-friendly practices will further reduce your carbon footprint and your utility bill.

1. The Heat Is On (Efficiently): Replace kerosene and electric heaters with a Rinnai Direct Vent Furnace. These units deliver warmth and comfort, along with savings over their counterparts. Sealed combustion minimizes indoor heat loss and ensures safety.

2. Bright Idea: Switch to compact florescent light bulbs (CFLs) that use about 20% of the power needed by incandescent bulbs of equivalent luminosity and last six to 10 times as long. Though more expensive, CFLs save more than five times their average price over their life-span. Mercury-containing CFLs require special recycling and careful handling if broken. Brighter idea: Convert to light-emitting diodes (LEDs) that will illuminate for 100,000 hours.

3. Make Your Temperature: Save energy in winter by setting the thermostat to 68°F while awake and lower by several degrees when sleeping or away from home. By turning the thermostat back 10° to 15° for eight hours, you’ll save about 5% to 15% annually on heating. Apply the same idea in summer by keeping the thermostat at 78°F while at home and warmer when out. Synch to Your Schedule: Programmable thermostats will adjust the internal climate to your schedule to avoid any discomfort upon waking or returning home.

4. Plug the Drain: Avoid sapping energy by plugging TVs, DVD players, DVRs, and more into power strips that may be turned off when not use. Electronics can consume significant wattage an hour even when not in use. When you travel, make sure you unplug appliances like coffee makers and cell phone chargers. Change the Channel: If you have a plasma TV, consider switching it to an LCD flat screen that uses less energy.

5. Fan Favorite: Install ceiling fans to drive down a cool breeze and air-conditioning costs by as much as 40% in summer. In winter, reverse their direction for savings of up to 10% on heating by circulating warm air from the ceiling to the floor. Remember to adjust your thermostat accordingly. Which way? Generally, most ceiling fan switches should be in the down position in summer for a counter clockwise spin and up in the winter, turning clockwise to send more comfortable air out and down.

6. The Missing Leak: Locate and seal off air leaks. Window and door frames, floorboard and wall intersections, fireplace dampers, mail slots, doggie doors, and anywhere weather stripping is lined should be examined with a wet hand or lit incense stick for detecting cool air drafts. Caulk for small leaks works well while expanding foam fills in larger openings. Install insulation for major exposure. Out the Window: Add solar shades on exterior of windows for more insulation or replace older windows altogether with high-efficiency, multiple-barrier windows that reduce heating and cooling costs by 25%.

7. Floored! Install hardwood floors instead of carpets manufactured with petrochemicals. Good flooring helps keep good air quality. Select a sustainably grown and harvested wood, like bamboo, that has been cultivated specifically for commercial use in areas that preserve natural habitats, or think about reclaimed wood.

8. Burn recycled wood logs. If fumes from traditional sawdust and wax logs, which often contain petroleum and paraffin, give you the chills, try logs made of 100% recycled materials for organic warmth.