space & energy
Safe and warm. Most fires sparked by home-heating devices happen because homeowners improperly use these devices, according to Underwriters Laboratories, an independent safety testing organization. Follow these suggestions from UL to stay warm and safe during cold weather months.
Clean the chimney and flue. Failure to do so is the leading cause of home heating-equipment fires.
Flammable items like drapes and furniture should be kept at least 3 feet away from heating equipment.
Keep children and pets from playing near any heating equipment.
Look for the UL mark. This means the product meets stringent safety standards.
When buying a space heater, look for an automatic shut-off feature.
Always turn space heaters off when leaving the room or going to bed.
Make sure fireplaces have sturdy screens to prevent sparks from flying into the room.
Burn only dry, seasoned wood. Green wood is moist and likely to smolder.
Never use cooking stoves, grills or gas ovens to heat a room or home. This can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.
Maintain all heating equipment (furnaces, chimneys, water heater, etc.) by having them inspected, cleaned and fixed annually by a trained professional.
money
Taming the energy bill. The people at Angie’s List recently asked home experts how we can control energy use during the holidays without dampening the seasonal spirit. The company devised these tips to keep a handle on energy bills during this busy time of year.
No peeking: Don’t open the oven door to peek at what’s cooking inside. Opening the oven door lowers the temperature inside by as much as 25 degrees, which increases cooking time and wastes energy. Instead, if you have a see- through door, turn on the oven light to monitor cooking status.
Think small: Small appliances such as microwaves use about 50 percent less energy than conventional ovens, and they don’t heat up your kitchen. Slow cookers are also great energy savers. They will cook a whole meal for about 17 cents worth of electricity.
Watch the timer: Turn holiday lights off during the day and when you are away. Timers are a simple way to do this and are a great safety measure since lights can cause fires if not used properly.
Make a switch: Switch from traditional holiday lights to LED lights. They are up to 90 percent more efficient, last longer and produce almost no heat. They can also pay for themselves in as little as one season.
Pull the plug: In the average home, 75 percent of the electricity used to power electronics is consumed while the products are turned off. Avoid this by unplugging the appliance when not in use or unplugging a power strip it’s connected to.
Power down: Videogame systems use nearly the same amount of power when they are turned on and idle as they do when you are actively playing a game. Always turn the system off — don’t assume that just because you turn off the TV, the videogame console shuts down too.
