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Dining Room

Aug 5, 2012

Improve the quality of your home life and save on your utility bills by making your dining room more energy efficient.

Floor Vents/Radiators

  • Ensure vent connections and registers are well sealed at floors, walls and ceilings, which are all common areas for disconnected ducts and leakage.
  • Make sure all vents are clear of furniture and rugs, in order to improve airflow and comfort.
  • Install heat resistant reflectors between radiators and walls to reflect heat back into the room instead of onto walls.

Sliding Door

  • Apply caulking around doorframes and weather-stripping around doors that don’t close tightly.
  • Protect interior furnishings, cut energy costs and improve comfort by replacing standard sliding doors with ENERGY STAR certified ones.
  • Learn more:
    • Lower your energy bill and experience increased comfort by improving your home’s “envelope”.
    • A home sealing will reduce drafts and eliminate moisture problems caused by holes, cracks and gaps.

Pledge to apply caulk and weather stripping around doors.

Light Fixture

  • Replace standard light fixtures and bulbs with ENERGY STAR certified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) that provide a high quality light, use less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs.
  • Learn more:
    • Replace high energy consuming conventional chandeliers with energy efficient versions.
    • ENERGY STAR certified lighting options are available at most home centers, lighting showrooms and specialty stores.
    • ENERGY STAR certified light fixtures use 75% less energy, generate 75% less heat and last up to 10 times longer than standard lighting, while producing bright, warm light.

Pledge to replace standard light fixtures and bulbs with ENERGY STAR certified lighting products.

Programmable Thermostat

  • A programmable thermostat will regulate your home’s temperature settings to adjust for when you’re away or sleeping.
  • Learn more:
    • A programmable thermostat with 4-temperature settings can save up to $180 a year in energy costs.
    • Learn about cost-saving measures that maximize your energy savings with theseGuidelines for Proper Use of Programmable Thermostats.
    • Save money with a manual thermostat by turning it up during hot weather and lowering it during cold weather.
    • COMMON MISCONCEPTION: it’s more energy efficient to keep a house cool all the time, rather than heating or cooling it according to need.
    • Only heat or cool a house according to time of day and number of occupants.
    • Total energy savings depend upon climate, usage patterns, and the efficiency of the home’s heating and cooling system.
    • A programmable thermostat eliminates the need to manually adjust the temperature when leaving the house or going to bed, making it more comfortable and energy efficient.

Pledge to use your programmable thermostat to adjust your home’s temperature while you’re away or asleep.

Light Switch

  • Always turn off the lights when leaving the dining room (or when it’s not in use).

Outlet

  • A gasket is an effective and inexpensive way of sealing any holes and cracks around outlets.
  • Unplug any battery chargers or power adapters when not in use.