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Before Iowa's winter arrives in force, along with predicted higher home heating bills, Iowa's electric cooperatives and the Iowa Association of Electric Cooperatives encourage people to take steps now to improve both home energy efficiency and safety.

Energy dollars can pour out of homes through drafty doors, windows, un insulated attics, walls, floors and basements, while safety risks often go unnoticed. A small investment of time now, can pay big dividends in keeping your home safe and warm this winter.

Approximately one-third of all house fires nationwide occur during the cold, home-heating season. Many of these winter fires can be attributed to faulty and improper use and maintenance of heating equipment. Here are a few tips to keep your family safe and warm.

• Before firing up your heating system, make sure furnace and heaters are in good working order, and check ducts, flues and chimneys.
• Have a professional inspect and service your furnace each fall for safety and efficiency.
• Regularly clean or replace furnace filters during high winter use. Keeping heating equipment clean and in good repair will ensure peak efficiency and safety.
• If an electric space heater is used, make sure the wiring is adequate and check for fraying cords, splitting wires and overheating. Do not place a portable heater in high-traffic areas, and keep it clear of flammables such as curtains, bedding, clothes and furniture. Never use extension cords with electric heaters.

There also are several things that can be done to boost your home's energy efficiency.

• Make sure attics and flooring above unheated spaces, such as a crawl space and garage, are appropriately insulated.
• Find air leaks in homes by moistening fingertips and running them around doors or window frames to feel a draft, or holding up a tissue to see if it waves.
• Check around fixtures that penetrate walls, such as exhaust fans and electrical outlets, and look for gaps near dryer vents, chimneys and faucet pipes. Seal them all with caulking or weather-stripping.
• Replace screens with storm windows and doors. Double-paned glass plays an important role in reducing heat loss. Double-pane windows with low-e coating can reduce heating bills by 34 percent in cold climates compared to uncoated, single-pane windows. If you have older or leaky windows that cannot be replaced, consider temporary fixes, such as plastic film kits that create the effect of an interior storm window.
• If you are shopping for new windows, glass doors or skylights, look for the ENERGY STAR. Today's high-efficiency windows are 40 percent more energy efficient than standard windows and can cut heating and cooling costs by 15 percent.
• Consider replacing your furnace if it is more than 30 years old. Furnaces that old are usually less than 50 percent energy efficient.
• Install an automatic thermostat. An easy-to-install clock thermostat can automatically raise and lower home temperatures for energy savings day and night.

By using a programmable thermostat, and setting it back at night while you are sleeping and again while you are away, you will enjoy a considerable savings. Don't set it back more than three degrees or your furnace will have to run that much longer to make up the difference

Also check the vent hood on your dryer to make sure the damper is closing all of the way to prevent back draft through your dryer. The damper is located inside the hood on the outside of your home.

Iowa's electric cooperatives and the Safe Electricity program offer information year-round to help consumers use electric energy efficiently and safely. Visit www.SafeElectricity.org for more information and tips.

For more information contact:
Ann M. Foster
Director of Communications
(515) 727-8945

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