About a month ago I had 4 new windows installed.
U-factor: 0.32 (lower is better)
Solar Heat Gain Coefficient: 0.33 (lower is better)
These are great windows.

I knew when I bought this house that a few windows were in need of replacement. I just didn’t know how bad they needed to be replaced! After getting some quotes my wife and I decided on 4 windows to replace - 3 windows upstairs which looked really old and one that leaked in the kitchen.
The local window rep for Anderson windows had never seen windows like the ones I had upstairs, and he’d be replacing windows for 3o years. Thankfully we were able to get windows that fit the current openings in our brick house.

Once the old ones were pulled out it became painfully obvious how poor the windows truly were. One of them wasn’t even nailed into the frame - it was being held in by caulking! The Anderson window representative estimated they were original to the house after they were removed - which puts them in the neighborhood of 50 to 60 years old.

The difference with the new windows is amazing. Since they were installed I haven’t had to turn on the air conditioning at all (just open the windows up at night), the upstairs stays about the same temperature all day instead of getting hot, and one item we never thought of before - it’s astonishing quite when the windows are closed.
Before if our neighbors were outside next door it was easy to hear them while the windows were closed. Now we can’t hear them at all!

I’m looking forward to seeing how this improvement impacts my gas bill this winter!
We’ve already figured out what 2 windows (at least) are next on the replacement list…

Penny Pinching Home is pleased to anounce a new store for laser levels!

A few weeks ago I was in need of a decent level to help hang a number of photos on one wall. They needed to be stright as well, which was a bit hard to do with a tape measure and a pencil.
I ended up making a trip to my local hardware store for something to make the job a bit easier - a simple laser level.

Once I figureed out exactly where I need my nail to hang the 1st photo I simply turned on the laser and projected the laser down the wall. Instantly I knew where every other nail needed to go!
A laser level is a great time saver!

Yes - a ceiling fan can make you warmer.

Let me explain - in the summer when you’re hot you turn the fan on high and blast the air down to cool off. That’s easy to understand. However, just about everybody also knows that hot air rises. Last I checked we’re are closer to the floor - not the ceiling. So all that warmer air is doing nothing for us - unless we move it. That’s where the ceiling fan comes into play

2 things to do first:

1. Turn the fan rotation so it blows up. (look for a small switch on the side of the motor unit just under the part where the blades connect to the fan. Make sure that the fan is off when you flip it!)
2. Set the fan to run at the lowest speed it can.

The fan should now be pulling air up toward the ceiling - and as a result pushing the warmer air down along the walls of the room.

A few well placed ceiling fans (say in a bedroom)  being used this way may allow you to reduce the temperature you set your home at overnight. Try it out and knock down your entire homes temperature overnight by an extra degree or two. You won’t notice the change in the bedroom and you’ll be sagving a lot more in natural gas costs than you’ll spend on electricity.

The colors in your House can Reduce Your Energy Bill (sort of anyhow…)
Paint the walls of your home a light color. Dark colors tend to absorb light, requiring you to use more energy from light bulbs to achieve the same effect.

Basically, you’ll need brighter (ie - higher wattage) bulbs to have the same effect in a dark room versus a light room.

A dishwasher that is 90% full uses 4 units of electricity. If it is only 50% full, it still uses 3 units of electricity. Fill the dishwasher to save on your electric bill.

Alex Wilson and John Morrill have assembled a comprehensive guide to energy-saving techniques and devices with two goals in mind: save consumers money and save Earth in the process. Wilson and Morrill offer consumers the latest techniques for making their homes more efficient, comfortable, and cheaper to live in, and they supply energy ratings for appliances, light bulbs, water heaters, windows, heating systems, and more. The language is clear and entertaining; you needn’t to be a technician or an engineer to understand the suggestions and analyses. Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings will prove incredibly useful for people who are about to build a home or remodel, or who simply want to get the most bang for their buck and not waste energy or foul the environment

Review
“Not only does the Guide rate the brand of major home appliances and fixtures for energy efficiency, it also shows how to insulate, landscape and maintain your home in the manner that will make your wallet and your planet greener.”
-E Magazine

As covered before under the Water heater tips post, insulate your water heater!

You’ll save about $40 per year, and the cost should only be able $20 at your local hardware store!

Water heater insulation blankets are designed for gas, oil or electric heaters. White vinyl backed fiberglass blanket. Includes adhesive tape for easy installation. Easy to install with scissors, measuring tape and pencil. Fits up to 60 gallons. R-5.0 insulating value.

– Reduces energy cost
– Easily installed
– R-5.0 Insulating Value