• Light dimmers: Light dimmers re place regular light switches and allow you to control the wattage without re placing light bulbs. By turning the dial, you can direct the light level from bright to dim, depending on the level of light you need at the time. One dimmer probably will not make much difference in your electricity bill, but if you install dimmers throughout your house and use the lower wattage frequently, you may realize some savings. Some people purchase dimmers simply because they like the effect—low lighting for dining, for instance. A single dimmer costs about $7 to $12. Installation instructions come with it. Follow these instructions meticulously when dealing with the wiring, and be careful.
• Cord dimmer switches: Cord dimmer switches attach to lamp cords and offer two levels of light—bright and dim. As with wall dimmer switches, you probably won’t realize great energy or monetary savings unless you use them through out the house. Depending on how often you use it, a lower setting will extend the life of an incandescent light bulb. Cost is about $7 to $8 each. Installation is simple.
• Dimmer sockets: Lamp dimmer sockets are another way to control the watt age and resulting amount of light. They can be inserted in any standard lamp, and they offer the full range of control in stead of just two settings. Cost is about $7 to $8 each. However, whether you use wall switches, lamp-cord attachments, or sockets, dimmers are practical only when you want lighting that ranges from bright to less bright. and you would get almost the same flexibility and savings with three-way light bulbs.
• Energy-saving Incandescent light bulbs: These are just like ordinary in candescent light bulbs, except for an inside coating that reduces the amount of electrical energy used but doesn’t affect the amount of light produced. Re placing the 100-watt conventional bulbs in directional lighting fixtures with 50-watt R-20 reflector bulbs can save you as much as 50 percent of your lighting costs. and you can change the 100-watt or 150-watt reflector bulbs in ceiling fixtures to 75-watt ER bulbs and still have adequate light while using less energy. A 4-watt clear night-light bulb (about $1.50) will give the same amount of light as a regular, frosted 7-watt bulb.
• Lamp and fixture converters: When you screw converters or adapters into standard lamp or fixture sockets, the sockets are ready to take fluorescent lighting. New circline fluorescent tubes are available in standard sizes for these converters. The circline fluorescent tube in a lamp uses 60 percent less energy than the ordinary incandescent light bulb, since it requires only 29 watts to burn as brightly as a 75-watt incandescent bulb. It also has a rated life of 12,000 hours, compared with 750 hours for an incandescent bulb. The cost of a converter or adapter ranges from approximately $17 to $25. Some ceiling light converters are designed to be cor1 decorator fixtures that will fit existing mounting boxes. These cost $30 to $35.
• Photoelectric light cells: If you keep an outside security light on through the night, perhaps you find that you forget to turn it off first thing in the morning. A small investment of $7.50 to $12 will get you a photoelectric cell that won’t for get—it will automatically turn the light on at dusk and off again at dawn, a 50 percent energy and cost saving. Just screw this device into any conventional light bulb socket.
• Outlet and switch gaskets: If you insert these precut foam gaskets behind the decorative switch plates and electrical outlet plates on your house’s outside walls, they will help cut down heat loss from drafts and save you about 3 per cent in home heating costs. Priced from $3.50 to $7.50, they are usually sold in packages, with varying numbers of gaskets for each use. With a screwdriver, remove the plates, fit in the gaskets, and replace the plates.
• Automatic furnace ignition devices: An automatic ignition device on your forced-air furnace will light the pilot only when the thermostat calls for heat. It eliminates burning the pilot light 24 hours a day, which saves about 81 therms, or a minimum of $20, a year. Also called an intermittent pilot system, it is as safe or safer than your present pilot light. However, it can't be in stalled on a wall heater or a gravity- type furnace (the latter has no forced air-the heat rises because hot air rises). Installation costs about $175 and must be done by a licensed contractor.
• Clock thermostats: A clock thermo stat on your heating system can save up to 30 percent in costs a year: it automatically turns the heat down when you go to bed, and then turns it up again in the morning when you wake up. You can also use a thermostat for your cooling system—it is equally efficient for that purpose. The combined savings can add up to $75 or more annually. You can install clock thermostats your self or have them installed profession ally. A clock thermostat, or equivalent modifiers and timers, costs about $65, plus installation (this charge can vary considerably from area to area).
• Portable heaters: Portable, plug-in electric heaters can save energy and heating costs—but only if you use them instead of your furnace in rooms that get only occasional use. The price depends on the style, size, and number of heat settings; usually it ranges from $20 to $40. Many types can be used either as a heater or, with the fan, as an air circulator.
• Clothes dryer heat-recovery devices: There are at least two heat-recovery systems for clothes dryers. Attaching to the dryer vent, both are designed to direct dryer heat and humidity back into the room during cold weather, and out side during summer months. With most dryers, a heat-recovery system will save 20 therms or 240 kilowatt hours per year —a $5 annual saving for a gas-heated home, or a $12 yearly saving for an electrically heated home. Moisture and contaminants may be introduced inside the house, although a model with a filter will eliminate this danger. Compared with the energy saved, the cost of this device is high.
• Energy-saving switch for air conditioners: An energy-saving switch on a room air conditioner turns the fan off when the compressor goes off. If used continuously, it can save you 10 to 20 percent of the energy required. The switch also allows for continuous fan operation, if desired. Instructions for installation are easy to follow.
• Air deflectors: Molded plastic air deflectors simply direct heat—or cool air—where you want it from your central forced-air heating or cooling system. They allow more efficient use of energy (for example, by keeping drapes from blocking the heat flow), and they make the room generally more comfortable; however, energy and cost savings are minimal. The air deflectors adjust in length from 9 to 14 inches, and are held in place by strong magnets. Cost is modest: $3.50 to $4.50.
• Refrigerator-coil brush: A refrigerator-coil brush does just what its name implies: tapered bristles clean hard-to- get-at coils where your vacuum cleaner or other brushes just can’t do the job. A clean refrigerator compressor operates more efficiently than a dirty one, saving up to 10 percent of the electricity used. Cost is approximately $5.
• Clogged filter indicators: It’s easy to forget to check your forced-air furnace or air conditioner filter, and clogged filters can cost you up to 5 percent more than need be. Whether your system uses disposable or reusable filters, filter alerts or indicators show you when to change or clean them. They also work with most electric air cleaners. These plastic devices are easy to mount on blower compartments. The cost: $13 to $15.
• Shower-head flow restrictors: Shower-head flow restrictors reduce the flow of hot water from approximately 3½-gallons per minute to 2½-gallons per minute. Since hot-water heating accounts for 20 percent of residential energy consumption, cutting down the flow of hot water in daily showers can result in substantial savings. A wide range of water- saving shower heads and water restrictors is available, so flow rates and energy saved will vary accordingly. Cost runs between $12 and $14.
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