Winter brings big energy bills, and the best way to start saving money through your home energy conservation effort is to find out how your home stacks up alongside others in your area. To get the energy baseline established, why not take advantage of a free calculation tool? Engineers at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory built such a calculator, called Home Energy Saver, and put it on the internet at http://hes.lbl.gov. Enter your zip code, and start putting in basic information about your home and how you manage the space. Write down the session number provided so you can come back to the site later to refine your numbers; you won't have to re-enter the data. The Home Energy Saver provides a quick list of suggestions about energy management and energy-saving investments, as well as showing payback time for the money you spend on the improvements. While you are at it, do a simple hands-on inspection of your home to see if there are places you can reduce air infiltration. For example, improve or replace weather seals on doors and windows, caulk any cracks around the foundation, and check the attic access door for air leaks. For more information on weatherizing your home, see the US Department of Energy site at www.eere.energy.gov/consumer.
- Ted L. Funk, Extension specialist, agricultural engineering
Appliance Reliance
If you are like me, you just hate to get rid of an appliance if it's still working. However, here are a few facts to consider before making that decision. When buying a new appliance, it comes with two price tags–not only the purchase price, but also the energy and water used. Clothes washers are one of the biggest appliances in your home. Even replacing a 2005 model could save energy and water. In 2007, Energy Star standards became even higher for appliances. If you own a washer that was made before 1994, it could be costing $110 a year more on the utility bill. Energy Star models use 10-50 percent less water and energy, which is better for the environment because it means less air pollution from power plants and less waste water.
If you are still not convinced, get a amp/watt meter at the local hardware for about $25. Check that old appliance as to how many watts it's using. Do the math, check your electric bill for the rate and multiply. Next do a little shopping around. Compare your old appliance's energy usage with one of the new energy Star models. You don't need a salesperson, the numbers make the case.
- Brenda Roedl, Extension educator, natural resources
Reduce Conflicts with Wildlife through Prevention
Spring is right around the corner and its arrival often brings conflicts with wildlife. Dealing with nuisance wildlife requires an integrated approach which includes prevention.
Cavity nesting animals such as squirrels, bats and raccoons can cause problems for homeowners when they choose to locate their den in attics and chimneys. The best way to prevent this from occurring is good home repair and maintenance. If the animal has taken up residence inside your house, it will have to be trapped and removed because your home is now its den site.
Chimneys should have a metal chimney cap installed to prevent access by animals. Loose siding and boards on the eaves of your house can invite wildlife to take up residency. Make necessary home repairs including caulking openings as small as 1/4 inch by 1-1/2 inches along eaves, windows and vents to prevent access by bats.
Evaluate your landscape as well. You can limit access to roofs by squirrels and raccoons by removing overhanging branches and trimming them back at least 6 to 8 feet from the roof. Additionally, remove brush piles or stacks of unused lumber that might provide habitat for rabbits and mice.
There are a number of wildlife repellents on the market and if you plan to use any of them be sure to carefully read and follow the label. Many of these repellents can not be applied to vegetables or other plants you intend to consume. Also, if the label indicates that it must be reapplied after rainfall, this technique can become very expensive. In general, repellents have not been shown to be 100 percent effective.
Fencing can be an effective exclusion technique, but it must be installed correctly. For example, a fence to exclude rabbits must be 3 feet high, made of mesh wire with 1-inch or smaller openings and buried 6 inches deep to prevent burrowing underneath.
Finally, remember that wildlife in Illinois are protected by the Illinois Wildlife Code, and migratory birds are offered additional protection through federal laws, even when they are on your property. Therefore, if you have a nuisance animal that needs to be removed, a licensed nuisance wildlife trapper must be hired, or a permit must be obtained through a district wildlife biologist at the Illinois Department of Natural Resources if you plan to do the job yourself.
- Dave Shiley, Extension educator, natural resources
Urban Trees
Most homeowners would have no problem listing some of the benefits of having trees in their yards and neighborhoods. There is the obvious beauty of blossoms in the springtime, the greenness of summer, fall colors or evergreens covered in snow. There are other benefits of mature trees and wooded areas including reduced heating and cooling costs, soil stabilization, wildlife habitat, reduced noise, carbon sequestration, water quality and privacy.
It is easy to estimate the age of a subdivision by the trees. Older neighborhoods are characterized by tall, well-established trees, while new subdivisions are usually cleared of all existing trees before construction and landscaped with locally abundant nursery stock after the fact. It may be 20 to 30 years before these trees produce shady streets.
An increasingly common alternative is the low-impact or conservation subdivision. This type of design will leave much of the natural area intact during construction so that the entire neighborhood can benefit from mature trees and community green space. For more information and examples of conservation subdivisions, visit Southwestern Illinois Resource Conservation & Development at www.swircd.org.
For homeowners who want to plant more trees and shrubs but are unsure what will be best suited, there are many resources available. University of Illinois Extension offers tree and shrub selection guides at: www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/treeselector and www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/shrubselector.
