Quick and Inexpensive Energy Savers

These are thoughtful gifts for anyone, any time of year

If you’re low on cash and short on time this holiday season, but still want to give meaningful and valuable gifts to family, friends and neighbors, you can’t go wrong with anything that will help them save energy (and money) all winter long. They’ll appreciate it even more when you volunteer to help install the item too! You can pick up supplies for any of the projects below for less than $30 at any hardware store and each will usually take less than 30 minutes to complete.

Clear silicone sealant ( $4-6 per tube) and a caulking gun ($5 for one)  are all you need to seal the biggest heat leaking spots in any home; windows and doors.

High density rubber foam ($4-6 per roll) might be needed to help block heat loss around the outside edges of window air conditioners.

Foam gaskets (pennies apiece) placed behind your plastic light switches and electrical outlet face plates and plastic safety plugs for unused outlets can cut off another major source of cold air infiltration.

Aerosol insulating foam sealents ($2-4 per tube) will help you fill in the extra large gaps, like the ones you’ll find around the pipes under your sink.  But do take care not to overfill any area as they do expand outward.

Plastic window insulating kits ($4-15) that stretch over the insides of windows that don’t get opened during the winter block drafts and heat loss, but not the warming light of the sun, or the view.

Compact Flourescent Lightbulbs ($2-10 each) now come in a wide range of wattages and styles and fit in nearly all standard bulb sockets.  One CFL can last 10 times longer than an incandescent bulb and use up to 75% less energy so you could save up to $25 each over the life of the bulb.

Programmable thermostats ($25 and up) let you turn down the heat when no one is home or when you sleep. Depending on your needs, you could turn down your heating bill by as much as 10% at the same time.

Low pressure showerheads ($10-$30) are easier to install and use than ever and can result in hundreds of gallons of water saved and water heating costs slashed. Taking showers instead of baths, and keeping your hot water heater set no higher than 120 degrees can help you multiply these savings further.