David Gerlach, left, from the Wenatchee Housing Rehabilitation Program, and Mark Wiser, Chelan PUD senior residential adviser, inspect new windows installed at a 1910 home on Kittitas Street.

Small improvements have added up to a big upgrade in comfort and efficiency in Francisca Martinez’s tiny home on Kittitas Street in Wenatchee.

With help from the city of Wenatchee’s Housing Rehabilitation Program, the 642-square-foot home has new ventilation fans and new energy-efficient windows and front door.

The house, built in 1910, had no ventilation. Wallboard in the bathroom and laundry room was falling apart from the humidity, said David Gerlach, housing program director. Dava Construction, a city contractor, installed fans, replaced the wallboard and extended pipes through the attic for improved ventilation. Energy-efficient vinyl-framed windows replaced single-pane, wood-framed glass. A new front door sealed the deal.

Francisca Martinez, center, with daughter Anna and son Mateo Lucero

Work was funded by a $5,000 housing program loan, with Chelan County PUD weatherization incentives covering a portion of the glass costs.

Martinez and her son, Mateo Lucero, said cold air in winter and warm air in summer used to come in around the windows and door. That’s gone now. The windows have also reduced street noise and made the home generally more comfortable, Martinez said.

Martinez is a fruit sorter at Northern Fruit. She has owned the home since 2005.

Keeping the faucet handle in the “Cold” position saves energy

It’s cold and flu season, when we’re all encouraged to avoid illness by washing hands. Here’s a tip to keep energy from going down the drain with the germs.

If you briefly run water from a bathroom or kitchen faucet, set the handle to use only cold water. You may not realize it, but whenever the faucet handle is not in the cold position, a portion of the water you are using is passing through and is heated by your hot water tank. In the short time it takes to wash your hands, hot water leaves the water heater, but is usually shut off before it gets to you. This previously heated water then sits in the pipes and cools down to the same temperature as the inside of your house. You end up washing your hands or brushing your teeth with water that is the same temperature as the inside of the house.

So regardless of whether the faucet is set in the cold, warm or hot position, the temperature of the water leaving the faucet does not change until hot water has had time to travel from the water heater to the faucet.

If you prefer warm water for taking a shower (most do, of course) or washing your hands, you can save some water — and cut the time in half that it takes to get warm water — by turning the faucet to hot, then adjusting the handle when the warm water arrives at the faucet. When you are done, be sure to turn the faucet back to cold so that brief uses do not waste energy.

Contestants in Chelan PUD’s wintertime energy-savings contest continued to reduce their electrical use through the spring and summer. 

A review of electric bills shows six of the nine contestants saw significant energy savings in spring and summer of 2011 compared to the spring-summer periods of the previous two years. The remaining three contestants showed similar use to what was experienced in previous years. 

Chelan County is a heating climate, meaning most of the electricity used by residents is to keep their homes warm in the winter. A smaller portion of overall energy use is attributed to summer air conditioning. 

The Reduce Your Use contest ran from January 1 through March 31, 2011. Nine contestants received home energy analyses and recommendations from PUD experts about how to save energy – from adding insulation and weather-stripping to adjusting their thermostats – as they competed against each other to see who could reduce their energy use by the greatest percentage. Overall savings averaged 19 percent. 

The PUD continues to offer rebates to all customers who add insulation and replace old windows. Learn more here.  For tips on saving energy and money in your home, see the Chelan PUD website.

Bryce Newberry

Fourteen-year-old Bryce Newberry of Wenatchee has entered a national young reporters contest with a news clip about saving energy.

Newberry submitted the video for a chance to become a featured reporter for Teen Kids News, a national half-hour weekly program that focuses on events and issues affecting teens. The program airs Saturdays at 4:30 p.m. on KING-TV, Seattle. According to its website, Teen Kids News “highlights positive stories about kids doing amazing things and helping to make the world a better place.”

Newberry’s clip includes an interview with staff at Chelan County PUD, and reminds viewers to check insulation in their homes, switch to compact fluorescent light bulbs, use the dishwasher instead of hand-washing dishes, and keep the thermostat at reasonable settings.

This is the second time Newberry has entered a Teen Kids News contest. Last year his clip on the future of newspapers made it to the contest’s top 10. Newberry also has been a special guest on KOMO News in Seattle after broadcasters there saw a videotape Newberry made of himself imitating the KOMO Morning News crew.

Newberry said he’s wanted to be a newscaster for several years. His career goal is to work for a major network.

Winners in the Teen Kids News contest are chosen by popular vote. Voting begins Sept. 12 on the Teen Kids News website. Viewers can vote once a day.

Watch Newberry’s video here.

PUD rebates available for weatherizing your home

Yes, it’s August. But it’s not too early to start thinking about making your home more comfortable this winter with new insulation and energy-efficient windows.

Chelan County PUD homeowners who add insulation or replace old windows may be eligible to receive cash payment for a portion of the cost. The PUD will pay 25 cents per square foot for added insulation and $3 per square foot for new windows.

New insulation must increase the R-value by R-10 or greater. For attics, the existing insulation must be R-19 or less. For walls and floors, existing insulation must be R-5 or less.

Windows must have a U-factor of .30 or lower (the lower the U-factor, the more efficient the window). Glass patio doors must have a U-factor of .35 or lower. Both must be rated by the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC); look for this sticker on the windows. Existing windows and patio doors that are being replaced must be either single-pane, or double-pane with metal frames.

Other considerations:

• Customers must have electric heat.
• All homes, including manufactured homes, are eligible up to a 4-plex.
• Shops and garages are not eligible (Must be a living area to qualify.)
• New construction is not eligible.
• Customers may do the work themselves or hire a contractor of their choice.
• The maximum total payment per household is $2,500.

Complete details and application forms are available on the PUD website, or call (509) 661-8008.