Contest winners Shirley and Richard Ehrenberg of Wenatchee

Richard and Shirley Ehrenberg of Wenatchee are the winners of Chelan County PUD’s Reduce Your Use Contest, dropping their wintertime energy consumption by 35 percent compared to previous years.

Second place goes to Tony and Laura Thompson of Wenatchee, who cut their electrical use by 24 percent. Taking third place are Nick and Jenn Brunner of Cashmere, who reduced their use by 23 percent.

Nine contestants competed in the contest to see who could reduce home energy use by the greatest percentage during the winter heating season of Jan. 1- March 31, 2011. All contestants saved energy. Overall savings averaged 19 percent. Total savings over the three months came to just under 20,000 kilowatt hours – just about enough to power a typical Chelan County home for one year.

A chart showing results for all contestants  is available on the PUD website here.

Mark Wiser, conservation program manager, said the contest showed that simple things such as sealing air leaks, caulking around windows and adding insulation can go a long way toward improving energy efficiency and increasing comfort in Chelan County homes.

The Ehrenbergs received a $500 gift certificate donated by Walmart. The Thompsons received a $250 gift certificate from Community Glass. The Brunners won a $100 gift certificate donated by Stan’s Merry Mart.

Winners were determined by looking at who saved the greatest percentage of energy from Jan. 1 – March 31 compared to the winter heating seasons of 2008-09 and 2009-10. Data analysis accounted for variations in temperatures and in the number of days between meter reads. Staff engineer Jim White used a linear correlation of prior energy use and average monthly temperatures for past winter heating seasons to determine the energy saved by the contestants during the past three months.

Before the three-month contest period, each contestant received a detailed home energy analysis. Each homeowner received a report with energy-saving recommendations. It was up to individual homeowners to decide how much they would spend on energy-efficiency measures, whether to do the work themselves, or to take any recommended actions at all.

Complete contest results — including videos featuring Wiser and the first- and second-place winners — are available on the PUD website. Check out the contestants’ savings, then hunt down yours!

Marshall and Hannah Wallace (with their twins) are one of nine families competing in the Reduce Your Use Contest. Profiles of the families are on the PUD Web site. Follow their progress on Facebook.

Customers compete in Reduce Your Use Contest

Nine homeowners are on their way to energy savings as part of Chelan PUD’s Reduce Your Contest. The contest kicked off Jan. 1 and extends through March 31.

Homeowners are competing in a friendly race to see who can reduce their electric bills by the greatest percentage over the three-month period. The biggest loser will be the biggest winner. 

Prizes donated by local businesses are: a $500 gift certificate provided by Wal-Mart; a $250 certificate from Community Glass; and a $100 certificate from Stan’s Merry Mart.

Contestants are:
• Rob and Kelle Brown, 1023 Kittitas, Wenatchee
• Nick and Jenn Brunner, 6520 Flowery Divide, Cashmere
• Richard and Shirley Ehrenberg, 711 Lambert, Wenatchee
• Robbin and Jennifer Freeman, 2945 Sierra Blvd., Malaga
• Michael Hawkins, 1130 Maple #86, Wenatchee
• Matthew and Stacy Luckensmeyer, 202 Chapel St., Cashmere
• Mike and Kay Phillips, 3825 Eels Road, Cashmere
• Laura Thompson, 410 Pioneer Dr., Wenatchee
• Marshall and Hannah Wallace, 120 Wilson St. S., Wenatchee

Photos and details about each household are on the PUD website.

The nine participants were selected by PUD Conservation staff based on where they live, type of home, and their potential to “Reduce Your Use.”  Staff conducted detailed home energy audits for the contestants and provided each with personalized recommendations on how to save energy.

Track the progress of our nine contestants on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ReduceYourUse), then hunt down yours.

Need help finding energy savings in your home? Step into the House of Savings and reduce your energy bill.

The House of Savings is a new interactive feature on Chelan County PUD’s Conservation Web page. Place your mouse over a feature in the house and a pop-up box provides tips on saving energy and money. Hover over the thermostat, for example, and you’ll learn that for every degree you set your thermostat lower (or higher for summer cooling) you can reduce your power bill by 2 percent. The items also contain links to related information.

The house is a collaborative effort of  technology, graphics and conservation staff at the PUD. Come on in!

By Mark Wiser, Chelan PUD residential program manager

In winter, the difference in temperature between the inside and outside of your home increases, your heating system operates more, and areas of your home may feel drafty.

There are a couple of reasons this happens:

Heat always tries to equalize itself. When there are temperature differences, heat will flow from hot to cold. The greater the temperature differences, the faster the heat change.

Mark Wiser

Differences in air pressures caused by fans or the “stack effect,” where heated air rises and is replaced by heavier cold air, can greatly increase heat loss. Cracks or openings in your home’s exterior become pathways for heat loss, causing drafts, which increase use (and costs) of your heating system.

Although cracks and openings are often small, when you have many, they add up. Many small cracks added together can equal a hole comparable to a window. Imagine having an open window in your living room all winter!

Operable windows and doors are common sources of heat loss. These cracks can be easily sealed with weatherstripping. Weatherstripping usually comes in rolls or strips with plastic or metal backing. Door sweeps and door thresholds are also classified as weatherstripping.

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Weatherstripping is made from foam (both open and closed cell), with adhesive backing, plastic V channel, or EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Monomer rubber) or silicone.

Open cell foam, a light, fluffy material, is the least expensive but has the shortest life. A better option is closed cell foam. This denser, stiffer foam lasts longer and seals better. One of the best types of weatherstripping is made from EPDM. This rubber-like material is firm yet is the most flexible and durable. Another good choice is silicone. This product is durable and stays very flexible in very cold weather, although it is not as readily available in most hardware stores. All of these materials are good for doors.

To seal drafty single- or double-hung wood windows, the V-channel excels. This thin plastic roll is creased in the middle, creating a “V.” The weatherstripping attaches to the window frame with an adhesive backing and compresses when the window is closed. This is a simple, durable, and easy-to-install product.

Attaching weatherstripping on a door is easy. Most of the available products come with adhesive backing. It is important to clean the surface of the door jamb to remove dirt and oil. This ensures the adhesive will adhere to the jamb. Simply measure, cut to size, remove the adhesive backing and apply the weatherstripping to the jamb so that the weatherstripping compresses when the door is closed. It’s that easy. If you can see light around the door edge, you will need to adjust the weatherstripping.

A longer-lasting alternative is to purchase weatherstripping with a plastic or metal backing. Although made of the same materials mentioned above, this product often comes in a tube or rope-like shape. The weatherstripping is measured and cut to length and then tacked to the door jamb with small nails. These products work well, but are larger and, due to their appearance, may not be acceptable for a nice entry door.