Efficiency Tips - Citizens Utility Board of Minnesota

Summer

1. Adjust your air conditioner. When you are home, set the thermostat as high as comfortable and turn up a few degrees higher when you are away. This allows you to be energy efficient and remain comfortable.
2. Use a programmable thermostat with an auto setting to control when your air conditioning turns on and off during the day.
3. Sign up for the air conditioning cycling program offered by your local utility if you have central air conditioning. You receive a discount for allowing the utility to cycle your air conditioner on and off during peak energy times.
4. Use fans instead of, or with, air conditioners. Fans can make you feel 4 degrees cooler. Turn fans off when you leave the room to save energy. A fan makes you feel cooler; it doesn’t reduce the room temperature.
5. Remove obstacles from air vents and fans to ensure proper air flow throughout your home.
6. Avoid placing lamps or TVs near the thermostat. Thermostats can detect heat from these appliances and can cause the air conditioner to run longer than necessary.
7. Open windows in the morning and evening to allow cool air to flow in. On hot days, close windows and curtains to maintain cool temperatures.
8. Use the bathroom fan to remove excess heat and humidity from escaping into the rest of your home.
9. Avoid cooking, baking, and running appliances, such as a clothes dryer, that generate heat during the warmest parts of the day.
10. Look for an Energy Star-rated model when it’s time to replace your appliance and mechanical systems. It will use less energy and save you money over time, and you may qualify for a rebate from your utility company.

Fall

1. Adjust your thermostat. One of our top tips for energy consumers with a forced air furnace: set the temperature at 68 degrees when you are awake and turn it down (up to 10 degrees) while you are away or asleep.
2. Use a programmable or smart thermostat to control when your furnace turns on and off throughout the day.
3. Have your furnace/boiler serviced each year and change furnace filters regularly to make sure it runs efficiently as the weather starts to cool down.
4. Use the sun. Open your curtains and blinds throughout the day to allow sunlight to naturally heat your home.
5. Check windows and doors for leaks and seal leaks before the cold weather arrives.
6. Clean refrigerator coils. You should clean coils twice a year or more frequently if you have pets.
7. Cook and bake efficiently. Use lids on pots and pans to reduce cooking time. Bake multiple things at once. Use crockpots, toaster ovens, and microwaves to save energy.
8. Keep fridge and freezers full, but not crowded. If your fridge or freezer is empty, fill milk jugs with water to fill up space, and throw out old food if it’s too full.
9. Inspect and clean your fireplace. Make sure your fireplace is safe. Close fireplace dampers when you are not using the fireplace to prevent heat from escaping.
10. Redirect ceiling fans. Switch the rotation of ceiling fans to clockwise and operate them at a slow rate to circulate warm air down from the ceiling.

Winter

1. Adjust your thermostat. One of our top tips for energy consumers with a forced air furnace: set the temperature at 68 degrees when you are awake and turn it down (up to 10 degrees) while you are away or asleep. Be sure to never lower the temperature below 55 degrees to prevent frozen pipes.
2. Use the sun. Open window treatments to let the sun in during the day to heat your home naturally. At night, close them to trap the heat inside.
3. Cover up air leaks. Use plastic film on windows if they are drafty. Use door draft stoppers to keep cold air out – a rolled-up towel works.
4. Cook and bake efficiently. Use lids on pots and pans to reduce cooking time. Bake multiple things at once. Use crockpots, toaster ovens, and microwaves to save energy.
5. Celebrate the holidays with LED lights. If you decorate with lights, purchase LED holiday lights.
6. Have your furnace/boiler serviced each year and change furnace filters regularly. This will ensure the unit is running safely and efficiently.
7. Use space heaters safely and efficiently. Even just one space heater can use a ton of energy over the course of a month. Only have space heaters on when you are in the room and keep items around them at a safe distance. 
8. Bundle up. Warm clothes, blankets, and socks are key in the winter. Rugs are another great way to help your home feel warmer.
9. Inspect and clean your fireplace. Make sure your fireplace is safe. Close fireplace dampers when you are not using them to prevent heat from escaping.
10. Redirect ceiling fans. Switch the rotation of ceiling fans to clockwise and operate them at a slow rate to circulate warm air down from the ceiling.

Nothing exemplifies summer more than a ceiling fan lazily drifting overhead. And the best fans feature summer/winter switches, making ceiling fans a great addition during the winter months, too. Today we’re going to discuss what you should look for when buying a ceiling fan, including size, cost, functionality, if the fan has a summer/winter feature, and how to use them. Explore our points below or contact our team at Martec for more information!

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How Do Ceiling Fans Work?

Did you know that ceiling fans don’t cool or lower temperature? Instead, they work in similar ways to a soft breeze; by moving air around and over the skin. This cools you by accelerating perspiration evaporation.

Ceiling fans can be an effective, low-cost alternative to both air conditioners and heaters during the cooler winter months.

Ceiling Fan Type

There are essentially two categories of ceiling fans: alternating current (AC) or direct current (DC). Within these categories, there are a number of alternatives when it comes to materials, sizes, and blades. AC fans are the most common ceiling fan you’ll find installed. They also tend to be cheaper and have a wider range of options.

DC fans, however, are growing in popularity as they deliver even greater efficiency with lower running costs. DC ceiling fans also offer more speed options over air movement than AC, with up to 6 settings compared to most AC fans that have around 3 settings.

Choosing the Right Size

When buying a ceiling fan, the first thing you need to do is figure out the size of your room and the basic speed range you want. You might want only 3 basic settings for a bedroom but 6 powerful settings for a workroom. You will need to measure your room and record them, so you know you’re getting the right sized fan.

Remember to Consider Ceiling Height

Ceiling height absolutely makes a difference when it comes to choosing the right ceiling fan. The minimum ceiling height needs to be at least 2.1 to 2.4m high for the best performance. If your ceiling is significantly higher, around 2.7-3m or even more, you will probably need to buy an extension rod to lower the fan to the right level.

Ceiling Fans with Lights

Most ceiling fans these days come with integrated lights as a standard feature. Other ceiling fans offer the ability to install a lighting system. Having a ceiling fan with a light can be a great power saver. They can be the primary light in a room or add to the current lighting in a home. If you have existing lighting, always make sure your new ceiling fan’s lighting system fits with the established lighting.

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Most ceiling fans now use LED lighting. While this can make them a little more expensive, LED lights are extremely efficient and last years longer than your standard light bulbs. They can also come in different colour temperatures to suit your room, with brighter colours for workspaces and entertaining rooms, to warmer colours for intimate spaces like bedrooms. So a ceiling fan with a light can make your home far more efficient.

Controlling Your Fan

You may want to choose a ceiling fan that comes with a remote control. There is nothing worse than getting up and down during a hot summer night to change the speed of the ceiling fan, when it’s hard enough to get sleep as it is! Remote controls let you quickly and simply change the speed of your fan the moment you want it changed. Most remotes also feature an on/off switch, so you can turn your fan off whenever you like.

If your ceiling fan comes with lights or can have lights installed, then your remote control will offer an on/off function for your lights.

How Expensive are Ceiling Fans to Run?

On average, ceiling fans are far cheaper to run than your standard air conditioner. In fact, you can either use them instead of an air conditioner or alongside one to further help save money. You can run a ceiling fan at the same time as an air conditioner to further move cold air around your home and allow you to use a higher temperature than you normally would without a fan.
In comparison to a W or W air conditioner, ceiling fan running costs are significantly lower. Even if you choose a high airflow fan, it won’t use as much power, so the cost of running ceiling fans is far from expensive.

Check the Noise Level of the Fan

When you’re fighting the heat of summer, there’s nothing worse than battling the sound of a noisy air conditioner as well. Quality brands, like Martec, provide ceiling fans with quiet and efficient operation. As a result, you can enjoy a cool, comfortable home throughout Summer and keep your workspaces and studies comfortable year-round without noise intruding on Zoom calls or distracting you while you work.

Ceiling Fan Materials

There’s a wide range of materials you can choose from, based on your interior design and your location. You can also choose the perfect type of fan for your outdoor space. Plastic, wood, aluminium, and stainless steel are all available and all provide different design options and airflow needs. At the end of the day, these materials all work in a similar way. Their performance is really determined by their motor (AC or DC). It is important to choose the right materials for your locations, however. Beach regions and tropical zones need ceiling fans rated for tropical zones to ensure they run properly and for as long as possible.

The number of blades is also not as much of an issue as people believe, with fans coming with two to four blades.

Summer/Winter Functions

Most modern fans can be used in both the summer and winter months. This can help you in winter bring the heat down to the living area without creating an uncomfortable winter draft and reversing the fan’s direction, from anticlockwise in summer to clockwise in winter.

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