Saving Energy: It’s Time for New Appliances

The big jumps in utility bills will cost many homeowners another $600 to $1,000 this year. It could be twice that next year. New appliances that are much more energy efficient could save you enough to pay for them in a few years. Old refrigerators and water heaters are the most wasteful.

Shop around. There are some real bargains on brand name refrigerators that even have filtered drinking water dispensers. I have one. it’s great. Many folks needlessly pay more for bottled water each year than the cost of the whole new refrigerator that gives you tasty, clean water as well.

Any water heater over fifteen years old is due to give you real trouble. When it starts leaking someday, it could cost you much more to replace and fix the water damage. Why not replace it now—and save a lot on both installation
and your energy bills? Be sure to shop around for prices before you buy a new water heater. The yellow pages are full of plumbing companies that specialize in water heaters. Most are honest. But remember. These guys are experts at sizing
up vulnerable homeowners once they arrive. Make sure to tell them ahead of time that you are shopping for prices and you have some other estimates. It is none of their business what they are. They will want a minimum fee for showing up and giving you an estimate. Thirty or forty dollars is reasonable. However, if they give you an outrageous total price, tell them to take a hike. I had a new 40 gallon water heater installed last week. The heater itself was only $250, but it
cost another $300 for the permit and upgrades of the plumbing that were required, for a total of $550. Some gave me quotes of 800 to 1000 dollars. I took their written estimates and told them that I would see them in small claims court if they sent me a bill.

There are good reasons for new building code requirements that you will have to meet if you want a new installation. They give you a safer home. If your home is more then ten years old, there may be some upgrades that the installer must
do by code. These can be: upgrade the gas valve to a safer design, extend the overflow line to outside the home, use double wall exhaust vent above the heater, extend the exhaust vent outside the house, use flexible water lines from
the heater to the house water lines, and mount the gas water heater on a pedestal. These upgrades can add several hundred dollars to the cost of a new installation, even more than the cost of the water heater, but they are worth it.

If you don’t have an emergency for plumbing, always get a second opinion. Better yet, if you have a friend or neighbor who knows plumbing, let them do the negotiating for you. Save you a lot of money.

Some of these savings require that homeowners and businesses know where their electrical breakers and gas heater controls are located and how to turn them on and off. But all homeowners should know where the electrical breakers and gas heater controls are located and how to use them.