So thats a picture looking out my window on my front door....ahh...the snowy streets of the "D". Its not too cold out...just the DAMN snow! Its kinda funny, because this season comes every year...and folks still complain like Michigan just started getting snow this year. Born and raised here, don't really understand folks. News flash....its Michigan....SNOW HAPPPENS!!
But what i do complain about it the freakin (not the word i wanted to use) energy bills. Now, i live alone..love it! And I'm not a person needing to be extra warm. In fact, my heat don't go past 70 degrees unless folks over . I'm always accused of being stingy with heat, lol...but i try to accommodate my company. But after 2 straight months of $200 energy bills....nukkas better be bringing blankets over here!!
But i do love Saturdays . Normally I'm doing a whole bunch of nothing. But I'm getting new coffee and end tables for my crib today!!! super geeked! I've lived in my place for about 3 or years and its just been "the crib". But I'm trying to make the crib a home. I'm renting, so its like i don't know how long I'll be here, so we'll see.
Until next time folks..
O
7 comments:
I wish we could all boycott DTE. But they know what they doing. It's Michigan and guaranteed to be cold 6 months out of the year and we'll need to turn the heat on at least 5 of those months. They are definitely making a killing on us.
I am afraid to get my DTE bill cuz I'm always cold. And you know a sista is on a budget! But you on the other hand, can we say "Big Ball, Shot Calla?" Getting new CUSTOM tables and what not...so what do you do again? You must be moonlighting somewhere in your free time. Gonna have to investigate, lol.
But glad to hear you're making your house a home. Now if I can only get you to choose a paint color......lol
Such a pretty picture- and I want to leave it as such (being a Floridian). I remember tellin my friend that honestly, a picture is as close as I need to be to snow..lol. Not a big fan of being cold, and I've never really complained about being hot...
I read your other post, and I agree; half the time, I don't even comment, but I'm starting to leave my thoughts these days... Maybe cause of recent events- internet friends seem more appealing...lol.. Have a wonderful Saturday...
I forgot to state that I read your other post about the blogosphere..lol... and being a jet rather than a helicopter
Here something that might help with your energy bills!
How To Reduce Your Heating Bills This Winter / Energy Conservation Begins at Home
Imagine leaving a window open all winter long -- the heat loss, cold drafts and wasted energy! If your home has a folding attic stair, a whole house fan or AC Return, a fireplace or a clothes dryer, that may be just what is occurring in your home every day.
These often overlooked sources of heat loss and air leakage can cause heat to pour out and the cold outside air to rush in -- costing you higher heating bills.
Air leaks are the largest source of heating and cooling loss in the home. Air leaks occur through the small cracks around doors, windows, pipes, etc. Most homeowners are well aware of the benefits caulk and weatherstripping provide to minimize heat loss and cold drafts.
But what can you do about the four largest “holes” in your home -- the folding attic stair, the whole house fan or AC return, the fireplace, and the clothes dryer? Here are some tips and techniques that can easily, quickly and inexpensively seal and insulate these holes.
Attic Stairs
When attic stairs are installed, a large hole (approximately 10 square feet) is created in your ceiling. The ceiling and insulation that were there have to be removed, leaving only a thin, unsealed, sheet of plywood.
Your attic space is ventilated directly to the outdoors. In the winter, the attic space can be very cold, and in the summer it can be very hot. And what is separating your conditioned house from your unconditioned attic? That thin sheet of plywood.
Often a gap can be observed around the perimeter of the door. Try this yourself: at night, turn on the attic light and shut the attic stairway door -- do you see any light coming through? These are gaps add up to a large opening where your heated/cooled air leaks out 24 hours a day. This is like leaving a window open all year round.
An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add an attic stair cover. An attic stair cover provides an air seal, reducing the air leaks. Add the desired amount of insulation over the cover to restore the insulation removed from the ceiling.
Whole House Fans and AC Returns
Much like attic stairs above, when whole house fans are installed, a large hole (up to 16 square feet or larger) is created in your ceiling. The ceiling and insulation that were there have to be removed, leaving only leaky ceiling shutter between the house and the outdoors.
An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a whole house fan cover. Installed from the attic side, the whole house fan cover is invisible. Cover the fan to reduce heating and air-conditioning loss, remove it when use of the fan is desired.
If attic access is inconvenient, or for AC returns, a ceiling shutter cover is another option for reducing heat loss through the ceiling shutter and AC return. Made from R-8, textured, thin, white flexible insulation, and installed from the house side over the ceiling shutter with Velcro, a whole house fan shutter cover is easily installed and removed.
Fireplaces
Sixty-five percent, or approximately 100 million homes, in North America are constructed with wood or gas burning fireplaces. Unfortunately there are negative side effects that the fireplace brings to a home especially during the winter home-heating season. Fireplaces are energy losers.
Researchers have studied this to determine the amount of heat loss through a fireplace, and the results are amazing. One research study showed that an open damper on an unused fireplace in a well-insulated house can raise overall heating-energy consumption by 30 percent.
A recent study showed that for many consumers, their heating bills may be more than $500 higher per winter due to the air leakage and wasted energy caused by fireplaces.
Why does a home with a fireplace have higher heating bills? Hot air rises. Your heated air leaks out any exit it can find, and when warm heated air is drawn out of your home, cold outside air is drawn in to make up for it. The fireplace is like a giant straw sucking the heated air from your house.
An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a fireplace draftstopper. Available from Battic Door, a company known for their energy conservation products, a fireplace draftstopper is an inflatable pillow that seals the damper, eliminating any air leaks. The pillow is removed whenever the fireplace is used, then reinserted after.
Clothes Dryer Exhaust Ducts
In many homes, the room with the clothes dryer is the coldest room in the house. Your clothes dryer is connected to an exhaust duct that is open to the outdoors. In the winter, cold air leaks in through the duct, through your dryer and into your house.
Dryer vents use a sheet-metal flapper to try to reduce this air leakage. This is very primitive technology that does not provide a positive seal to stop the air leakage. Compounding the problem is that over time, lint clogs the flapper valve causing it to stay open.
An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add a dryer vent seal. This will reduce unwanted air infiltration, and keep out pests, bees and rodents as well. The vent will remain closed unless the dryer is in use. When the dryer is in use, a floating shuttle rises to allow warm air, lint and moisture to escape.
If your home has a folding attic stair, a whole house fan, an AC return, a fireplace, and/or a clothes dryer, you can easily, quickly and inexpensively seal and insulate these holes.
Mark D. Tyrol is a Professional Engineer specializing in cause and origin of construction defects. He developed several residential energy conservation products including an attic stair cover, an attic access door, and is the U.S. distributor of the fireplace draftstopper. To learn more visit www.batticdoor.com
First, I'm mad that you took your picture down to put a pic of your HAND! ??? LOL!
Secondly, we don't get as much snow as Michigan, but NY & Jersey get their fair share and people still complain - yeah I'm one of the complainers! lol
Your neighborhood doesn't look like the hood to me.
Oh its the HOOD!!! but its cool, no stranger to it.
and about the pic....yea.....I'll prob change it. was my attempt in being artsy....poor demonstration, lol
I know that this is old but I wanted to comment anyway. I never really understood you complaining about turning up the heat when I would ask until I saw my bill of $145! I don't even have DTE but I understand, ALL energy companies are a rip-off!!
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