1. A lot of the issues is the whole home envelope, but contractors rather upsize equipment instead of fixing leaking duct or humid crawl or attics with to many infiltration points for hot humid out side air, a whole house dehumidifier would solve a lot of peoples problems.

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2. For those thinking that raising the thermostat setting to 78 might be a good idea. Well, that depends on where you live because those in California won't really save a large amount mainly because of energy rates over there. Most of South California is serviced by SCE utility who charges 36 to 46 cents per kWh. Folks should examine those rates/numbers for second or two mainly because most of the nation averages about 10 cents a kWh and the state of Nevada charges 6 and 8 cents per kWh for power that is coming from the same sources mostly. So, if you live in CA, lower or raise your thermostat to less comfortable temperatures, your savings won't drop likely. Why? Because SCE charges for power in tiered rate structures vs. how they used to do it 20+ years ago, one rate. They "determined" a baseline rate for the least cost tier then raised the rate once you consumed over that baseline. The base line is important to note as they claim that amount of power limit was "the average residence" usages for most residential customers. For years we disagree the baseline has enough power allotted included to run a typical home with 4 occupants, a refrigerator, appliances, lighting and other typical power consuming devices would use in a month. Anyway, SCE set a limit of say 400 kWh at the least expensive rate which is around 26 cents per kWh. Even at the lowest rate and for the least amount of power, the charges are about 3 times higher than the rest of the nation, 4 times higher than Nevada. But thats not all…now comes the next tiered rate, tier 2, for 401 kWh's and above which is 36 cents and then to the next tier 3 which is 46 cents per kWh after about 1,900 kWh's used. In summer, your typical residence with 1,900 SF and a 4 or 5 ton A/C unit will easily consume 1,500 to 1,600 kWh in a hot month which in turn amounts to about $500 per billing cycle. Had the same power been consumed in Nevada the bill would add up to at most $110.

   Folks in CA and other states with very high power rates should be screaming "Money Grab" to note they are billed $500 for $110 worth of electricity sold by other states. Seems enough to consider the rate differences a crime ! We all know where power comes from, how much it costs to produce and transport so what is happening with states like CA? Service area Kanata??

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3. The ice cube one was just silly. If you get the ice from the refrigerator that's in the same conditioned space, it rejected the heat from its freezer compartment to make that ice and will reject more to make the replacement ice. Zero benefit and will actually cost you a bit more than doing nothing.

   The air that vent fans remove from the house must be replaced and that air obviously comes from the outside, so these fans should be used sparingly on hot or cold days as the HVAC system will have to condition that air.

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4. The exhaust fan idea they got from some HVAC pro is ridiculous. What that mostly does is remove conditioned air from inside the house and send it outside which then means that air needs replaced from some source, likely unconditioned air. Not to mention, not all kitchen exhaust fans vent to the exterior. Many of them are simple recirculating fans with likely a very old charcoal filter to do nothing but remove odors providing the filter is changed often. This area is one of my pet peeves with "building codes". Any stove exhaust vent should be vented with a good sized duct to the outside of the home/building. Also, the vent hood/motor should be of minimum requirements to actually function. I have been in newer and older homes where the exhaust hood is no better grade than those found inside a travel trailer or motorhome. They're noisy, move very little air, use fan blades vs. a blower wheel or squirrel cage and tend to be dirt and grease collectors mostly. Most folks don't use them due to the noise factor. The fan over the ice idea is very ancient and with the cost of ice these days, not a good investment. Plus, look at the time cycles there are in replacing the ice, likely every 45 min to an hour and the yield just won't be worth it. The window film works but it works best with the film on the outside of the windows. Applying the film inside allows the glass to heat up before the sun is reflected by the film. A better idea is to simply replace the window itself with a modern low e type.
   The best energy saving ideas in reality will cost money, they aren't going to be inexpensive however, once completed, they will save you money on heating and cooling every day thereafter. The payoff is in the future and permanent vs. some of these hillbilly ideas that are simply not going to last anyone a long time or they will be too inconvenient to keep using. The number one fix for most homes is to insulate the exterior walls and attic, then new windows, then likely newer HVAC equipment. Shade trees that block the sun shine on those key sides of the home also help in big ways, probably more than any of these "top 5" ideas. I'd offer a tip if nothing else, go outside and run through the sprinklers or spray a hose over yourselves, even a cool shower on the hot days will cost very little and do the most relief for maybe an hour. Repeat as needed ! Another option is simple, don't use the air conditioning or move to a state that sells power at reasonable rates.

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5. The easiest thing anyone can do to lower their heating/cooling costs is to set the thermostat higher in the summer, and lower in the winter than what they usually have it set to. That said, I’d rather pay a little extra to stay comfortable.

   Another option is to use your programmable thermostat to do that automatically at times you are not home, such as when you were at work.

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6. Pumping humid air into the attic? That has to be a misquote.

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7. I wonder if this person for the magazine is actually doing any of these tips.

   I doubt it.

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