A Kilowatt Counter's Guide to Saving

At a time when kilowatt counting may pass calorie counting as a favored American preoccupation, and the Emergency Energy Bill calls for a 25% cutback in power use, many people are wondering what they can do to help preserve the nation's energy, and save themselves some money. In fact, they can do much on the road and at home. Some guides:

THE CAR

Simply by keeping his auto tires properly inflated to reduce friction, a driver can save as much as 50 gal. of gas per year. Still another 75 gal. can be saved by keeping an engine in tune: ignition timed, carburetor checked, pollution-control valve cleaned, filters and spark plugs repaired or replaced.

The biggest savings, though, are to be won by resisting the lures of high horsepower. In a General Motors test, Buick Electras used 21% less gas at 50 m.p.h. than at 70 m.p.h. Smaller cars have saved as much as 30% by driving at 50 m.p.h. rather than 70 m.p.h. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, the nation would conserve 2,100,000 bbl. of oil daily--more than the anticipated daily production of Alaska's North Slope--if the average weight of U.S. cars was reduced from 3,500 Ibs. to 2,500 Ibs. The EPA has also rated 1974 models for economy. The most efficient automobiles in some different weight categories:

2,000 Ibs. Average M.P.G

Honda Civic 29.1

Toyota Corolla1 Coupe 27.1

2,250 Ibs.

Datsun B210 manual transmission 24.9

Toyota Corolla2 Sedan 22.6

3,000 Ibs.

Chevrolet Vega Kammback 20.0

Ford Pinto Wagon 19.6

4,500 Ibs.

Chevrolet G20 Sportvan 12.4

AMC Matador SW 12.3

Mass transportation almost always burns less fuel and money than private travel; even a jet flight is often less expensive in terms of fuel use per passenger than a lengthy personal bout with the highways. A ten minute helicopter ride from New York's Wall Street to Kennedy Airport costs about $12; a 45-minute cab ride costs about $13. More amazingly, cabs in New York on the average use more, or as much fuel per passenger as helicopters.

THE HOUSE

In the home, very little energy is required to produce light; more is needed to power small appliances, and the most energy is demanded for heating and cooling. In fact, lighting is a relative bargain. Switching off four 100-watt bulbs before a three-hour trip to the movies saves less than 3-c-.

The key to tallying electric consumption is the kilowatt hour, or kwh. --1,000 watts of electricity burned over one hour. The 1972 national average cost of a kwh. was 2.29-c-. Deplorably, most utilities still encourage customers to burn more power by reducing the cost as they use more of it.

Last year the average U.S. household used some 8,000 kw-h., or more than thirteen times as much as in the 1930s. Contrary to much pop sociology, a proliferation of frivolous power gadgets is not to blame. An electric toothbrush uses only 0.5 kwh. of electricity per year, about a penny's worth. A carving knife costs about 18-c- per year, or 8 kw-h., a garbage disposer about 69-c-, or 30 kwh. per year. Because they are expressly engineered for specific functions, the new electric griddles, fry pans, toasters and coffeemakers are more efficient and economical than a standard gas or electric stove.

A few major electrical appliances are significantly responsible for the surge in energy consumption, and a user can save by buying the standard model instead of the deluxe model. He can also save by properly handling the furnace and the insulation in his house: REFRIGERATORS: A standard 14-cu.-ft. fridge uses 1,137 kwh. per year, while a 17-cu.-ft. "frost-free" model uses 2,008 kw-h., or $45.98 worth. New "efficiency" units, which are also frost-free and have an energy-sparing design and insulation distribution, use only 1,155 kwh. per year for a 17-cu.-ft. model. If a dollar bill will not fit tightly when a refrigerator door is closed on it, the door gasket is loose, the appliance is losing its cool, and a trip to the hardware store is in order. Price of a new gasket: $10 to $15. Long, languorous contemplation before an open refrigerator is especially wasteful.

TELEVISION: A color TV set, played 3.6 hours a day, uses 440 kwh. of electricity per year, or $10.08 worth; a black and white set needs only 120 kwh.

AIR CONDITIONERS: Some units give a lot of cooling power for a dime's worth of electricity; others give less than half as much. The trick to separating the gluttons from the economizers lies in dividing a model's advertised cooling power, usually expressed in B.T.U.s (British thermal units), by its wattage. If a unit requires 2,000 watts to produce 10,000 B.T.U.s of cooling power, it has an efficiency rating of 5, and that means it is a dog. Running it on "high" for 24 hours a day, every day for a month, uses 1,440 kw-h., or $33 worth of power. A unit with a better rating of 8 would cost five-eighths as much in terms of kilowatts and money.

WASHERS AND HEATERS: An automatic clothes washer uses only 103 kwh. of energy a year, but a dryer needs almost ten times as much. A standard hot water heater burns 4,219 kwh. annually, v. 4,811 kw-h., or $110.17 worth for a deluxe, quick-recovery model. Opening the tap at the base of most water heaters at least monthly drains out heat-robbing sediment.

FURNACES: Cleaning a furnace once a year costs about $50 and is well worth it. A layer of soot just one-fiftieth of an inch thick can reduce an oil burner's efficiency by 50%. Radiators should be dusted regularly.

INSULATION: Most houses have no more than four inches of insulation in the attic, the most critical area in preventing heat-loss. Another two inches of fibers costs about $2 for, every 20 sq. ft., and pays off the investment within a .few years. Keeping the storm windows up all year long will save 15% of a house's heating energy and, if it is air conditioned, 7.5% of its cooling energy.

FIREPLACES: Wood-burning fireplaces are no bargain. For one thing, the price of a dozen logs is now as much as $6. This charming but primitive heating method is grossly inefficient and can cause stiff necks. If a homeowner is lucky enough to have a hearth with a good draft, the chimney will draw off as much as 20% of the heated air in the house.

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