Replace Old Weatherstripping
换掉旧挡雨条
Another way to fix drafty doors and windows: Replace that worn-out weatherstripping. Weatherstripping keeps air from infiltrating the house by providing a tight seal around the doors and windows when they're closed, but it wears out over time.
修理漏风门窗的另一方法是换掉老化的挡雨条。用密封良好的挡雨条密封的门窗，可以在关闭后令外面的空气不进入房间，但挡雨条在使用一段时间后容易老化。
The Department of Energy estimates a 5 to 10 percent savings on energy bills by replacing weatherstripping that's degraded. Use a weatherstripping that can handle the friction of the doors and windows as they open and close. It should also compress to form a tight seal and let the doors and windows open easily without dragging. Right before the door or window closes completely, you should feel the weatherstripping provide a slight bit of resistance as it compresses, but it shouldn't make the door or windows difficult to open. As a good rule of thumb, replace the weatherstripping with the same type that you've been using.
据能源部估计，更换损坏的挡雨条能够节省5%到10%的能源开销。我们提倡使用在开启和关闭时能够保证良好摩擦，有弹性、密封良好，同时无拖拉现象，能够让门窗容易开启的挡雨条。在门窗完全关好之前，你应该可以感到挡雨条压缩时的轻微阻力，但又不会造成门窗开启困难。通常情况下，最好更换同一种类型的挡雨条。
Update Old Appliances
升级旧设备
You probably don't think about buying new appliances until yours are on the fritz. Depending on their age, however, updating them now could save you hundreds of dollars.
在旧设备发生故障之前，你可能想不到要买个新的。但根据使用年限，及时更换工具可能能够为你省下上百美元。
Energy Star says replacing a washing machine that's more than 10 years old with a new one can save you $135 per year in electricity. On top of that, high-efficiency washers also conserve water. Traditional top-loading models use between 27 and 54 gallons of water per load, while new energy- and water-conserving front-load washers use less than 27 gallons per load. Replacing a dryer made before 1994 with an Energy Star model can save you $40 annually while also saving 1300 gallons of water over its lifetime. Updating a refrigerator made before 1996 with an Energy Star unit can save hundreds of dollars on electricity over the life of the appliance.
节能之星表示，更换一个使用了十年以上的旧洗衣机可以每年节省135美元的电。更重要的是，一个高效率的洗衣机还更省水。传统的波轮式洗衣机每次洗涤需用27到54加仑的水，而新式节能节水的滚筒洗衣机每次只需不到27加仑。换掉你1994年前的干衣机，换成节能之星标准的，可以每年节省40美元，在它使用寿命内，还能为你节约1300加仑水。将你1996年前的电冰箱换成节能之星标准的电冰箱，在使用寿命内，可节省上百美元的电费。
Install an Airtight Dryer Vent
安装密封通风口
Traditional dryer vents have flimsy flappers that can get stuck open, offering a free passageway for outside air to rush into your house. If your laundry room always feels cold in the winter, your vent is probably acting like a 4-inch-wide open window.
传统的通风口通常都有一个开关板，以便让外面的空气流进房间里，而这个开关板十分易损坏，导致通风口一直敞开。如果你的洗衣间在冬天经常很冷，那么你的通风管道可能在冬天就是个4英尺宽的窗户！
Installing an energy-efficient vent, which uses a floating shuttle to allow dryer air and moisture to escape but can't get stuck open, can save up to 10 percent on heating costs. The plastic vent can be painted and fits on siding, brick, or concrete. It costs about $20.
安装一个高能效通风口，它的开关是浮动式的，既能够让干湿空气排出去，又不存在关闭不严问题，这样可以节省10%的取暖开销。塑料通风口有铝塑板、砖、水泥等多种外观样式。价格大概20美元。
Seal Your Ducts
密封输气管
Ducts for a forced-air furnace, central air conditioner, or heat pump often waste a lot of energy because gaps from poor connections allow heated or cooled air to leak out of ductwork. If you have rooms that are never comfortable—they won't warm up in the winter or cool down in the summer—or if you have ducts that run through an unfinished basement, attic, crawlspace or garage, then you're probably paying more to heat and cool your home than you should.
火炉、中央空调和热力泵的耐压输气管经常由于连接不良让热空气或者冷空气溢出，从而浪费很多能源。如果你的房间夏暖冬凉，根本没有舒适的温度，或者你的输气管要从未完成的地下室、阁楼、走管层、车库中通过，那么为了保证室内温度，你也许就需要在这个设备上多花费一些。
Energy Star says you can improve the efficiency of your heating and cooling system by 20 percent by sealing the seams and connections with duct sealant or metal-backed tape and then wrapping the ducts with insulation. The challenge is getting to them—ducts are typically concealed inside walls and ceilings. But even taping and insulating just the ductwork you can access easily will make a difference.
节能之星称，接好接口，用粘合剂或金属箔胶带粘合，再用隔热材料缠住输气管，可以提高能源利用率。由于输气管道通常埋在墙和天花板中，如何够到它们的确是个问题。但起码密封和隔热工作做起来十分容易，这将带给你不一样的感受。
Monitor Your Energy
监控耗能
Knowing how much electricity you're using (and wasting) can help you curb bad habits and save money. A home energy monitor provides real-time data on your energy usage. It has a sensor that attaches to your electric meter and transmits information wirelessly to a monitor inside the home to tell you how much electricity you're using and how much it's costing, based on your local utility rates.
知道你使用了（浪费了）多少电可以帮助你改正坏习惯和节省花费。一种家庭能源监控器可提供你耗能的实时数据。它有一个传感器连接电表，可将信号以无线电波方式传送给房屋中的监控器，告诉你用电量，并按照当地电费水平换算出电费数。
Hooking up the monitor won't save you anything, but once you have the data to identify your usage patterns, you can make changes to reduce how much electricity you use. Blue Line Innovations, which offers the monitors, says using the device and then changing how you consume electricity can save you money. The Department of Energy points out that making changes to your usage habits can reduce energy bills by up to 25 percent.
监控用电量并不能为你节省什么，可一旦掌握了这些数据，知道自己的用电模式，就可以促使你做出改变，减少用电量。提供监控器的蓝线创意公司称，使用这款产品，降低耗电量，可以为你节省更多的电费。能源部也指出，使用习惯的改变可以帮助你降低25%的能源账单。
Adjust the Indoor Temperature
调节室内温度
You can cut heating and cooling costs by as much as 10 percent by adjusting your thermostat 7 to 10 degrees F (cooler in the winter and warmer in the summer) from its normal setting for 8 hours a day. Make those adjustments at night when you're sleeping or when you're gone during the day and you'll never notice (except in the money you save).
在一天的8小时中，将恒温器从目前的温度调整（冬天调低，夏天调高）7-10华氏度，可以在温度相关费用中帮你省掉10%。你可以在大家都睡着的夜晚，或者出门时做这项工作。这样你感觉不到温度的变化，可节省的开销却十分可观。
If you don't want to hassle with turning the thermostat up and down manually, get a programmable thermostat to do it for you—or a smart thermostat like the heralded Nest. Energy Star estimates that programmable thermostats can reduce energy costs by $180 per year.
如果你嫌人工地调低调高太麻烦，也可以通过程控恒温器来实现，或者购买一个Heralded Nest一类的智能恒温器。据节能之星估计，程控恒温器每年可节省能源开销180美元。
Insulate the Attic
给阁楼做隔热
Adding more insulation to an attic is one of the best ways to save, and it's easier than you might expect. First, measure the thickness of the insulation in your attic. If you have less than 11 inches of fiberglass or 8 inches of cellulose, which has the equivalent insulation value of R-30, you could improve your energy efficiency by adding more.
给阁楼增加点儿隔热措施是个节能的好方法，而且这比你想象的要简单得多。首先，测量一下阁楼现有隔热层的厚度。如果玻璃纤维少于11英寸或纤维板的少于8英寸，隔热水平相当于R-30，那么你就需要通过增加隔热层来提高能源效率。
Roll fiberglass-batt insulation over the existing insulation, or rent a machine to blow in a few more inches of cellulose. Make sure to add fiberglass insulation to the attic side of your access door too. The extra attic insulation can knock $100 to $600 off your heating and cooling bills, according to HouseLogic.com, a site created by the National Association of Realtors.
给现有的隔热层铺上絮状的隔热玻璃纤维，或者租一台机器，将其吹进纤维板几英寸。同时也要保证将隔热玻璃纤维添加在通往阁楼的门上。隶属于国家房地产经纪人协会的Houselogic.com网站称，阁楼的额外隔热措施可为你节省100到600美元的保暖和降温费。
Plant a Tree
种一棵树
This spring, think about planting, not only to beautify your home, but also to save cash. According to the Arbor Day Foundation, positioning trees around the house can reduce heating and cooling costs by 25 percent. Broad leaf trees planted about 10 feet from the west, east, or northwest side of the house provide shade during the summer, then lose their leaves to let the sunshine through in the winter.
这个春天，考虑种种树吧，这不光美化家庭环境，还可以帮你省钱。根据植树节基金会报导，在房屋周围种植树木可减少25%的取暖降温费。如果在房屋西方、东方或者西北方距建筑10英尺处种植阔叶树木，在夏天，它们可以为房屋提供树荫，而冬天树叶脱落时又可让阳光进入屋内。
The Arbor Day Foundation also says that trees shading an air conditioner can increase its efficiency by up to 10 percent. It'll take time for the trees to grow to provide the shade and the related efficiencies, but don't forget that trees can also improve the value of your home.
植树节基金会还表示，在树荫下的空调可提高10%的效率。当然，十年树木，但别忘了树木可以提高你房屋的附加值。
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