SEEKONK - With the economic downturn, who doesn’t want to save money? As winter is slowly approaching and people are taking down the air conditioners, the cost of turning up the heat may not be as painful. At the Seekonk Library on Sept. 17, Seekonk residents learned just that.

The “Free Home Energy Savings” seminar was hosted by Seekonk Human Services and Sustainable Seekonk. The room was packed with people wanting to know more on how to save money on utilities such as gas, water, heat and electricity. The night began with an invitation for all residents to attend the next town meeting, which scheduled for Nov. 30. (You can check online under “Warrants” at www.seekonk.info)

According the members of Seekonk Human Services, “we are surprised at the number of people of Seekonk on fuel assistance.” SHS wants you to know that they are “willing to assist in anyway possible with utilities and will continue to help citizens improve on the environment and impact on the earth.”

“I have been working for over eight years on advising people ways to save energy,” said Bob Meier, who was the seminar speaker. Mr. Meier does home energy audits and works with NStar and National Grid. “I take the whole house approach. I start auditing before I even pull into the driveway,” said Meier.

Mr. Meier does audits by inspecting the whole house. He checks the outside of the house first, for possible water and ventilation issues. From the outside he can tell if the basement could get flooded if in a flood zone area, or if there are ventilation issues such as spaces in doorways, windows and chimneys. It takes about one to two hours to audit a house, from the outside in.

Home audits are free; people such as Mr. Meier come in and inspect your house and tell you if anything needs to be fixed.

“There are many rebates when it comes to utilities, it depends on your city or town” said Mr. Meier.

He then suggested one website, MassSave (www.masssave.org) to check for rebates and tax incentives. There is also a Massachusetts 0 percent Heat Loan where, if approved, a person can borrow up to $15,000 for improvements that need to be done to the home for seven years. You can also find that information on the MassSave website.

Forty percent of energy use is electricity. Ten to 25 percent of it is from lighting. If a person replaced just five 60-watt light bulbs in the house for five hours a day, you can save $72 a year in Massachusetts. Holiday lighting by LED lights cost $1 a season, and $5 for regular mini lights. If you use a lot of large lights for holidays, you can spend as much as $75 in electricity a season. The best way to save money for electricity besides changing light bulbs is “power strips.”

“Many entertainment products such as TVs and computers use ‘phantom loads,’ meaning electricity is still being used after being turned off. By using a power strip and connecting your entertainment on them, you can completely cut off electricity by pressing the off switch, and lower your bill,” said Mr. Meier.

He also recommends that if you have two fridges, but use one for primarily for freezer items, you are financially better off buying a freezer instead; it runs on far much less electricity than a fridge.

Other ways to save: Check Energy Star products, or look at the energy guide inserted in appliances such as fridges, if you are looking to save money. Energy Star products can also be used to get tax incentives as well. Mr. Meier recommends using the microwave more; it uses far less energy than a stove or oven. Cover food tightly as well, moisture makes the refrigerator work much harder. Use cold water while washing clothes, and air dry when you can. Clothes can dry even in freezing conditions. Change shower heads to low flow types, get faucet aerators and limit hot water to 120 degrees Fahrenheit will help with the water bill. Also, clean or exchange furnace air filters and replace leaky ducts. If you need a new boiler, there are rebates from anywhere of $100 to $1,300. He recommends not just insulating the house, but also do air sealing as well. Sealing bulkhead doors and adding or replacing weather strips on doors will also help greatly.

Be forewarned about replacing windows, however.

“All those commercials say that they their windows will save you money on energy costs. But it really doesn’t save you that much,” said Mr. Meier.

“You can save anywhere from 1-3 percent on your energy bill by getting those windows. It will take about twenty years before you see the savings. If you need a window, you need a window. But if all you are concerned about is air coming in, you’re better off just doing some sealing work. Most windows can be effectively sealed for far less than the cost of replacement.”

Mr. Meier answered many questions from the residents afterwards, and a pitch was put in by Ronald Bennett about solar power resources as well.

“You can get an audit as well if you are considering using solar power for heating and water,” said Mr. Bennett.

“Getting solar in your home does require you to have the right type of house and land in order to use it.”

Going solar isn’t cheap; you can spend from $38,000-$42,000 just to get it. But, the federal government gives 30 percent back to you. There are also state tax rebates, and the Massachusetts Tech Collaborative or MTC gives you back $20,000 in a cash rebate within four to six weeks after your solar energy system has been installed. The pay off is great, you will get a payback in four to seven years. There is also a warranty of 25 years; but your system will last much longer than that. If you sell the house, the assessor won’t tack on taxes because of it, but it will be a good incentive to a potential buyer.

There is one more piece of advice Mr. Meier forgot to give, but wanted to mention. And that is to clean your dryer vent trap. And he doesn’t mean simply pulling off the lint either. To check if your trap needs cleaning, pull it out and run water over it. If the water just sits on top, you need to clean it. The easiest way to clean it is by using mild soap and water with a toothbrush and cleaning the screen. You will know it is clean when water runs completely through and no water sits on the screen. Afterwards, let it air dry. You should clean the trap every six months. Here’s why: Dryer sheets and softeners leave behind particles, which sooner or later create a thin film over the screen. Not only does the film keep the dryer from ventilating and drying properly, but it also has the potential to start a fire in your dryer.

According to the Massachusetts government site (http://www.mass.gov)...ed loss of $641,032.

If you missed the session, Cable 9 Seekonk has taped it in its entirety and should be airing it within a week or two. You do have the option of watching this program either on your television, or by stream video at their website. Visit www.cable9seekonk.com for details. Seekonk Human Services also encourages people to call or visit them for assistance. Assistance isn’t just available to low income people, and the income guidelines have been relaxed some more since last year. If you don’t meet income eligibility for fuel assistance, there are other programs and resources for you. For more details, visit Seekonk Human Services at 320 Pleasant St. in Seekonk, or call 508/336-8772.