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CNN Sunday Morning
Interview With Mark Hopkins
Aired December 28, 2003 - 07:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: From the windows to the walls, old man winter can sneak his way into your home, costing you time, energy, and most importantly, cash.
But we have some tips on how you can keep your cold hard cash in your nice little warm pocket. Here to tell us now is Mark Hopkins. He is the co-president of the Alliance to Save Energy, joining us from Washington.
Thanks very much for getting up today. Are you warm? Are you saving money? Are you conserving?
MARK HOPKINS, ALLIANCE TO SAVE ENERGY: Well, the studio must be an energy efficient studio, because I'm nice and toasty today.
CALLEBS: Yes, I'd be willing to bet the farm that that's not accurate, but we'll get to that just a bit later. Let's talk about some of the things that people can do for their homes. Do you -- how firstly can you gauge if your home is as energy efficient as it should be?
HOPKINS: Well, I think everyone needs to have smart energy behavior. And that extends to making sure to weather-strip all your doors and put door sweeps on, to install -- and install the latest energy efficient technologies.
CALLEBS: Now we have you putting some foam on here. Tell us about this stuff?
HOPKINS: Well, that's -- there are many different weather- stripping products available at your local hardware store. And these types of products seal up the gap between the jam and the door, and stop that cold air from leaking in and causing you to have high energy bills.
CALLEBS: Is it costly to purchase that?
HOPKINS: Oh, no. Oh, no. That's -- it's incredibly cheap. I always like to tell people to take one Saturday in the fall or early winter, and go around your house, feel around the doors and windows, see where the leaks are, fix them up. It's a great afternoon project. Do it with the kids.
CALLEBS: Now what about the fireplace? I've heard that that is a place a lot, believe it or not, a lot of heat simply escapes the house? HOPKINS: Oh, yes. A fireplace, as you know, it's really lovely, especially in this holiday season. But after the fire has died down, you want to close that damper. If that damper isn't closed, you have cold air rushing down the chimney, all night long, and that makes you feel uncomfortable, but also costs you a lot in energy bills.
CALLEBS: Now what about the thermostat? If say you're going to leave in the morning, work your eight hours, come home later at night, do you save more energy if you turn it way down than turn it way back up and have to heat the home? Or do you try and keep it one stable temperature?
HOPKINS: You know, that's an old wives tale. Any time you're able to turn down the temperature, you're going to get savings. These new programmable thermostats, which are quite inexpensive, can be installed and can pay back in their costs in the first year as energy savings.
Those setbacks, say you can do it at night, and then program it so it comes on just a few minutes before you get up and warms up the house. You'll never know it was cooler at night. And then when you go to work, you can turn it -- have it turned down again.
For every 24 hour period that you set back one degree, you save three percent on your energy bill.
CALLEBS: Wow.
HOPKINS: So that can be big energy savings. That -- a programmable thermostat is one of the most cost effective energy efficient technologies you can install in your home.
CALLEBS: Now what about lights? We've all heard about that over the years. And these have become quite efficient over the years?
HOPKINS: Yes, tremendous progress has been made in lighting. For instance, this compact fluorescent light bulb can be used in virtually any fixture. You know, a few years ago, they were kind of big and bulky, but look how small -- this is just like a regular light bulb.
And we ask people to take what we call four for the planet. Install four compact fluorescent lights in your home. Look around, see where they best fit. You know, in three years, you'll save $100.
CALLEBS: OK, Mark Hopkins, Alliance to Save Energy. And if you don't want to do it, to save the planet as you say, do it to save money, right? I mean, that's always a good reason.
HOPKINS: Right. Everyone should remember, energy efficiency is our cleanest, cheapest, quickest energy supply resource. It's a great opportunity for savings and a better quality of life.
CALLEBS: OK, Mark. Thanks for coming in. We certainly appreciate it. Have a good new year.
HOPKINS: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
Aired December 28, 2003 - 07:42 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
SEAN CALLEBS, CNN ANCHOR: From the windows to the walls, old man winter can sneak his way into your home, costing you time, energy, and most importantly, cash.
But we have some tips on how you can keep your cold hard cash in your nice little warm pocket. Here to tell us now is Mark Hopkins. He is the co-president of the Alliance to Save Energy, joining us from Washington.
Thanks very much for getting up today. Are you warm? Are you saving money? Are you conserving?
MARK HOPKINS, ALLIANCE TO SAVE ENERGY: Well, the studio must be an energy efficient studio, because I'm nice and toasty today.
CALLEBS: Yes, I'd be willing to bet the farm that that's not accurate, but we'll get to that just a bit later. Let's talk about some of the things that people can do for their homes. Do you -- how firstly can you gauge if your home is as energy efficient as it should be?
HOPKINS: Well, I think everyone needs to have smart energy behavior. And that extends to making sure to weather-strip all your doors and put door sweeps on, to install -- and install the latest energy efficient technologies.
CALLEBS: Now we have you putting some foam on here. Tell us about this stuff?
HOPKINS: Well, that's -- there are many different weather- stripping products available at your local hardware store. And these types of products seal up the gap between the jam and the door, and stop that cold air from leaking in and causing you to have high energy bills.
CALLEBS: Is it costly to purchase that?
HOPKINS: Oh, no. Oh, no. That's -- it's incredibly cheap. I always like to tell people to take one Saturday in the fall or early winter, and go around your house, feel around the doors and windows, see where the leaks are, fix them up. It's a great afternoon project. Do it with the kids.
CALLEBS: Now what about the fireplace? I've heard that that is a place a lot, believe it or not, a lot of heat simply escapes the house? HOPKINS: Oh, yes. A fireplace, as you know, it's really lovely, especially in this holiday season. But after the fire has died down, you want to close that damper. If that damper isn't closed, you have cold air rushing down the chimney, all night long, and that makes you feel uncomfortable, but also costs you a lot in energy bills.
CALLEBS: Now what about the thermostat? If say you're going to leave in the morning, work your eight hours, come home later at night, do you save more energy if you turn it way down than turn it way back up and have to heat the home? Or do you try and keep it one stable temperature?
HOPKINS: You know, that's an old wives tale. Any time you're able to turn down the temperature, you're going to get savings. These new programmable thermostats, which are quite inexpensive, can be installed and can pay back in their costs in the first year as energy savings.
Those setbacks, say you can do it at night, and then program it so it comes on just a few minutes before you get up and warms up the house. You'll never know it was cooler at night. And then when you go to work, you can turn it -- have it turned down again.
For every 24 hour period that you set back one degree, you save three percent on your energy bill.
CALLEBS: Wow.
HOPKINS: So that can be big energy savings. That -- a programmable thermostat is one of the most cost effective energy efficient technologies you can install in your home.
CALLEBS: Now what about lights? We've all heard about that over the years. And these have become quite efficient over the years?
HOPKINS: Yes, tremendous progress has been made in lighting. For instance, this compact fluorescent light bulb can be used in virtually any fixture. You know, a few years ago, they were kind of big and bulky, but look how small -- this is just like a regular light bulb.
And we ask people to take what we call four for the planet. Install four compact fluorescent lights in your home. Look around, see where they best fit. You know, in three years, you'll save $100.
CALLEBS: OK, Mark Hopkins, Alliance to Save Energy. And if you don't want to do it, to save the planet as you say, do it to save money, right? I mean, that's always a good reason.
HOPKINS: Right. Everyone should remember, energy efficiency is our cleanest, cheapest, quickest energy supply resource. It's a great opportunity for savings and a better quality of life.
CALLEBS: OK, Mark. Thanks for coming in. We certainly appreciate it. Have a good new year.
HOPKINS: Thanks.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com
