Table of Contents
| ENERGY AUDIT |
| ENERGY CONSERVING TECHNOLOGY |
| READER FEEDBACK |
| READER TIPS |
| WINTERIZATION |
Increase Your Energy Efficiency
Everyone talks about new ways to produce electricity -- we love the magic and promise of science and technology -- but the best and swiftest way to reduce our carbon footprint is to use less fuel in the first place.
Why Do It?
Not only does increasing your energy efficiency and reducing your usage keep carbon and other pollutants out of the environment, but it also keeps money in your pocket--far more of it than you imagine!
Option 1: Replace light bulbs with CFL's.
Option 2: Turn off lights that aren't in use.
Option 3: Turn your thermostat down, the better to enjoy your cozy blankets and sweatshirts.
Option 4: Unplug appliances that aren't in use--they suck up more energy than you think. Even chargers that aren't connected to their devises waste electricity you shouldn't have to pay for.
Option 5: When the time comes, replace your old appliances and your water heater with items sporting the Energy Star Rating.
01/27/2010: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "Okay, there is one more alternative for getting a home energy audit done - get your kids to do it! The website thirteen.org has a well-developed lesson plan to engage students with the concept of energy efficiency and conservation, culminating in a home energy audit. Bring it to the classroom, or make it a family learning, bonding, and saving activity. The only thing stronger than the family that saves money together is the family that saves the planet together."
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01/26/2010: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "If you have a bit more money to invest, you can see tremendous savings in your home energy expenditures within a few years by investing in a professional home energy audit. A licensed home energy audit professional will bring infrared/thermographic inspection and blower doors (a temporary door with a fan in it) to really evaluate every drafty wall and crevice, while bringing in knowledge of the most cost effective energy conservation retrofits for homes and offices in your area.
Two agencies, the Residential Energy Services Network and the Building Performance Institute have made a business of training professionals to run an energy audit and do the necessary energy retrofit work in your home. Look for someone licensed by one of these two agencies, and talk to them about rebates from local, state, or federal government agencies to cover the cost of the energy audit.
The energy audit inspector will take care of most everything once he arrives. Still, you can help yourself out by preparing a list of questions and concerns about the house beforehand. This may include whether summer or winter is your primary energy concern, if you have trouble with condensation on your windows, and particular rooms that seem the coldest or draftiest. Gathering together utility bills and the dates of installation of your major home appliances will also be useful."
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01/25/2010: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "A do-it-yourself home energy audit ordinarily begins with looking for the air leaks and drafts that run in and out of your home. These leaks, no matter how small, collectively waste a significant amount of the energy you use in heating and cooling. To ferret them out, there are a couple of tricks.
- Shut off all heaters, fans, and blowers as well as all windows and doors.
- Then turn on the exhaust fans in your house, or direct a window fan outdoors to suck air in through the cracks in your home. (Or do this on a windy day.)
- Wet your hand or burn a stick of incense and run one or the other along all the cracks between doors, windows, walls, outlets, ceilings, floors, and appliance outlets to find where the air is moving between your home and the outside world.
Once you have found and sealed your drafts, you'll want to see where else in your home you are using more energy than need be. Pull out your utility bills, and analyze which times of year require the most energy expense. This DIY home energy audit will help you compare your annual energy usage and expense with that of your neighbors. Not up to par, or beating the Joneses for that matter? What are you doing during those time periods that require the electricity or fuels? Can you cut back on your light usage in winter - about 10% of your electric bill goes to lighting? Or are you blasting the A/C at night in summer when it would be better all around to open some windows at night or invest in a whole-house fan system? Is your insulation up to local requirements? Appliances, home entertainment systems, outdoor lighting, and every other part of your home should be reviewed."
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01/24/2010: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "President Obama's "Cash for Caulkers" program was inspired by the significant gap between the energy efficiency our homes and offices could easily attain and the relative inefficiency most of them exhibit at present. Energy efficiency simply was not much of a factor in previous eras of construction, when energy for heating and cooling was relatively inexpensive. Consequently, US homes account for 20% of total national energy usage, even when many of us spend very few waking hours inside of them. European and Japanese standards have quickly improved of late, but nowhere in the world is home energy efficiency where it should be.
Now, however, when fossil fuels are continuing to grow more scarce and more costly to bring to the consumer, home energy efficiency is a rapidly growing concern and job market. Eliminating your home's major drafts can reduce your annual energy bills by 5-30%, and that's just the start. The best way to know where to begin on increasing your home energy efficiency is through a home energy audit, a step-by-step review of your home's energy usage and where energy is being wasted, at what cost, and what it would take to put a plug in that energy and money drain. You can do a home energy audit on your own, or hire a professional to do a more thorough review."
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09/20/2009: Deirdre from Atlanta, GA writes: "I am very curious to know if anyone has purchased one of the meters you install in your home that reads electrical output? If so, which one did you purchase and has it changed your electrical usage? I see Google has one in the works: http://www.google.org/powermeter/howitworks.html.
Here's an interesting article about a few options: http://michaelbluejay.com/electricity/measure.html "
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1 YEA
02/23/2009: Celia from Selingsgrove, PA writes: "I didn't know this before, but about 15 percent of an average home energy bill goes to heating water. That's alot! I started taking shorter showers. I do my laundry all in cold water too, except where there are really bad stains. You don't always need hot water to clean. I have noticed a drastic difference in my electric bill."
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[YEA] 02/20/2009: Maggie from Dickson City, PA writes: "I bought myself an electronic thermostat. They say it pays itself back in savings within a year. I paid $80 for mine. A neighbor installed it for free. The only thing about it that matters to me is THE HOUSE IS WARM IN THE MORNING! Used to be I would have to get out of bed into the cold house to turn the thermostat up. NO MORE! I don't keep track of the energy I save. But it's worth it just for having a warm house in the morning. And for not having to remember to turn the heat down at night."
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02/19/2009: Lisa from Montana writes: "Hey, here's one for EC and ECP too! One of the most important things for staying healthy in the winter is relative humidity. Keep it high and you'll save yourself from a lot of colds and the flu. I saw an article the other day on how our grandmothers kept a kettle of water steaming on the stove in the winter for the same reason. Not a bad idea, but what's even easier for me is that we hang our washed laundry up right inside the house. We save money on drying (HUGE energy hog!!) and the whole house gets humidified. Has a nice smell too! There are drying racs that fold up and put away, or we have a clothesline that reels itself back in after you're done. Lisa from Montana."
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12/01/2007: Thamas from East Coast, Australia writes: "Just an idea - if all the equipment in gyms around the world stored the energy created from the bicyle and weight machines, this could be fed into the system for electricity. At the least it might generate enough power to run it's own building."
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08/15/2007: Tara from Vinings, GA writes: "Every time I leave a room I turn out the light. I try and not leave more than 3 lights on in the house at any time. We have also replaced almost all the light bulbs in our house with those compact, 13-watt florescent light bulbs. The next thing I want to do is install one of those Smart Meters."
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1 YEA
12/04/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "It doesn't get any simpler than this. Scrape together a minimal collection of crafty, DIY skill and make yourself a draft snake, just as you remember it from Grandma's house. An astonishing percentage of winter energy usage is wasted by drafts, and the bottom of a door can be the worst offender. A simply stitched up tube of fabric the width of your door, filled with beans, rice, sand, kitty litter, crumpled papers or most any reused material, can stop the creeping of cold air in and warm air out of your home or office at virtually no cost. Get creative and your snake can be particularly reptilian or become any form of amusing, comforting presence in your warmer, more energy efficient home."
[YEA]12/08/2009: Dj from Pdx, Or replies: "If you can't sew there is fusible tape that you use to iron the material together. For the really un-crafty a stapler works. Just remember Staples aren't always the most reliable if they get handled a lot. And there is always good ole duct tape. Put your insulating materials in something like the leg of an old pair of jeans or even a towel works. (for insulating material cotton batting or old socks, even old t-shirts work) Roll it and use the duct tape to secure the seams.
Make an extra long snake to hang down the side seams of the door in the evening if you have an extra drafty door. The snakes work on windows too. "
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12/01/2009: Earth Clinic Planet writes: "For those of us in the more pole-ward parts of the southern and northern hemispheres, the creep of wintery chill signals it is time to winterize our homes and businesses. Few of us approach the task eagerly, and as a result much remains undone by spring that we wish we had done in late fall in order to keep our homes warmer and our utility bills lower. Understanding that our time and energy are limited, what are the most effective winterization steps we can make this year?
- Programmable Thermostat - In terms of dollars spent for carbon saved (and utility bills cut), this is the clear winner.
- Seal the Leaks - The older your home, the leakier it will tend to be. Grab the caulk gun and scan doors, windows, window frames, and wall junctures for holes that you can quickly seal against drafts. You'll spend about $10 on a tube of caulk, but save $100 a year on heating.
- Insulate the Attic - If you haven't done it by now, you're long overdue. Make sure you have the proper amount for your region. Insulating the basement is less effective, but it can make walking around in bare feet infinitely more pleasant.
- Seal the Windows - Well, here it is, the dreaded task. Still, if your windows are older, then sealing them with plastic film can make a tremendous difference and savings.
Happily, the first three steps are a one-time installation requirement, while the benefits will return to you and your home year after year."
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