5 Steps to Creating a More Energy Efficient Home
Reducing energy costs and becoming more energy efficient make for a great team, but how do we go about achieving those goals? Great question.
Here are 5 steps to creating a more energy efficient home.
If you follow these steps, you'll be well on your way to getting your energy usage under control and hopefully seeing some sizable reductions in your energy bills.
1.
Turn Your Lights Off Are you or the other members of your family in the habit of leaving lights on in rooms that are empty? Do you like to leave lights on everywhere because it feels good? Well, it may feel good at the time, but here's betting that good feeling disappears all too quickly when your monthly utility bill comes in! Turning lights off when not needed is a basic first step to reducing your energy usage and your energy bill, and one that should be taken immediately.
As well as turning things off, how about closing things? Keeping your doors closed will help maintain a room's temperature and avoid the need for your heater or air conditioner to keep working when they shouldn't need to.
Other simple changes can include reducing fridge visits;using appliances in the evening when gas and electricity are cheaper;only doing laundry when there's a full load;hanging clothes to dry, avoiding the dryer;washing dishes by hand.
2.
Swap Out Those Old Energy-Hogging Light Bulbs Standard incandescent light bulbs are passe, my dear, so please, get real and get rid of them! Seriously, though, they were fine when they were the only game in town, but with the introduction of CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs), they are in the same boat as candles were before electricity and light bulbs came along, i.
e.
obsolete.
OK, CFLs aren't cheap, but when you one lasts about 10 times longer and uses just a quarter of the energy of an incandescent bulb, your money goes so much further, and, over the long run, you're getting more money back in your pocket in energy savings.
3.
Change Your Power Source If the heating in your home is supplied using electricity, you may not realize it, but you're using the most expensive energy source and, literally, burning up a lot more money than you need to.
By switching to heating generated from fuel oil or natural gas, you'll improve your efficiency while saving a lot of money.
The same applies to any other appliances run off electricity, such as clothes dryers, space heaters, etc.
If you can, financially and logistically, change the energy source of these appliances also.
Solar thermal is a great alternative for your hot water and home heating needs.
It's clean, renewable energy that can be partially paid for by government rebates and will pay for itself within 5 years or so, after which most of your hit water and heat will be free.
4.
Insulate And Caulk Ensuring that your home is well insulated and that doors and windows have been caulked, your home will be able to retain more heat in cooler weather and cool air in warmer times.
This will reduce the amount of work needed from both your heater and your air conditioner, and, since running an air conditioner is one of the most energy intensive parts of a home's energy profile, can result in hefty energy savings.
5.
Think Energy Star If you need to replace one of your aging appliances, you'll be handsomely rewarded by investing in an Energy Star appliance, not only through cheaper energy bills but through possible rebates from your local utility.
And, if you're buying a new fridge, save yourself a pile of money by not taking the automatic defrost feature, which increases the fridge's energy usage by over 30%! Manual defrost works just as well and costs a lot less.
Follow these 5 steps, and you'll be well on your way to creating the ultimate in energy efficient homes.
And why not keep going? Maybe these tips will work as catalysts to ideas of your own for increasing your energy efficiency.
If so, this article will have done its job and then some.
Here are 5 steps to creating a more energy efficient home.
If you follow these steps, you'll be well on your way to getting your energy usage under control and hopefully seeing some sizable reductions in your energy bills.
1.
Turn Your Lights Off Are you or the other members of your family in the habit of leaving lights on in rooms that are empty? Do you like to leave lights on everywhere because it feels good? Well, it may feel good at the time, but here's betting that good feeling disappears all too quickly when your monthly utility bill comes in! Turning lights off when not needed is a basic first step to reducing your energy usage and your energy bill, and one that should be taken immediately.
As well as turning things off, how about closing things? Keeping your doors closed will help maintain a room's temperature and avoid the need for your heater or air conditioner to keep working when they shouldn't need to.
Other simple changes can include reducing fridge visits;using appliances in the evening when gas and electricity are cheaper;only doing laundry when there's a full load;hanging clothes to dry, avoiding the dryer;washing dishes by hand.
2.
Swap Out Those Old Energy-Hogging Light Bulbs Standard incandescent light bulbs are passe, my dear, so please, get real and get rid of them! Seriously, though, they were fine when they were the only game in town, but with the introduction of CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs), they are in the same boat as candles were before electricity and light bulbs came along, i.
e.
obsolete.
OK, CFLs aren't cheap, but when you one lasts about 10 times longer and uses just a quarter of the energy of an incandescent bulb, your money goes so much further, and, over the long run, you're getting more money back in your pocket in energy savings.
3.
Change Your Power Source If the heating in your home is supplied using electricity, you may not realize it, but you're using the most expensive energy source and, literally, burning up a lot more money than you need to.
By switching to heating generated from fuel oil or natural gas, you'll improve your efficiency while saving a lot of money.
The same applies to any other appliances run off electricity, such as clothes dryers, space heaters, etc.
If you can, financially and logistically, change the energy source of these appliances also.
Solar thermal is a great alternative for your hot water and home heating needs.
It's clean, renewable energy that can be partially paid for by government rebates and will pay for itself within 5 years or so, after which most of your hit water and heat will be free.
4.
Insulate And Caulk Ensuring that your home is well insulated and that doors and windows have been caulked, your home will be able to retain more heat in cooler weather and cool air in warmer times.
This will reduce the amount of work needed from both your heater and your air conditioner, and, since running an air conditioner is one of the most energy intensive parts of a home's energy profile, can result in hefty energy savings.
5.
Think Energy Star If you need to replace one of your aging appliances, you'll be handsomely rewarded by investing in an Energy Star appliance, not only through cheaper energy bills but through possible rebates from your local utility.
And, if you're buying a new fridge, save yourself a pile of money by not taking the automatic defrost feature, which increases the fridge's energy usage by over 30%! Manual defrost works just as well and costs a lot less.
Follow these 5 steps, and you'll be well on your way to creating the ultimate in energy efficient homes.
And why not keep going? Maybe these tips will work as catalysts to ideas of your own for increasing your energy efficiency.
If so, this article will have done its job and then some.
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