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Where Every Issue is a Green Issue| Providing Wisdom in Building a Sustainable Future | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Easy Steps, Encouraging Homeowners on Their Energy Savings How-To Steps You Can Take There are somewhere in the neighborhood of 55 million single-family residences in the United States. These homes consume approximately 35% of the energy used in this country for all the stuff we use energy for at home — like heating, cooling, lighting, running appliances. That 35% makes up a significant percentage of the country's energy production and consumption. 75% of our energy use is from fossil fuels and the energy used by our homes creates emissions that cause global warming and pollution. At the scale of our population, it creates ill effects to our environment and our health. If each household reduced consumption by even 25%, collectively that energy efficiency would reduce emissions that contribute to smog, acid rain, polluted waterways and global warming. With 55 million, it means millions of us need to make changes to make an impact. How 'bout you? It could save you money too. The average U.S. household spends about $1,800 a year for their home's energy needs. Forecasts from the Energy Information Administration, a division of the U.S. Department of Energy, predict the average winter heating costs for this fall/winter season alone could rise to more than $977, an increase of $88, or nearly ten percent over last year. Take steps now to improve the energy efficiency of your home, reduce global warming and reap substantial savings. Start with the simplest, least expensive steps. Its easy! Conserve — Change Your Habits Reduce the energy consumption from all energy using systems in your home, such as lighting, heating, cooling, and appliances. If you can't do everything at once, start with the first thing thats easiest for you. Select from our list below. Consciously do it for a week or so until it becomes a habit. Then add the second conserving step until it too becomes a habit. Soon it will feel like no big deal. But you'll be saving energy and saving money — and reducing Greenhouse gases. 1.Let Old Mr. Sun light your home. Sunlight is often brighter than bulbs and sometimes better quality light. When you do use lights, turn them out when not in use. It could save 10% of the lighting portion of your home's energy expense. 2.When your incandescent bulbs burn out, replace them with CFLs (Compact Fluorescents). It can save three-quarters of the electricity used by incandescents. Plus, a new CFL may cost about $3, but it lasts 10,000 hours, unlike incandescents that last maybe 1,000 hours, which would comparatively cost you $5. Start with the 60-watt to100-watt bulbs that you use the most hours per day to start your savings. Replacing just four incandescent with CFLs could save you $30 per year and 718 lbs. of carbon dioxide (CO2) not emitted into the atmosphere 3.Dress warmer at home in the winter and keep the thermostat a couple of degrees cooler. Energy experts recommend 72 degrees in the cooler months, 68 degrees at night when sleeping. Dress cooler at home in the summer and keep the thermostat around 78 degrees in the warmer months. For each degree you lower your thermostat you can save up to 5% on the heating portion of your energy bill. 4.Don't leave doors and windows open when the heater or air conditioner are running. 5.Your refrigerator runs 24 hours a day, likely making it your most used appliances. Adjust your refrigerator's temperature to ideally accommodate your food and lifestyle. Make a habit to ensure the door closes completely each time its opened. If you purchase a new refrigerator, don't leave the old one plugged in, either in the basement or for your entertaining needs. Electricity to operate older models can run up to $150 a year to run as compared to new Energy Star rated ones which cost in the vicinity of $30-60 a year. Dust or vacuum your refrigerator condenser coils twice each year. You could save $32 a year and 651 lbs. CO2 not emitted. 6. Cook with lids covering your pots instead of open pan. For some vegetables and for hardboiling eggs, try heating to boil. Then turn off the stove, keeping the lid on to continue cooking your food with the retained heat. 7.Plan meals so that you can use your oven for more than one item at a time. Use a microwave or toaster oven to heat smaller portions, rather than heating your large conventional oven. Now comes more easy habits, but maybe just a little money & perhaps more work: 1.Install dimmer switches and motion sensors wherever possible which can reduce your lighting load by 50%; saving energy, money and reducing emissions. 2.Replace filters in your heating & cooling system once a month to maintain a clean and efficient air flow — which reduces energy costs. Keep registers and vents clean. For rooms not often used, keep their regisers and doors closed. Get a furnace tune-up every two years. Annual savings could be $75 and 2059 lbs CO2 not emitted. 3.Caulk or add weather stripping around windows and doors. This can reduce energy loss and protect your home from moisture damage. Include where pipes come through the wall. You could save an annual $50 and 692 lbs. not emitted into the atmosphere. Now for the bigger projects. Take a survey of your homes' system. 1.What kind of insulation does your home have — walls, attic, windows, and doors. Can they be improved? Effective insulation slows the rate that heat flows in or out of your house depending upon the season, so less energy is required to keep your family comfortable. If your house has no wall insulation, consider blown-in insulation. If your attic is unfinished, it often pays to insulation. Many green options are available with varying R-value depending upon your needs, such as fiberglass, cellulose, recycled denim and foam. Appropriate insulation can save you up to 30% on your heating bill. 2. What kind of windows does your home have? If they're old, are single pane or leak cold air, they might account for about 15% of your home's heat loss. Weatherstrip them and use storm windows. Consider replacing them with energy-efficient Energy Star rated models. Evaluate the cost-effectiveness of saving on your energy bill, saving CO2 emissions with how long you plan to live in your home to determine your pay back, return on investment time. 3. Heating & Cooling takes over 40% of your homes energy usage. It should be high on your priority list for energy efficiency. Replace an older furnace with a high-efficiency system. A 15 year old furnace could waste about 35% of the fuel it uses. When you replace it, ACEEE recommends a condensing furnace with annual efficiency of at least 90%. This type furnace could save you as much as 27% on your heating bill. 4. At what temperature do you keep your hot water heater? Adjust the temperature to the warm setting (120°F). Insulate it and your hot water lines to keep them from cooling before they reach their destination. Use low-flow fixtures for showers and baths. When replaceing a hot water heater, consider an “on demand” system. 5. When replacing your appliances, be sure they're sized to meet your real needs. Get the most energy efficient models you can afford with the Energy Star® label. You can cut annual energy bills by as much as 30% with Energy Star® labelled appliances, or more than $450 per year. 6.Install ceiling fans which can help more evenly distribute warm and cool air generated by your heating and cooling system throughout the year. Attic fans or vents can keep hot or cold air from being trapped in your attic. When you're ready to invest in a new energy system, consider clean energy generation (solar, geothermal, wind). |
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