Here’s my list of what I call the Top 10 Energy Saving Guarantees that have been proven to save energy and save money while also being affordable enough for almost anyone to handle. I provide these guarantees because I know that many people want to be green, but have a hard time finding a place that is affordable to get started.

1. HOME LIGHTING

Recent increases in electric utility costs have us either cutting back or changing how and what we light. To get the most from your lighting:

a. Replace all incandescent light bulbs with energy efficient CFL’s ( Compact Fluorescent Lights )

b. Reduce outdoor lighting loads by using solar powered path lighting and super bright solar lamps

c. Install solar skylights to allow natural light into normally darkened areas of the home.

Changing your lighting to use CFL’s and allowing more natural light to enter the home is guaranteed to save energy.

2. DOORS AND WINDOWS

To improve the efficiency of the doors and windows in your home or apartment, the following suggestions are affordable enough to consider, whether you own or rent:

a. For drafts blowing under an exterior door:
- on modern doors, adjust the threshold to reduce the gap between the bottom of the door and the threshold.
- on older doors, install weather stripping that seals the crack at the bottom of the door when the door is shut.

b. Install weather stripping around the sides and top of all exterior doors.

c. To improve the efficiency of windows:

1. Install any available storm windows.
- If storm windows are not available, but removable screens are installed, remove the screens and then wrap them with plastic and replace the screens.

2. Caulk all exterior cracks around the window frame and home siding.

3. Install heat shrinkable plastic on the inside of the window.

If you follow the guidelines provided for better sealing your doors and windows, you are guaranteed to save energy.

3. ELECTRIC CLOTHES DRYERS

As much as a clothes dryer is essential, it is also one of the primary sources of wasted energy. The energy fix for the dryer includes:

a. Install a dryer vent seal. This eliminates any back drafts from entering the home when the dryer is not in use and could easily reduce your homes heating and cooling costs by up to 10%.

b. Don’t run the dryer on frigid winter nights or on hot summer afternoons because whenever you run the dryer and exhaust the air outdoors, the same amount of air is being sucked into your home.

By installing the dryer vent seal and by not running the dryer when outdoor temperatures are at extreme odds with your indoor temperature, your energy savings are guaranteed.

4. BATHROOM EXHAUST FANS

Exhaust fans are very helpful in removing moisture and foul odors from your home, but they are also a primary source of energy waste. To improve their performance:

a. Install an Intermatic, thirty to sixty minute timer for each exhaust fan switch. This will guarantee an exhaust fan is not running longer than necessary.

Exhaust fans are pulling in unconditioned outside air into your home while also exhausting air you paid to heat or cool. This process is necessary, but the focus is to reduce the amount of time to only what is necessary.

By performing these simple steps, you are guaranteed to save energy.

5. COMPUTERS AND PERIPHERAL DEVICES

Computer may be able to shut down or hibernate when it detects it has not been used for a while, but your printer, sound system, backup drives, etc, keep chugging away at your homes energy, 24 hours a day, forever. To resolve these issues or to at least reduce their impact:

a. Install an energy saving smart strip for your computer and supporting devices. The smart strip device senses when you have shut down your computer and then shuts down all your other peripheral devices automatically.

b. If you have the habit of leaving your computer on when it is not being used, you could work on improving your awareness of your habit and turn your computer off more often or set your computer to hibernate or sleep after two hours or so.

Tests I ran have shown that the simple habit of turning off the computer more often while also using a smart strip, will reduce yearly energy costs by at least $25.00. Install a smart strip for your computer and you are guaranteed to save energy.

6. REFRIGERATORS AND FREEZERS

Your refrigerator and freezer runs twenty-four hours a day, forever, so even a little improvement makes a difference due to how often these items run. The energy saving fix for these items is two-fold:

a. Remove the vent cover at the bottom of the unit and clean out all the dust and dirt from the refrigerator coils.

b. Keep the refrigerator and freezer as full as possible. Using a combination of zip-lock bags or Tupperware bowls, store extra ice, frozen vegetables, frozen fruit, bread, pitchers of water, etc, so that there is less empty air space.

By cleaning the coils, the unit will run slightly less, and by filling empty air space with solid objects, the unit will run even less. When these two ideas are used together, the unit runs less, emits less heat into your kitchen and even lowers your air conditioning load on the house. The energy savings are guaranteed.

7. HEATING AND AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEMS

To reduce the amount of energy being wasted by your heating and cooling systems:

a. Seal the Leaks

- 1. Forced Air Systems – while the system is running, follow the main duct line and use either the back of your hand or a smoke stick to locate areas where air is escaping from the duct system and seal those leaks with foil duct tape…not that sticky gray tape.

- 2. Hot Water or Steam Systems – Insulate the pipes with foam insulation, being especially diligent where piping crosses near basement window and door areas.

b. Perform yearly cleanings.

- 1. Oil and coal heating systems have the capacity to create a lot of soot. It is vital that your boiler be cleaned yearly and the chimney cleaned every other year. By removing the soot from the boiler, you improve the boilers capacity to absorb the heat and by keeping the chimney clean, you improve air flow which allows the fuel to burn hotter and cleaner.

- 2. Air conditioning systems, as well as air source heat pumps require yearly maintenance. Coils need to be cleaned, refrigerant charges need to be adjusted and routine maintenance needs to be performed.

Being diligent about performing preventive maintenance on your heating and air conditioning systems will not only lengthen the systems life time, but your energy savings will be guaranteed.

8. WATER

Your savings can really grow by learning how to better conserve your water. All the energy saving benefits of reducing water usage are even greater for those who have wells and use a pump to extract their water in the first place.

a. Replace your shower head with an energy saving shower head that uses less than the standard 2. 5 to 3. 5 gallons of water per minute. Many models are available that use 1. 5 to 1. 75 gallons per minute while still providing full body coverage and pressure while showering.

By reducing the amount of water used while showing, the energy you use to heat your water can be dramatically reduced, plus it will help eliminate your water heater or furnace from running out of enough heated water so that another person could shower right after you.

b. Locate the sink closest to your water heating source and use that sink whenever you need to wash your hands. You’ll have hot water quicker and will leave less heated water standing in the pipes.

By becoming more aware of how you may have been wasting your heated water by using too much during showering or by leaving much of it to just cool down in your pipes, you can easily change a few habits that are guaranteed to help you save energy.

9. CEILING FANS

Fans are often only associated with cooling things, but they can better be defined as devices that help move air from one place to another. This works for both cool or hot air.

a. During the winter, set your fan reversing switch in the upwards position and keep the speed setting on low. What this will do is to gently push any heated air off the ceiling and force it back down along the walls to the floor where you want it. Since the fan is pushing the air around the perimeter of the room, you wont feel any breeze or draft during this process.

b. During the summer, set your fan reversing switch in the downwards position and use the low or medium speed setting. This will help keep the room from becoming stagnant and will prevent hot air from building up near the ceiling and will allow the air to mix better and cool more naturally. Meanwhile, since the fan is blowing air down directly, you will feel this breeze and you will feel cooler as the wind from the fan helps your perspiration evaporate from your skin.

When we take advantage of using ceiling fans to better distribute our heated or cooled air, our overall comfort level increases while the amount of energy we use decreases. This more comfortable situation is guaranteed to save energy.

10. CLOTHING AND ATTIRE

By learning how to better dress ourselves, we could learn to live more comfortably in our homes while using less energy to condition the air within our homes.

a. During colder weather conditions, be sure to wear socks, full length pants and long sleeve shirts in your home. It’s not necessary to add multiple layers (unless you want to), but by simply ensuring you are protecting your exposed skin from “drafts”, you will feel more comfortable at a lower temperature setting. Then, by lowering your thermostat by 5 to 10 degrees, you can save from 10% to 20% more energy.

b. During hotter weather conditions, and especially at night, remove your socks, wear shorts and short sleeve shirts. If you exercise in the home or come home hot and sweaty, give yourself a few minutes to cool down a little and then change your shirt or pants with something fresh and lighter. Doing so will allow you to maintain a warmer temperature in the home and reduce your air conditioning costs.

There is often too great a tendency to up the thermostat during winter months instead of dressing more efficiently. If you are walking around your home in the winter in your shorts, you are going to be cooler and you will either raise the thermostat setting or put on more clothing. One choice will waste energy and the other is guaranteed to save energy.

The overall message is no different than what our grandparents used to say in that ‘a penny saved is a penny earned’. As we learn to stop wasting, we are effectively giving ourselves a raise in salary. That’s great motivation, so whether you agree with the reports on global warming or believe we should keep drilling or not, most of us already agree that we’d like to have more money, so by reducing what we waste, we will all have more money left to enjoy on things that matter to us.

Keep it cooler.

Turn down your thermostat if you do not have elderly or infant residents. Adopt the “après ski” look at home; a high thermostat can dry out our nasal passages, and make us more susceptible to colds and flu.

Program your thermostat.

If your home is unoccupied during the day, a programmable thermostat will keep your home cool during your absence, and then kick in with welcoming heat just before you return. You can also keep the heat low during your sleeping hours, but still wake up to a warm house in the morning.

Maintain your furnace.

Regular maintenance of your heating unit will help keep your energy bill down too. Make sure that you have your furnace professionally checked at the beginning of the heating season. Late summer or early autumn is the best time to book your appointment, so keep this in mind for next year. Try to change furnace filters often.

Keep the cold out.

Good storm doors and windows are a necessity in most of Canada. But they’re only as good as their installation. Invest in superior quality products, have them professionally installed, and you will recoup your investment monies in no time.

Insulate, insulate, and insulate!

Especially in your attic. Heat rises, so just as a good hat keeps in our body heat, so a well-insulated attic holds in your home’s warm air.

Get out the caulking gun.

There are many hidden places where your expensive warm air escapes out into the cold. Walk around with a lit candle to check for drafts. Caulk around sill plates, doorframes, window frames, attic entrances, chimney flashing, and anywhere that any wiring, ducting, plumbing, or flues penetrate your exterior walls. Remember to insulate all of your exterior electrical outlets too.

Watch those kitchen and bathroom fans.

Your fans are blowing out your expensive warm air, so use them wisely. You don’t want mould, but you may want some extra humidity. Clean and reverse your ceiling fans – they’ll help keep the warm air down where you need it.

Warm the floor.

You may love hardwood, stone or tile, but you need cozy carpets underfoot during the winter months. Many people roll their rugs up again when the weather warms.

Use the snow.

Snow is a great insulator. Some homeowners swear by the practice of banking snow around the foundation, especially in regions where the “basement” is an unheated crawlspace. Be sure not to block any furnace or dryer vents.

Keep a blanket box or basket.

Have some cozy throws available where people gather. Invest in down duvets for your bedrooms – nothing else provides such instant comfort. Smaller down-filled throws are new on the market, and are great for snuggling under during those evening hours spent in front of a book or a movie.

There’s no question that fuel prices will hit Canadians in the coming months. Look for ways to be a frugal user of home heating his winter: it’s healthy, wealthy and wise.

WIN100N Heating & Cooling Programmable Outlet Thermostat Receive a Free Timer as a Gift With Your Purchase!

The WIN100N is a Heating or Cooling Programmable Thermostat for Window Air Conditioners and Electric Space Heaters.

Receive a free iconic Lux timer, a $9 value, with your thermostat purchase!

It plugs into a normal household receptacle outlet. Electrical Rating is 120 volt, 15 Amp. Accurate Temperature Control while Saving Energy. Weekdays and Weekends can be programm (more…)

The first step that you have to make is to use a lighted incense stick or a tissue to find out any drafts. You can move them slowly next to windows or doors and this will move the smoke or the tissue. Check the caulking around the windows.

There must be no gaps between them and the walls of the house. If there is a leak, remove the old ad install the new caulking. One good way to save energy is to check the caulk every year.

Check also the weather stripping on the doors. They prevent drafts from getting in or cool air from getting out.

If you have no weather-stripping them, it is easy to add them and lots of it is adhesive-back and it easily sticks to the doorframe or the bottom of the door.

You also have to check around the electrical outlets. These areas are often insulated, but you can buy thin foam insulation especially designed for fitting under the outlet panel that blocks the drafts.

Here are some steps to conserve energy. First you have to install a programmable thermostat to control the temperature. It will adjust the temperature to match the schedule and to make sure that you are not heating or cooling an empty room.

You can use compact fluorescent light instead of regular incandescent bulbs. They provide a given amount of light and use much less energy and do not produce as much heat as regular bulbs.

Turn down the temperature in your water heater. They are usually so high set so that somebody may get burned. You have to adjust the temperature to 120 degrees. You can add insulation to your water heater and hot water pipes.

Insulating blankets are designed to wrap around a water heater and insulating foam tubes that go around the hot water pipes and are already available. You can replace your furnace filters on a regular basis.

If the furnace filters are blocked they can make your HVAC system work harder and longer with the use of more energy. If the filter is clean the system will work more efficiently. You have to adjust ceiling fans in order to blow warm air from up high in the room during the winter.

You have to conserve the energy efficient rating (EER) of the appliances that you replace. Modern appliances are much more energy efficient than the few years old appliances. You have to adjust your habits.

You can use heat generated appliances in the cooler evening hours. This will be good for heating your home in the winter and will be easier for the air conditioner during the summer. You have to turn on the washing machine and the dishwasher for full loads only.

Washing the partial load will waste both energy and hot water. It is preferable to take showers and not baths. Showers usually use less water. It is good to install water-saving showerheads that will conserve hot water.

The last step is to open blinds and drapes so the sun to be able to come in during the winter and close them to keep the sun out during the summer.

Most of the ideas will cost you less than 20 dollars and some of them will not cost you anything. If you put them together you have a major impact on the amount of the energy that you use.

The things that you are going to need are insulation for hot water pipes and electrical outlets, replacement furnace filters, programmable thermostat, compact fluorescent lights.

From the Manufacturer

A Honeywell programmable thermostat can save you up to 33 percent off your energy bill. You set it up to adjust the temperature when you are away or asleep–times when you don’t necessarily need to heat or cool your home to optimum comfort–and your heating and cooling equipment runs less. This stylish thermostat offers easy pre-programmed set up.

Digital Heat/Cool Thermostat, 5/2 Programming With 4 Periods Per Day, For Use With Central Gas (more…)

From the Manufacturer

A Honeywell programmable thermostat can save you up to 33% off your energy bill. You set it up to adjust the temperature when you are away or asleep–times when you don’t necessarily need to heat or cool your home to optimum comfort–and your heating and cooling equipment runs less. The RTH2310B thermostat’s blue backlight is easy to read, even in dimly lit hallways and rooms. The early start function on this thermostat begins the heating/cooling of your hom (more…)

gogi berries

Energy Efficient Lighting

Replacing your incandescent bulbs with energy-efficient lights such as Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) bulbs is one of the easiest ways to start saving money. EnergyStar-rated CFLs in particular will save you money because they use 75% less energy and last 6 to 12 times longer than traditional bulbs. In fact, replacing your 5 most frequently used bulbs with EnergyStar-rated CFLs can save you more than $65 a year in energy costs; or $50 per lifespan of a CFL bulb (calculation based on 15-watt CFL, 10,000-hour lifespan, and $0.0898 per kWh).

Better still, did you know that if every US household makes its next lightbulb an Energy Star-rated CFL, we will save more than $800 million on our national energy bill and 8.4 billion kWh of energy (that’s enough to power over 808,000 homes for one year – about the number of homes in Boston, Denver, and San Francisco combined)! In pollution terms, it is like removing the pollution of 1.2 million cars for one year!

Cost:

Approximately $2.50 to $5 per bulb

Payback:

Around 3 to 7.5 months, depending on usage and your electric rate (cost per kWh)

Savings:

Provided ALL household light fixtures are energy-efficient: per year = $117; 10-year savings = $1861*

Low Flow Fixtures

Low flow fixtures such as low flow faucets aerators and low flow showerheads save you water, energy and money by limiting the volume of water that flow through them. As such, by switching from standard showerheads (2.5 gpm) to low flow showerheads (1.0 gpm to 1.5 gpm), you can easily save 7,300 gallons of water (approximately 10% to 60% off your current consumption); in terms of combined water and energy savings, that equals to about $91 for natural gas and $143 for electric (calculation based on 4-person family using 1.5 gpm showerhead, FEMP/DOE data, and average water rate of $4/1000 gallons).

Cost:

Approximately: low flow faucet aerator = $1 to $3.50; low flow showerhead = $10 to $68

Payback:

For aerators, immediate; for showerheads, 2+ months, depending on the gpm

Savings:

Niagara Conservation 1.5 gpm 2915CH low flow showerhead, for example:
• Electric Water Heat = 949 kWh + 7,300 gal H2O = $143 (per year)
• Gas Water Heat = 52 therms + 7,300 gal H2O = $91 (per year)

Smart Power Strips

Electrical devices consume power even when they’re switched off. In fact, this “phantom” use of power makes up 40% of your total home (or 73% of your total office) energy usage. But what’s the alternative to crawling underneath the desk(s) to unplug your things each time? Or, replacing all of your old appliances EnergyStar-rated ones? It’s called the smart power strip.

Also known as the energy saving power strip, this smart little gadget automatically cuts off the power supply from the power source when devices are shut off, while still supplying power to the devices that you always need on (e.g., Internet phone, cable modem, DVR). Best of all, in addition to costing you no more than a standard power strip, a smart power strip will give you surge protection and save you about $15 to $20 per month on your energy bill!

Cost:

Approximately $20 to $100

Payback:

For a smart power strip around $35, as little as 6 weeks

Savings:

According to treehugger.com, per year = $178; 10-year savings = $2834*

Weatherstripping

Weatherstripping literally refers to the narrow strip of material that covers the joint of a door or window to exclude the cold; but often times it actually refers to the act of sealing air leaks, drafts, dust and moisture from under and around doors, windows, and electrical outlets on exterior walls as well as air ducts and chimneys. And while it takes some time for you to caulk and seal your entire home, the total effects in terms of money savings are dramatic and long-lasting.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, home weatherization may cost $1000 but will potentially save $300 to $500 per year. That amount is equal to 20% of your total heating & cooling bill or 10% of your total energy bill (based on a 3-bedroom house with insulation in walls, attic, among other areas and spaces). As a matter of fact, if you insulate your home on or before 12/31/2010, you can earn a tax credit up to $1,500!

Cost:

Approximately: door = $2.50 to $15; window = $2 to $23; electrical outlet = $0.10 to $5; air duct done yourself = $10 to $20; air duct done professionally = $300 to $1000; chimney = $45

Payback:

About 2 to 3 years, depending on how well you weatherstrip all of your doors, windows, electrical outlets, air ducts, chimneys and any other sources for drafts or unwanted air seepage

Savings:

$300 to $500 per year, provided your entire home is properly caulked and sealed; cannot estimate savings from individual sealing fixes (epa.gov)

Motion Sensors

Motion sensors (Motion Sensing Wall Switches or Occupancy Sensors) are ideal for controlling lights that have unpredictable usage and could be accidentally left on for prolonged periods of time. In addition to the typical commercial applications, they can be used in home entryways, bathrooms, closets, basements, attics, garage and porches to save money. Motion sensors are convenient because they eliminate the need for anyone to have to remember to turn anything off as they leave a room or space.

In a commercial setting, motions sensors can save you 13% to 90%, depending on the type of room or area of installation. In a residential setting, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy estimates lighting costs adds up to about 10% of total household energy costs (annual average); that means, for example, at $0.0898 per kWh, a $50 motion sensor will pay for itself by saving around 560 kWh over 9 months (based on bulbs that use 2 kWh per day).

Cost:

Approximately $50 to $100; most porch lights have built-in sensors

Payback:

6 months to 1 year, depending on your electricity rate

Savings:

Residential: Up to 10% of your entire monthly energy bill Commercial: 13% to 90%

Programmable Thermostats

High-tech programmable thermostats give you the flexibility to preset temperatures based on criteria such as day of week, time of day, and occupancy. That means, you can set a different temperature for a particular day or range of days; any particular time of day; or an occupied or unoccupied space. Programmable thermostats are convenient because you don’t have to remember to adjust or turn off anything (e.g., before going to bed at night or on a long vacation), once the temperature settings are locked in. Best of all, some utility companies offer free installation (e.g., in exchange for letting them scale back your air conditioner use in the on hot summer days) and/or rebates, so check with them for great incentives to get started today.

Cost:

Approximately $40 to $125

Payback:

About one year, assuming thermostat controls heat and air conditioning, and depending on where you live (climate and electricity rate) and personal preference (average set temperature during the hottest and coldest months)

Savings:

Depending on your electricity rate and climate (per year):
• Low kWh but need lots of heat (e.g., Fargo, ND) = $115
• High kWh and need lots of cooling (e.g., Las Vegas, NV) = $75

Drain Water Heat Recovery System

Did you know that 90% of the energy used to heat water goes down the drain? The good news: by installing a Drain Water Heat Recovery system in your home, you can recycle 60% of the energy that would otherwise be wasted, and reduce your water heating bills by 25% to 40% without altering your lifestyle. A non-storage DWHR is basically a copper heat exchanger that replaces part of your existing vertical shower drainage pipe; as you shower, the heat from the outgoing drain water preheats the freshwater supply that feeds into your water heater, thus saving you water heating bills. Additionally, DWHR systems can be applied to industrial or commercial uses to preheat or precool large quantity of water or other liquids. Better still, some utility companies   offer rebates for those who install, so check with your local company to see if they are offering any incentives.

Cost:

Approximately $625 to $995, plus $100 for professional installation (optional)

Payback:

About 2 to 5 years at a rate of return of 15% to 50% per year — more specifically, it’s closer to 2 years, if you use electricity to heat water; and it’s closer to 5 years, if you use natural gas to heat water

Savings:

If your natural gas rate is fairly high  , then around $120 per year

* Including annual 10% fuel inflation

Amazon.com Review

Create the ideal indoor climate for a particular household’s daily needs while conserving energy with this Energy Star-compliant programmable thermostat from Hunter. Users program for each day of the week, enabling the thermostat to automatically heat up at dawn on a cold morning or to run the air conditioner for longer hours over a summer weekend. By adjusting the thermostat to operate primarily when household members are home, the device reduces wasted energy (more…)

White Rodgers has been a pioneer in home comfort for more than seventy years and their innovations on that front do not stop with the 1F83-261 multi-stage non-programmable thermostat. This thermostat can maintain a set temperature to within 1 degree which prevents temperature swings that rob you of comfort and energy savings. The larger permanent memory improves performance and retains any programs during a power failure as well. The 1.8 inch LCD display is 60 percent larger, i (more…)

As the price of gasoline continues to skyrocket, more and more people are looking for ways to save some money elsewhere. Face it… the last time you filled your tank, it cost you $*@ dollars. Just a few years ago with that same amount, you would have instead taken the family to the movies, bought some things at a local hardware store, and then spent the rest on filling your tank. We are less and less able to help the small business owners and local growers by our patronage. Instead, we are giving a larger and larger share of our income to Arabian countries and to the hugely fat wallets of the oil executives who “earn” tens or even hundreds of millions of dollars each year off the backs of the average hard working American. Here are some simple things each of us can do to lessen our use of energy while at the same time reducing our monthly utility bills, thus giving us a little bit more expendable income. I speak from experience. When I moved into my current home (6 years ago), we were on a monthly level pay plan at around $240 per month. Now… our monthly utility bill (still on level pay) is at $74 per month. Try these things:

1. Adjust your thermostat. In the Summer months: set it to run two degrees warmer than you normally do, and, in the Winter months: set it to run two degrees cooler than you normally do. Your body will adjust in a short time, and you can offset this by wearing slippers or a sweater. You will see an immediate drop in your energy bill.

2. Another thermostat tip: Once set… leave it alone. Constantly adjusting the thermostat can dramatically waste energy and increase your heating and cooling costs. If you get a chill, resist the urge to turn it up a few degrees. The chill will pass and can be fixed by slippers or a sweater. If you increase the thermostat, you will only be turning it back down soon. This up and down temperature adjusting causes your furnace or air conditioner to cycle and does nothing but waste energy.

3. One more thermostat tip: Install an electronic programmable thermostat for your heating and cooling system. This is especially effective if nobody is typically home for much of the day. Program it to turn off a half hour before everyone leaves and to come on a half hour before anyone arrives home. Remember to keep the house above 40 degrees during the winter months to prevent pipes and toilets from freeze damage. An electronic programmable thermostat will, all by itself, reduce your energy bill by at least $10-15 per month. It costs about $180 to install. So, after only one year it will actually pay for itself. Even better… each year thereafter it will save you another $150-$180 per year. This little gem is simply money in the bank. Get one!

4. Say: “Energy Star”. When replacing your stove, refrigerator, washer, dryer, hot water heater, microwave, oven, grill, freezer, furnace, air conditioner, or any other appliance type item, make sure you get one that sports the “Energy Star” sticker. Energy Star rated appliances meet or exceed stringent energy use standards set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). They do indeed cost a bit more, but the energy they save over the long haul makes them well worth it.

5. Get rid of those regular (incandescent) light bulbs! Switch all your bulbs to the compact fluorescent bulbs. Yes, they are more expensive at the cash register. But from that point on… they are a gold mine. They generate a lot less heat than standard bulbs, thus reducing your summer cooling costs. Regular bulbs last for several months or even up to a year or more… but fluorescent bulbs typically last more than 5 years and as long as 7 years. And talk about efficient! A regular 60 watt bulb burns 60 watts of electricity. Most homes have 15-25 bulbs. You could easily burn 1000 watts or more without even realizing it. Compare: The same 60 watt bulb (fluorescent version) only burns 13 watts. That’s right. Four of these fluorescent bulbs combined still burn less energy than does just one of the regular bulbs.

6. Seal energy leaks. Caulk over cracks, seams, and small holes around windows and exterior walls. Look carefully (where they go through the floor) around plumbing pipes, telephone wires, cable TV wires, dryer vents, sink and bathtub drains, and under countertops for holes and gaps and seal them well. A good home inspector with a Thermal Imaging camera (and who is certified in its use) is priceless, because they can literally “see” every location where you are wasting energy.

7. Have an energy audit performed on your home. This will find sources of energy waste in your home. It will also determine what improvements or changes you should make to your home in order to make it more energy efficient. These will be prioritized by cost versus gain, and will estimate how much each modification will cost versus how much each modification will reduce your energy cost by. In other words, allowing you to see how long it would take for each modification to pay for itself. Some energy/power companies do provide energy audits, and sometimes at little or no cost. If they do not use a thermal imager, then find a company that does. OxBow Home Inspections is one such company that does offer home energy audits at low cost and does use a thermal imager (and is certified in its use). OxBow is the only such company in all of Idaho. Their energy audits can be seen here at: www.oxbowinspections.com/energyaudit.php

8. Check for tax rebates or incentives whenever you install energy-saving equipment such as Energy Star certified dishwashers, furnaces, air conditioners, etc… Quite often there are these types of incentives offered by individual states and even by the Federal Government. Sometimes these exist even for things such as merely adding insulation. Keep all receipts, and check with you tax advisor.

9. Eliminate the drips. If you have just one sink, or one tub, or one outside water faucet that drips: Have it fixed. Just one drip every second can use 20 kilowatts of energy each month… not to mention hundreds of gallons of water simply wasted. If you’re on a well, this means higher electricity costs for your well pump. If you’re on city water… just watch that monthly bill go up. Either way, you lose.

10. Ask your power company if they have any special energy-saving programs. Some programs shut down electric appliances for short periods of time during peak usage hours. You will hardly notice it at the time, but you will definitely notice it when you get your next utility bill. Idaho Power does indeed have such a program. An added bonus: When you participate, you help reduce the overall electrical demand during those hours of the day when the electrical demand normally spikes.

11. Landscape wisely. Take advantage of the winter sun for heating and use the summer shade for cooling. Selecting the right types of trees and shrubs and planting them in the proper location will do wonders for your utility bills. Consult a landscaping professional for advice.

12. Inspect all of the doors which lead to the exterior, including the one that leads to the garage. I inspect a lot of homes and I can tell you that probably 1/3 of them are losing large amounts of energy around their door weather stripping. The door is something we go through dozens or more times each day. When was the last time you actually stopped and took a good look at your door? Often times, you can make your door seal tightly against the weather stripping merely by adjusting the strike plate!

13. Make sure that the thermostat on your water heater is set at the manufacturer’s recommended setting. Setting it hotter merely wastes energy by keeping the water hot when no one is using it. Do one better… turn it down just a few degrees… just do not go below the minimum setting. Setting it to run a bit cooler will probably not be noticeable, yet it will reduce the amount of energy you spend in the heating of that water. Better yet… install a timer on your water heater. This will heat your water when you are home, but will turn it way down when you are not home or when you are sleeping. Very inexpensive little gold mine, this is.

14. When personal computers first hit the market, most computer experts advised us all to leave the computer on at all times in order to save wear and tear on the hard disk. This is no longer the case with a modern computer. You can now turn it off when you’re not using it, or you can set it up to use the energy-saving “sleep,” “hibernate,” or “standby” modes.

15. Buy a front-loading washing machine. They use 50% less energy and 1/3 less water than conventional models. What’s more: they remove far more water in the rinse and spin cycles which results in big energy savings ($$$) in the dryer. Your dryer will have to work much less in removing the moisture. This translates into a lower utility bill. Even better: It will extend the useful life of your dryer. It will simply last longer.

Times have changed. We can no longer ignore our energy consumption and our impact on the environment. We must all become good stewards of our natural resources. If each of us can reduce our individual carbon footprint by just a little bit… then just imagine the impact when taken collectively by 200 million Americans.

Dappy Jones

OxBow Home Inspections and Radon Testing

http://www.oxbowinspections.com