Question of the Week: What have you done to make your home more energy efficient?
Posted on October 14th, 2008 - 10:30 AMEach week we ask a question related to the environment. Please let us know your thoughts as comments. Feel free to respond to earlier comments or post new ideas. Previous questions.
New technology, product choice on such items as insulation, light bulbs and double-pane windows and even landscaping can help make a home more energy efficient. Reducing use of air conditioning or programming sleep mode on computers are other ways to lessen our energy use. October is the Change the World Energy Star campaign.
What have you done to make your home more energy efficient?
En español: Cada semana hacemos una pregunta relacionada al medio ambiente. Por favor comparta con nosotros sus pensamientos y comentarios. Siéntase en libertad de responder a comentarios anteriores o plantear nuevas ideas. Preguntas previas.
Nueva tecnología, selección de productos como insolución, bombillas, y ventanas de vidrio doble, e incluso el diseño del jardín pueden hacer su casa más eficiente del punto de vista energético. La reducción en el uso del aire acondicionado o la programación de las computadoras para el apagado automático (o dormir) también son otras maneras de disminuir el consumo de energía. Durante el mes de octubre se celebra la campaña de “Para cambiar el mundo,” comience con Energy Star.
¿Qué ha hecho para que su hogar tenga una mayor eficiencia energética?
Tags: Energy, Question of the Week, Spanish
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Question of the Week
October 14th, 2008 at 11:07 am
Change my light bulbs to energy efficient ones, heavier curtains for the windows, run water less.
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David F. Anderson PE reply on October 15, 2008 1:03 am:
I designed my house for passive solar. I too have heaver curtains but open them for solar heating when the conditions are right. With high overhangs covering the first and second floor to the south I do not get direct sunlight in the summer, only fall, winter and early spring.
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:29 am
Well I am a college student in Georgia and I live in a dormitory. Each week during the day instead of turning on the light I open the blinds to allow natural light into my room and I do this until night time. At night, most nights, I turn on my desk lamp which contains an incandescent lightbulb to use for light.
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David F. Anderson PE reply on October 15, 2008 1:00 am:
I now have wireless that enables me to work with my laptop at home. I can use natural light most of the time instead of being chained to a desk. THe laptop uses less energy than my old PC.
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Fran reply on October 17, 2008 7:35 am:
I think it’s great that as a college student you are finding ways to be more efficient in your dorm room. Keep it up!
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:29 am
I have installed numerous compact fluorescent lights. The sale of incandescent light bulbs for homes should be banned.
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Awalker reply on October 15, 2008 7:55 am:
I disagree with having them completely banned only because certain lighting applications are not optimal for CFLs yet. For example, lights you turn on and off quite often or where dimmers are involved. Yes I know that they sell CFLs for dimmer use, but I have had terrible luck with them and they are awfully expensive still. As for on/off cycles, this reduces the ballast life of CFLs substantially. Did you know if we made are houses truly energy efficient, we could heat our houses with just body warmth and incandescent light bulbs?
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Steve B reply on October 15, 2008 1:01 pm:
I agree, truly well insulated houses could be heated with incandescent light bulbs and body heat. I’ve know houses with foot thick walls and 4 feet of attic insulation. My concern about the ‘energy’ saving claims for CFL’s that the the heat generated by incondescent light needs to now be generated from the home heating system. Thus, the question becomes which heat source is more efficient? Electricity or the alternative?
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:29 am
I make the kids turn off their lights!
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David F. Anderson PE reply on October 15, 2008 1:05 am:
Don’t you wish you had a meter for left on lights and TV’s? You can get their attention by having one of the kids do a science fair project and calculating the wastefulness of leaving lights or appliances running.
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Kate reply on October 21, 2008 1:37 pm:
That’s a good suggestion for a science project. There are monitors that record energy use and the cost of it. Google Power Monitor or Power Cost Monitor to find a few good ones that measure the whole home, or, there are a few products that plug into a single outlet and show what leaving a single appliance running uses.
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:31 am
I caulked the window seals and doors.
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:32 am
My entire house now has compact fluorescent bulbs, water heater is wrapped, and low flow faucets/toilet have been installed.
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David F. Anderson PE reply on October 15, 2008 1:07 am:
For my sons who kept leaving lights on in the basement I had CF bulbs but went an extra step, a motion detector that turned off lights after 5 minutes.
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:35 am
Lots of things. I have insulated all hot water piping and the hot water heater. Installed a programable thermostat. Installed a new high efficiency furnace, AC, washer, and dryer. Installed a less wastefull water softener. Use compact fluorescents in just about all of my lights. Installed a thermostatically controlled gable fan to cool the attic. Installed new windows. I think that about sums it up.
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:36 am
added a roof fan to cool the attic when its hot out, to reduce the electricity for air conditioning, replacing incandescent light bulbs with CFLs where I use lights the most, replacing incandescent bulbs with lower wattage bulbs, added a shade tree west of our house in the back yard, which will shade our home when its hot
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:41 am
Our family took the 2 Degree Pledge at 2degreepledge.org and committed to setting our thermostat to a more conservative temperature, especially when we are out of the house for several hours. We don’t notice that slight adjustment in our thermostat because we also upgraded our system to one that is much more efficient (17.5 SEER) and better at delivering comfort.
We also worked with a NATE-certified technician who we found by typing in our zip code in the Contractor Locator on http://www.natex.org. The technician made sure our system was properly matched, sized and installed correctly. Since it has been installed, the technician has been back to perform maintenance and found the refrigerant charge was off, which was reducing the system’s efficiency so we were glad we had gotten a service agreement. I also changed to better air filters on the system once I learned that simply having a dirty air filter greatly reduces my system’s efficiency.
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:44 am
We have purchased energy star appliances, and an energy efficient heat pump heating/cooling system. We also got a programmable thermostat for KCPL that we can program to keep the temps turned lower/higher while we are away from home. We wash in cold water and we take short showers.
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:48 am
We have an 82 year old, two story house that had insulation only in the floor of the attic until 2000. We installed insulation in all standing outside walls and additional insulation in crawl spaces and undeneath several small roofs. We replaced all windows, a number with double pane glass (these are expensive but really do the job!). We installed a solar system on an east and a south facing roof, totaling 37 panels which really, really helps with our electric bill each month. We use no oil for heating anymore. Our next project will be to switch out of natural gas for cooking, but I really do prefer to cook with gas rather than electric!
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Installed compact fluorescent lights - with reservations due to the Hg content. Can hardly wait for the compact LED lights even though they will be very expensive.
Purchased a low water use dishwasher and clothes washer (rebate programs made these purchases attractive).
Look for energy star rating on everything that might have one and would purchase the energy efficient model even if it was more expensive (not outrageously more expensive).
Connected the two PC’s and their peripherals to a power strip with a shut off switch. Now got to train family to shut the PC’s down and turn off the juice.
We are getting there but it is a whole new look at consumption. Can’t bombard them too fast, just chip, chip, chip…and hope they still like me when I’m done! I’ve overheard “conservation nazi” and figure they were referring to me. It’s not impossible since we’ve been “Leave no trace” campers for a long time and they see the worth in that. Conservation has been the norm in Europe for a long time probably because of WWII, but it is a big change for the US.
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David F. Anderson PE reply on October 15, 2008 1:11 am:
Put your electric bill on your refrigerator and get them into saving.
I did not even have to be a conservation Nazi. Example, I was surprised with how the boys started wearing clothes more and reducing our wash cycles. Key to behavior change, they did their own wash and were encouraged to do only full loads.
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:51 am
1. There was no air conditioning this year
2. Converted to a bio fuel furnace
3. Changed all the light bulbs
4. Changed a few windows and doors
5. Shut off the freezer and canned more
6. Bought fuel ahead of time and received a discount
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:52 am
Since moving into my home in 1990 (built in 1987) I have done the following to make it more energy efficient: Every “heating” device is natural gas fueled (Furnaces, stove, water heater, clothes dryer, and outdoor gas grill). Switched to a tankless BOSCH water heater. Replaced furnace and A/C with new condensing gas furnace and higher SEER A/C. Caulked and sealed air leaks. replaced some incondescent light fixtures with florescent ones. Have argon filled low-E glass in a addition we added (warm to the touch inside in winter). Added temperature controlled power vent in attic over portion of the house. I’ve been thinking about adding more blown-in fiber glass insulation, but Home Depot and Lowe’s do not seem to have it only cellulose. I don’t want to put cellulose over top my existing fiber glass…..
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:52 am
I recently moved to my first home. The previous owners already had energy efficient windows, a/c and furnace installed. I put compact fluorescent bulbs in the light fixtures when I moved in. Later this month, I will be adding new insulation to the attic with an R-value that meets or exceeds the recommended R-value for this region. In the next year or so, I would like to go solar.
Take advantage of the energy tax credits!!! Save money and the Earth.
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:54 am
To make our home more energy efficient, we recently replaced all of our windows (23), changed out light bulbs and have begun replacing old appliances with Energy Star models.
In the summer I try not to use the clothes dryer and hang everything out on the clothes line -
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David F. Anderson PE reply on October 15, 2008 1:14 am:
We use our south facing deck to dry some clothes and especially towels from the pool. With 2 sons being lifeguards they always had a towel in need of drying. Fewer beach towels in the laundry makes a big difference.
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:56 am
We have replaced several light bulbs with CFL bulbs, and have a plan set up to replace the remaining bulbs with the CFL bulbs. I have finally gotten the rest of my family to unplug their cell phone chargers when the phone has charged, and completely turning off the computer monitor after the computer has been shut down.
We also replaced the window in my daughter’s room when we redid it to a more energy efficient window, and we are planning on replacing the windows in our bedroom when we redo it next year. Currently we are checking all our windows to see what ones we need to seal, repair, or where we need to add insulation.
This summer we cut back on using the air conditioner as well, and we didn’t use the dryer unless absolutely necessary. All the laundry went out on the clothesline to dry.
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October 14th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
replaced swamp coolers with 16.9 SEER puron air conditioners. replaced all appliances with engery star products. caulked & sealed doors and windows. replace old light bulbs with compact flourescent light bulbs. next project will be window & door replacement.
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October 14th, 2008 at 12:01 pm
Over the last few years we have added more insulation, replaced an old, inefficient gas furnace with a new, efficient one, replaced windows, and replaced light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones. We also purchase wind-generated electricity.
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October 14th, 2008 at 12:03 pm
I have replaced old appliances with Energy Star appliances, replaced my shop lights with flourescents lights, installed solar powered walkway, motion detector and fountain outside and have scheduled my furnace for a tuneup before the winter heating season take off.
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October 14th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
Installed setback thermostats
Installed a number of compact fluorescents bulbs
Added insulation in the attic
Covered thru the wall a/c unit on the exterior.
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October 14th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
We have lived in our 1950’s era house for one year and have a lot of efficiencies we can add. As light bulbs burn out we change them to CFLs - at this point about 80% of our bulbs are CFL. This summer we added a layer of blown fill insulation to the attic. We use storm windows for added insulation, which we will be putting up soon. After last winter’s $400 heating bills, I’m looking forward to seeing a decrease this winter. I think our next step would be to install programmable thermostats and add insulation to the light switches and wall sockets on the outer walls.
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October 14th, 2008 at 12:09 pm
Last year, we replaced all of our old single pane, aluminum frame windows with tinted, double pane, vinyl windows (11 windows plus sliding glass door). This year, we replaced our 24-year old washer and dryer with new, energy- and water-efficient units. Also, I have resisted the urge to get air conditioning even though summer temperatures can frequently top 100 degrees — we rely on ceiling fans for those intolerably hot days/nights.
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David F. Anderson PE reply on October 15, 2008 1:16 am:
I have a whole house fan that helps cool the house down quickly when the sun sets.
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October 14th, 2008 at 12:14 pm
We have changed out our light bulbs and keep our thermostat at a more conservative temperature. We also use our ceiling fans and use natural lighting through out the day light hours.
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October 14th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
We have replaced all appliances with Energy Star, replaced light bulbs with compact light bulbs, added night lights so were not turning on lights as much, added motion detectors to outside lights, shut off computer & printer when not in use, added more insulation to attic, unplugged unused items, dialed down furance and dialed up air… all these things have cut our gas and electric bills in half… we’re loving it.
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David F. Anderson PE reply on October 15, 2008 1:18 am:
I went one step further this summer on outside lights. I put solar walk lights in. They are very inexpensive now (less than $3 each) and you do not have to worry about turning lights off or having deer turn on lights when they wander through our yard.
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October 14th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
Our power transmission Co. NorthWestern Energy plans to place a huge ,many Kv line down a to small residential street to supply another state with the excess power. Lines will go over our bedrooms. EMF, Electro Magnetic Fields are dangerous to human health when this close. Childhood leucemia & adult cancers happen.
We in the neighborhood have complained clear to the top of the political chain but we know these companies do just as they want..
Wish you could help matters such as this & not just ask how we insulated our homes…
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carol menken reply on October 15, 2008 10:16 pm:
look emfs up on line-you will see it has never been proven that they are harmful to human health. all of your household electric appliances give oo emfs and you are in much closer proximity to them.
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October 14th, 2008 at 12:37 pm
Installed a digital thermostat and programmed it to run heat/AC less. Got energy-efficient washer/dryer. Got energy star lightbulbs.
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October 14th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I had insulation added to my attic and basement. Then I am going to have geothermal heating system put in to heat my house in the winter and cool it in the summer. Yes, this is a big expense but I should save at least $2,500 a year on the costs of heating oil. I calculated that I should get the returns on my investment in geothermal heating in 10 years. Also, I will receive $2,000 tax credit on my tax returns for next year since President Bush signed the bill on 10/03/08.
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David F. Anderson PE reply on October 15, 2008 1:22 am:
I am thinking about geothermal. I know the heat and cooling is there. A rock ledge runs through my house and actually keeps part of my driveway 1 to 2 degrees hotter than the rest. I have well water. I need to look into if geothermal will affect my drinking supply. How much do you expect the cost of geothermal will be?
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October 14th, 2008 at 1:00 pm
I have changed to all energy effiecient light bulbs, new more efficeint furnace filters, cover for my hot water heater, internal covers for all light switches.that are on outside walls. Installed programmable thermostat. I hope that this helps with my heat bills this year.
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October 14th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
The Washington DC Government just conducted an “energy audit” of my house. The house got an “F” on the energy “report card” for being too drafty. on a positive note, i’ll never perish in my sleep from CO poisoning. I thought the audit was extremely useful. The auditor gave me lots of inexpensive suggestions on things I could do to improve my home’s energy efficiency.
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David F. Anderson PE reply on October 15, 2008 1:24 am:
I have done a back of the envelope estimate and believe most people can save around 50% by doing easy stuff. Spend more for technology and it can go way lower. Start with the easy things first.
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October 14th, 2008 at 1:24 pm
I use T-8 linear bulbs rather than t-12’s 32 vs 40 watts and the T-8’s can have a better light quality and efficiency (lumens/watt)
I use compact flour. when possible
Changed to a smaller vent fan that moves 50 cfm in the bathroom
Use windows with low e coating and 3 panes of glass
Added insulation to the floor and sides of the house
Installed a EPA approved woodstove
Test for air leaks when it is windy and then fix those areas
Weather strip the front door
Use a 1.25 gallon per minute water shower head and got rid of the 3gpm one. This has made a real difference in my fuel bill
I keep the heating system clean
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October 14th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Since our house is 25 years old, we’ve been forced to make some major renovations in the past few years, including some we hadn’t planned on; all the major kitchen appliances are new, and much more energy efficient than their predecessors (and I do mean *deceased*). We had to replace the original heat pump last year–our power bill dropped drastically, so it was worth the price (almost). Over the past five years we’ve changed out almost all the faucets in the house to water savers; this year we did the commodes, replacing the old 5 - 7 gallon per flush models with 1.6 gpf models that work just great. The old water heater went belly up 3 years ago, so that got swapped out with a nice new efficeint one. Almost all the lights in the house are fluorescents; the remaining incandescents are being changed out as needed. I installed a programable thermostat last year. Our new TV is an energy star model. We built rain barrels to catch rainwater from the roof in order to water various plants. My husband added insulation to all the hot water pipes as well as to the Heat/AC ducts under the house. I signed up to buy “green” energy from our power company, in an amount that offsets the average monthly kw usage for our home. I have a reel-type mower for use when the grass isn’t too high. My husband and I both work to remember to turn off lights and appliances when they aren’t being used–this includes the computer, VCR, TV, and all the rest. I try to use my washer and dryer at off-peak hours (coincidentally, that’s when I have the most time anyhow). I compost my yard, garden and kitchen waste, so that I can add nutrients back to my garden instead of sending them to the landfill. We’ve planted deciduous trees on the west side of the house for afternoon shade and relief from the blazing Summer sun.
Wow — I hadn’t realized just how many different things we have done to save energy. Just goes to show, it’s easy if you take it in little steps. Next up — the washer and dryer. They’re 1992 models, so I’m sure newer ones would help us save even more.
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October 14th, 2008 at 1:42 pm
I am impressed by how many great conservation strategies people have used. At Green Irene, we are constantly researching energy conservation strategies. One of my favorite changes is installing a ceiling fan – for in the summer heat and in the winter. Using an energy star reversible fan helps you lower your cooling and heating costs. In the summer, the fan pushes air down, creating a breeze which makes you feel colder. In the winter, reverse the direction of your fan. The fan then recirculates the hot air stuck on the ceiling so that it is warmer on the floor level.
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October 14th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
I am putting in a fireplace insert with a blower. It will heat up to 2,000 square feet. I have a free source of wood so for me it was a no-brainer. I figure with the expected price increases for natural gas, it should pay for itself in about 3 years.
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October 14th, 2008 at 2:04 pm
Certainly alot of the low hanging items; changing out light bulbs to CFL as they burn out, LED Christmas lights, low cost occupancy sensors in bathrooms (the kids never turn them off), no more irrigation, programmable thermostat (paid for itself the first year), tankless water heater, energy star appliances (specifically replaced our washer), keep windows/doors maintained and changing furnance filter regularly.
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October 14th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Before I implemented any major energy efficiency improvements to my home, I started with a comprehensive home energy audit. It was conducted by an accredited Building Performance Institute (BPI) professional. The audit established a baseline for my home’s energy usage and overall performance. The results of the audit allowed me to make informed decisions as to which measures were most cost effective.
Also, I investigated rebates and incentives that were available to residential property owners through the state’s energy authority and other non-traditional sources of funding, like HUD community redevelopment block grants. This allowed me to defray the cost of the purchase and installation of the energy efficiency measures, like appliances, wall insulation and windows.
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October 14th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
We have purchased star energy efficient washer and dryer,converted to cfl lightbulbs,new windows(31 in all!Ouch) for our forty year old English Tudor home, and gone silicone caulking crazy where there were drafts on uneven walls and windows.
But our biggest purchases were our two hybrid automobiles(Prius and Camry) we have had for 2 years now. Significant savings on our family budget for each of these changes.
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October 14th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
We have a programmable thermostat that we set at 55 in the winter for the overnight and raise the temp to 64 during the day when we are home. That has cut our home heating bill from well over a $100 per month to about $80. With added energy costs this winter, it may bump up above $100 again.
I am hoping to add a solar hot water heater this next spring if the home owners association will allow it.
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October 14th, 2008 at 4:27 pm
To accomodate a growing family, we remodeled our house from 800sf (2bdrm, 1bath) to 2300sf (4bdrm, 3bath) last year replacing old single paned windows with energy star certified units (dual-paned, insulated), replacing all major appliances with energy star units (dishwasher, washer/dryer, tankless water heater, heating & a/c units, etc.). Insulated every possible wall and ceiling. We also, use fluorescent lighting where possible and installed ceiling fans in as many rooms as we could (especially bedrooms). In the process of doing this, we actually have a larger house that uses about the same amount of energy as our smaller one! It cost us a bit of money to do so, but it was worth it in the end.
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October 14th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
An avalanche interrupted our hydropower source this spring so our City of Juneau faced a tripling of our electricitt rates for about six weeks. We had already done many of these things but became much more aware of every watt.
We replaced 3/4 of our bulbs with compact flourescents;
Replaced reading lamps with lower wattage bulbs, and one LED lamp;
Turned our pellet stove down below 65 when awake, and 55 when sleeping or gone;
Sleep in a loft built close to ceiling peak, the warmest part of the house;
Combine cooking of boiling items with steaming of vegetables;
Use toaster oven rather than baking oven for anything that fits;
Use coffee machine instead of range top stove for heating water for hot drinks.
Unplug transformers & put TV & cable box on power strips to turn off all power to these when not in use;
Close inner door to mud room arctic entry;
Keep beverages in mud room or car to keep chilled, instead of refrigerator;
Removed old excess food from freezer;
Place throw rug edge onto door to add to weather stripping.
-Vinnie in Juneau
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October 14th, 2008 at 9:15 pm
Why is your question asked in English and Spanish? You are taking my tax dollars and spending it on unneccesary ways. Anyone that is at this level of contact with the EPA should already have learned English.
this is as rediculus as the USDA giving a loan to a plastics manufacturing company in Iowa, last month.
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October 14th, 2008 at 10:58 pm
Beginning on Earth Day I began hanging my clothes out to dry on a clothesline. I only use the dryer now if I forget that I have clothes out and we have a sudden thunderstorm (in Florida) and I have extremely soaked clothes. For the $23 “investment” of the clothesline I have already easily made my money back in electric bill savings at least threefold. Plus our clothes last longer and doing laundry in the backyard while the kids are playing is much nicer than in the garage! We also had insulation blown in in our attic, changed to all CFLs, had energy efficient windows put in and set our A/C for 80-82 and only use the heat if it is absolutely necessary (probably less than 20 day/year). In our all electric house my bill is never more than $130/month and is often closer to $110 (and someone is home all the time so this is “running” the house 24 hours a day).
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October 14th, 2008 at 11:37 pm
Hi,is nice question i like to give the answer of it i totally change all light to low voltage circuit light which helps in saving energy n i say my mom use nature material like coal which left after wood burns for cooking food n it also save money.
An i am always say every friends n child swicht it of light when it not on use,because the young youth of the any country should know this thinks so they can live better n safe life.
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October 15th, 2008 at 12:45 am
I post my electric bill each month on my refrigerator along with pictures of friend and sons. The bill compares the last 13 months. This posting was the key factor in reducing my electric consumption +55% in 2007 compared to 2006. The visible reminder caused a life style change in my 4 sons and wife living with me. Of course we used CF bulbs and turned things off when not needed. The very visible bill got all family members pulling the consumption down. Unplugging a extra refrigerator in basement, using dryer less and at night, filling up freezer with food or empty water bottles to reduce air to be cooled, using power strips to kill vampire electronics all were implemented because of the bill on the refridgerator door. I think the teenagers did not stand in front of the open fridge door as much either.
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David F. Anderson PE reply on October 15, 2008 12:54 am:
The electric bill in addition to helping reduce our consumption by over 55% also had average daily temp. This helped with accurate comparisons. What we found was that not all months were warmer than the previous year. Dec. 06 had an average daily temp of 39 and Dec. o7 was 32. Our use went from 38 kWh to 13 kWh even though it was colder.
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October 15th, 2008 at 8:26 am
We have replaced all bulbs to the cfl light bulbs. Use the ceiling fans when possible instead of the air conditioning. Replaced our windows with double pane e glass with the agron gas. Unplugged everything we do not use on a reqular basis. Only turn on a light when absolutely needed. Burn wood for heat. Use cold water for washing clothes and rinsing dishes. Use laptop instead of desk top computer. Bought a more efficient car. Combine trips out.
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October 15th, 2008 at 8:29 am
Had an energy audit completed on the house to see where my money would be best spent.
• It’s amazing how much air enters/escapes through recessed lighting, ceiling light penetrations, wall outlets and switches and mail boxes. Sealed these all up with caulk, expanding spray foam, and foam insulators.
• Found huge air leaks in foundation walls in the basement near ground level. Re-tuck pointed around foundation blocks, from inside and out.
• I have a crawlspace with vents, even when shut they let too much air to enter/escape. Depending on where you live I have found it is best for me to seal these up, especially in the winter. I replaced the vents with the glass block type windows that can be opened or closed as needed, plus they have built in screens.
• Found gapping areas of no insulation in the attic along with blocked soffit vents.
• Added new door seals, especially on the bottom of the door where they wear out sooner.
• Energy audit recommendations:
o Have it done during the heating season, the thermal imaging will highlight the air leaks and areas that lack enough insulation much greater.
o Ask for the smoke stick and personally walk around the house and check for drafts every where, and note them. (Cheap route: turn on all ventilation vans that expel air outside like bathroom or kitchen vents and get some inscent sticks and look for drafts.)
o Be sure they seal and cover vents if they are going to test your duct work for leaks.
o You should get a report showing the building envelope and the amount of air transfers that are occurring.
Now I can’t wait to have it done again to see how I have improved, yet kept the house safe from the lack of ventilation.
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October 15th, 2008 at 8:39 am
We have replaced all of our lightbulbs with CFL’s, caulked around windows, and installed new door seals. The most high tech change that we have made is in the use of a new “cycling” programmable thermostat. This thermostat wirelessly connects to the internet and can be cycled (temporarily reprogrammed) by our energy provider during times of peak demand. The cycling can only happen for 10 minutes every 30 minutes, plus, I can override the settings at any time.
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October 15th, 2008 at 10:25 am
I live in Wisconsin where it is cold during the Spring, Fall and Winter.
1. Installed CFL’s all over the house
2. Put up heavy curtains over sliding glass door to deck
3. Insulated water heater
4. Installed special vent on dryer to send dryer hot air to house
5. Installed programmable thermostat and programed it so highest temperature is 65 degrees F
6. Cut, split and stacked 10 cords of wood for burning in fireplace insert to cut down on use of natural gas for heating
7. Put up storm door on front door
8. Installed several motion detector switches to turn off lights when motion is not detected in room after 3 minutes and turn on lights when motion is detected in room
9. Bought new energy efficient refrigerator
10. Put on storm windows
11. Put in foam insulation around outside wall sockets and switches
12 Turn off computer, printer and modem at night
13. Turned down hot water heater thermostat
14. Drained and turned off hot tub heater for fall, winter and spring. Do not heat hot tub in Summer.
15. Took off molding around outside doors and added foam insulation before putting molding back.
16. Quit using central air conditioner in the summer.
17. Insulated hot water pipes
18. Use the Microwave more for cooking food.
19. Daily keep track of energy use and if it increases try to figure out why
20. Wear a sweater or sweatshirt more while in the house in the winter
21. Increased time to between mowing the lawn in the summer.
22. Shovel more and use the snowblower only when there is a big snow.
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October 15th, 2008 at 11:27 am
1. Changed lightbulbs
2. When its brown, flush it down, when its yellow let it mellow
3. Compost
4. Ceiling fams
5. Awning on sundeck
6. 1/5 PV system and sell RECs back to the grid
7. Water bottles in old toilets
8. EnergyStar washing machine, hang clothes to dry and replace appliances with Energy Star ones as needed
9. Replaced our windows with double pane e glass.
10. Unplugged everything we do not use on a reqular basis
11. Use microwave & toaster oven rather than large oven
12. More 1 skillet meals.
13. Use ceiling fans
14. Programable thermostats set at 50 when asleep or away and 67 when home
Drive a Prius
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October 15th, 2008 at 11:46 am
I switched my heating/cooling to a geothermal heat pump (standing column system), coupled with a desuperheater to pre-heat domestic hot water. New multi-programmable thermostat, designed to keep heat pump from using backup on highly variable temperature days/thermostat settings. Installed 20+ compact fluorescent bulbs (all fixtures except dimmer controlled recessed) and chandelier bulbs, which are pricey and still have light quality issues. Put all outdoor lights on computerized (auto daylight savings time adjusting) timers, and reduced lighting period from dark to 11, rather than doing so all night. Insulated a second layer in the attic, and also insulated all hot water pipes. Installed ceiling fans in all living spaces/bedrooms, used to circulate air to ease heating/cooling burden. Use whole house fan on moderate temp days to ease air conditioning usage. Close blinds/curtains on hot summer days to reduce heat gain, and open them in fall/winter days to reduce lighting and for heat gain. Eliminated second freezer, and crammed my main fridge full instead. Replaced washer/dryer with Energy Star units, with washer being high efficiency front loader (1/5 the water use). Replaced dishwasher with Bosch super energy efficient model (190 kw/h per year — most efficent sold in US). Turn out lights in all but the rooms being occupied. Disconnect “vampire” rechargers when not in use. Shut off computers (via power bar) when not in use. Caulked windows and replaced door sweep weatherstripping. Installing 1.7 gpm low-flow showerheads in baths, and aeration low-flow faucet heads on sinks. Next step is outdoor clothesline, basement/crawlspace wall insulation. Also plan to install solar attic ventilation fans. After that, I am considering installing solar photovoltaic system — just waiting on state/federal incentive decisions to finalize my decision on that one (politicians, please help us do the right thing with incentives and by re-instituting the fed tax credit).
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October 15th, 2008 at 11:47 am
hey i put on the light only in the room , where m there!
i don’t use fans or ac
i hv bulbs,cfl in my room.
n gardening!
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October 15th, 2008 at 11:48 am
Well, one thing, just turn off ac and heat a good bit when at work, leave it off as I can and just tolerate between 60 to 75.
Latest thing is quit the clothes dryer, use a rack indoors along with outdoor line and hang up on a pole in the laundry room. (I visited a friend in Germany and there is not a dryer in the flat, assume Europeans do this all the time so why not me…..)
Use the cfl bulbs where I can as well, where my child cannot break them.
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October 15th, 2008 at 12:12 pm
I had insulated windows installed in my home. I replaced my regular light bulbs with compact flourescents. I turn my thermostat up to 81-82 during the day. Keep my curtains, blinds, closets doors closed. I save my laundry until I have a full load. Built an insulated covered porch on the back of my house. Added new insulated glass/screen doors on front and back.
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October 15th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
The installation of a whole house fan with existing 3 roof-mounted room “air movers” has been the most significant measurable addition. My a/c use has been reduced 30% possibly more because the fan does run on electric. The savings in summer utility bill was well worth the cost of installation.
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October 15th, 2008 at 3:33 pm
I’ve put in new windows and I’m considering installing an electric furnace to replace our 10 yo fuel oil furnace. Are electric furnaces better/cheaper???
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October 15th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
I use the new lightbulbs, turn off lights and appliances when before I would leave them on, turn down the thermostat when I am away, and am having new windows installed.
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October 16th, 2008 at 3:53 pm
We’ve purchased CFLs and EnergyStar electronics, like our computer and washer/dryer.
However, we are constrained by what we can do by the fact that we live in an apartment. We can’t replace appliances that we’d like to, like the A/C or the refrigerator, nor can we do anything to better insulate or weather proof the building. To a large extent, we are at the mercy of the apartment complex. Technically, even our installation of CFL bulbs was against our lease (sshhh, don’t tell them!), because our lease specifically requires that for all apartment fixtures, we must use the same types and wattages of bulbs that were there when we moved in.
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Awalker reply on October 17, 2008 2:54 pm:
Hi Christine,
I lived in an drafty apartment for some time and the stuff that helped lower my heating bills the most were putting in programmable thermostat which you can easily replace and switch back to the original when you move out, and put plastic on the windows (though it leaves a residue or can peel paint off, a little paint touch up at move out is all thats needed). I saved around $90 that winter and it was colder than the previous year. I actually left the plastic on the windows the summer I left, so the new tenant, if still utilizing them, is hopefully saving now.
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October 17th, 2008 at 7:42 am
Since I’m a renter, I’ve rented a smaller home with less space to heat for one person. I use a flourescent bulb in my kitchen and the compact flourescent ones in the lamps. I”ve opened the windows to take advantage of the breeze that always seems to be blowing in my direction and on the cooler days I’ve resisted turning on the heater and have opted for an extra blanket on the bed and a sweater/sweatshirt around the house in the mornings. Since the bulk of the windows face east I’ve opened the blinds to let in the light and the warmth as well.
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October 17th, 2008 at 8:23 am
we have done everything to protect our home and enviornment. What I would like to know why the EPA does not do their job.Are their hands tied? They speak of citizens have access to safe drinking water. Think again. Fluoride is in our drinking water,food products,juices,drugs,surgical anesthetics and many other products. My yearly water reports indicates Fluoride comes Erosions of natural deposites and discharge from fertilizer and aluminum factories.Many of our children are ill and many are tranferred to St. Jude. We are currently correcting our problem with the help of our councilman.
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October 17th, 2008 at 8:42 am
Installed all CFL bulbs, with smart lighting controllers. Replaced landscaping lights with solar powered LED lights. Replaced washer & dryer with energy efficient, and water efficient units. Replaced water heaters with energy efficient unit. Replaced old HVAC thermostat with smart HVAC controllers.
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October 18th, 2008 at 10:11 am
My entire house now has compact fluorescent bulbs
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October 20th, 2008 at 6:36 am
I switch off my computer each night after using it to save energy. I switch off the electrical switch board when electricity is not in use.
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October 20th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
In 2005 and 2006, I replaced the 32 wood double hung windows in 100+ year old home with either double or triple pane vinyl replacement windows. Additionally, just two weeks ago, I replaced my 25 yr old oil burner with a new 80 AFUE gas model. The replacement was because my oil burner was at the end of its useful life. The switch from oil to gas seemed like the thing to do. I do not know if it will save me money in the long run. I’ve also renovated my kitchen and installed energy saving appliances e.g. refrig, stove, and dishwasher.
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October 20th, 2008 at 11:12 pm
I have 4-watt night lights plugged into at least 1 outlet in each room. As it gets dark, I turn them on. I can light the whole house enough to navigate around for less than 60 watts. I then turn on task lighting only where I need it.
I keep the water heater turned to the lowest setting (barely warm). 15 minutes before taking a shower, I do the dishes. This fires up the water heater and the causes the water to be plenty hot for my shower.
I keep the thermostat at 55 degrees and I wear more clothes. I can isolate the hallways by keeping doors closed, and have turned off the forced air heat registers in the hallways. I use a small ceramic electric heater directed at my legs when working at the computer. This brings the office temperature up to 60 degrees or so. By the end of winter I am tired of constantly opening and closing doors, but it energy and saves me money.
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October 21st, 2008 at 10:11 am
We just put in Energy Star-rated windows. We also have energy-saving lightbulbs, and conserve electricity as much as possible. In addition, we have a water-saving showerhead, and only run the water when it is being actively used. We do not wash our cars. We try to do as much as we can!
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