How Does Your Home Perform?
Ways to Reduce Your Home’s Energy Bill


The 20 percent challenge
graphic of house leaking airWhat’s the potential for energy savings in New Hampshire's homes? I believe most homes can reduce their overall energy consumption by an average of at least 20 percent. By my calculations, that could deliver a collective economic benefit of more than $200 million in annual savings for New Hampshire residents.

Such huge savings may sound like pie-in-the-sky, but credible studies by Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy show that we can make our homes much more energy efficient.

Here’s a brief outline of ways that owners of existing homes can reduce their fuel bills. (See below if you rent your home or have plans to build a new one.)

If you have $100 or less to spend
Tackle the little stuff that adds up. There are plenty of free ways to save energy, from turning down your water heater temperature to cleaning your refrigerator's condensing coils. No-cost and low-cost tips can be found at Cornell University Cooperative Extension and at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Energy Star Web sites.

Keep in mind that some energy-saving ideas can have unintended and unwelcome consequences. For example, redirecting clothes dryer vents inside may make your house warmer, but the extra moisture could cause hidden condensation in your walls and attic. Even worse: the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning if the dryer uses natural gas or propane.

The following low-cost ideas will typically pay you back in energy savings in less than a year - a one-year payback equals a 100 percent return on your investment!

  • Changing the five most frequently used light bulbs with Energy Star-rated compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) can cut a typical household's electricity bill by $60 per year. With instant rebates at New Hampshire retailers or through the NHSaves catalog, the total bill for five CFLs now comes to less than $20. (This link for PSNH customer is also applicable for Unitil, GraniteState Electric, and NH Electric Cooperative residential customers in NH). In many homes, CFLs can replace a dozen or more light bulbs in light fixtures and table lamps.
  • A family of four can save more than $100 per year in fuel and water bills by installing “low-flow” devices. Some low-flow devices do a better job than others at providing a vigorous flow while using less water. Look for “laminar spray” faucet aerators rated at 0.5 or 1.0 gallons per minute (gpm), and showerheads around 1.5 or 1.75 gpm. There are also 1.5 gpm kitchen aerators available. Specialty retailers such as the NHSaves catalog or Niagara Conservation Products typically offer the better-engineered low-flow devices.
  • Insulate all accessible hot water pipes. This recommendation is doubly true for houses with hot water or steam heating systems. Self-sealing plastic foam pipe insulation is inexpensive and easy to install. Look for the thickest insulation you can get - a one-inch-thick foam wall is preferable, but hard to find.
  • Sealing air leaks in a house is one of the most cost-effective energy improvements, but the challenge is knowing what to do. Caulking and small canisters of spray foam are inexpensive, and the Energy Star Web site has an excellent 22-page DIY Guide to Air Sealing (Warning, large 1.8 MB file).

If you have $500 to spend
At this level, invest in even more air sealing. A blower door - a powerful fan in a snug frame that fits in an outside door and measures air leakage in cubic feet per minute to determine precisely how leaky a house is—is the single most important energy diagnostic tool. It’s possible to get a professional blower door test for $300 or less.

Beyond its diagnostic functions, the blower door shows where to focus air sealing efforts. Blocking where cold air is entering and warm air is escaping is a key component to making homes energy efficient. Often air leaks are in out-of-the-way locations, such as the top of basement foundations, around kitchen cabinets, near kitchen and bath plumbing, around bath fans, through recessed can light fixtures, around chimneys, near wiring penetrations, at attic-wall junctions, and around hatches.

Another helpful air sealing guide is the Iowa Energy Center's Home Tightening and Insulation (large file - 1.6 MB).

Programmable thermostats, available for less than $100, will automatically turn down the temperature setting during sleeping and working hours. They can be relatively easy to install and most systems are low-voltage. However, if you have baseboard electric heat, hire a licensed electrician to handle the 220-volt wiring. Most programmable thermostats allow different settings for weekdays versus weekends, and some allow different settings for every day of the week.

Spending $2,000 or more
A $2,000 package of home energy efficiency investments may generate $400 in annual energy savings, an annual return of 20 percent.

At this level it makes sense to hire an energy professional to conduct an assessment and provide advice. These assessments range in cost from about $200 to $600, depending on the size of the home and the amount of services requested.

Before hiring an energy professional, ask about their field experience, the training and certifications they have (such as Home Energy Rater), and the specialized tools they use: blower-door, possibly an infrared camera, combustion testing equipment, energy modeling computer programs, etc. Ask for references from homeowner clients and follow up on them.

A professional home energy assessment should always include a blower door test (see above).“Seal tight and ventilate right,” is the adage of home energy professionals. It answers the common question, “Will my indoor air quality suffer if my house becomes too airtight?” While theoretically possible, most New Hampshire homes have the opposite problem - they are much too leaky. Even very tight homes can be fitted with cost-effective fresh air ventilation systems. In many cases, the solution is as simple as installing high quality bathroom fans vented directly to the outside. Controlled ventilation wastes much less energy than uncontrolled air leakage.

Consider adding insulation to your attic, generally the most cost-effective area to add insulation to a home. Even if your attic is insulated, don’t assume you have enough. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends R-49 (R-value ) worth of insulation in New Hampshire attics.

The two most popular insulating materials are fiberglass batts and blown cellulose insulation made from recycled newsprint. Studies have shown that cellulose insulation does a better job of keeping cold air from migrating through the insulation than fiberglass batts, but fiberglass is easier for do-it-yourself installations.

All homes should have an effective, properly installed vapor barrier above the ceiling to block the movement of moisture-laden air into the attic. Ask an energy professional whether this could be an issue for your home.

There are plenty of additional energy improvements you might consider for your home, including, in rough order of cost-effectiveness:

  •  Duct sealing and insulation for forced hot air heating systems
  •  Kneewall air sealing and insulation in Cape-style homes
  •  Energy Star Replacement refrigerator (if >12 years old)
  •  Wall insulation
  •  Solar hot water system
  •  Basement insulation
  •  Replacement windows and doors (often not very cost-effective)
  •  Photovoltaic solar electricity system

Pay attention to your heating system
Natural gas, oil, propane, and even wood-fired heaters need to be cleaned and adjusted regularly to operate safely at the greatest efficiency. Choose a reputable heating contractor who will conduct combustion tests and maintain your heater regularly.

However, a completely new heater may not warrant the expense. Evaluate your heating system's overall efficiency by multiplying its total combustion efficiency (conversion of fuel energy into heat energy) times its distribution efficiency (delivery of heat energy). The Iowa Energy Center (large file) and Energy Star (large file - 2.0 MB) both have good guides to home heating and cooling.

Renters and future homebuilders
Renters may convince the building owner to invest in energy performance. Let them know about the Appraisal Journal study showing that a home's resale value increases $20 for every $1 annual reduction in energy costs. Future homeowners of new-construction homes have plenty of opportunities to build a high performance home, including Energy Star Homes and LEED for Homes programs.

Although understanding the complex energy systems in our homes and taking steps to improve their efficiency can feel daunting, the rewards for doing so go beyond saving money. Home efficiency improvements lessen the demand for imported fossil fuels, conserve resources, reduce air pollution, keep dollars in the local economy, and increase home comfort. What a bargain!

By Andy Duncan
Duncan, a UNH Cooperative Extension Community Tree Steward, member of the Merrimack County Extension Advisory Council, and former environmental science professor, currently works for a building energy performance company.

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