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Tips for Home Energy Efficiency

There are a number of ways to save electricity — and by extension, money — in your home. These range from no-cost options (like turning down the heat one degree) to investments in home improvement and energy efficiency that will pay off down the road.

Audit your energy use: Many utility companies will conduct a home energy audit for you free of charge to help you determine ways to save energy. There are also numerous tools online that help you calculate your energy use, efficiency and costs. For example, the Alliance to Save Energy offers this “Home Energy Checkup” program and several government agencies have created this "Home Energy Saver" site.

10 Free Changes

  1. Check the filter on your furnace or air conditioner (AC) filter each month, and clean it as necessary.
  2. Wash your clothes in cold water (it works just as well and saves approximately $63 a year).
  3. When it’s cold, keep the draperies and shades on your south-facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
  4. When it’s hot, put off doing things like using the dishwasher and the clothes dryer until later in the day — they’ll only make it hotter and your cooling system will have to work harder.
  5. Keep lamps or televisions away from the air conditioner thermostat (they trick it into thinking it’s hotter than it is and it stays on for longer than it has to).
  6. Keep the lids on pots when you cook.
  7. Put on an extra layer or an extra blanket and turn the heat down.
  8. Take short showers instead of long baths.
  9. Clean your refrigerator condenser coils at least once a year.
  10. And of course … if you aren’t using it, whatever it is, turn it off.

10 Cheap Changes

  1. Replace the five light bulbs you use most with efficient compact fluorescent bulbs (and save approximately $60 a year).
  2. Seal and weatherstrip your windows and doors.
  3. Wrap your water tank in insulation (costs about $20).
  4. Wrap up your pipes, too.
  5. Put plastic sheeting on the inside of your existing windows to help seal them or install storm windows.
  6. Seal exposed ductwork in attics, basements and the like using mastic — a gluey substance you apply with a paintbrush.
  7. Get a programmable thermostat and use it to turn the heat or air down or up when you aren’t home.
  8. Install low-flow showerheads to reduce hot water use.
  9. Plant trees outside to shade the air conditioning unit or to create a wind barrier for your home.
  10. Add timers to electric hot water heaters after consultation with local energy providers to determine the most efficient, cost-effective time of day to heat the water in the tank rather than running hot water heater 24 hours a day.

10 Investments in Energy Efficiency

  1. Look for the EnergyStar label whenever you are buying a new appliance. This label means the product meets the highest energy efficiency standards.
  2. Buy space or area heaters for the rooms you tend to use in the winter and turn the heat down in the rest of the house.
  3. Install energy efficient windows: www.efficientwindows.org
  4. "Right size” your natural gas and oil furnace systems. A system that is too large for your home’s needs both costs more and operates inefficiently.
  5. Match your room air condition to your needs. For example, if you are cooling a room that is between 100 and 150 square feet, you need a unit that uses 5,000 BTUs an hour, while a 700-1,000 square foot room would need an 18,0000 BTU unit.
  6. Insulate your attic — and anywhere else that needs it: www.simplyinsulate.com
  7. Consider replacing your washing machine with a front-loading design that features large capacity, spin cycle adjustment, suds-saver features and water level controls.
  8. Replace your old refrigerator instead of waiting for it to die. Efficiency standards for refrigerators have changed substantially in the last several decades. Note: Refrigerators with freezers on top are more efficient than side-by-side units.
  9. If you live in a cool climate, look for a heat pump with a high HSPF. Contact a professional for advice on purchasing air-to-air heat pumps.
  10. Install ceiling fans to supplement your air conditioning.