OUR TOP ENERGY-EFFICIENCY TIPS

Here are simple ways to considerably reduce energy usage in your home. You will be able to save money every month while increasing your family's year-round comfort.

No-cost or Low-cost Energy Solutions

1. Clean or replace furnace filters.  If the filter slot is not covered, use duct tape to seal the slot so that air will not bypass the filter.
2. Have your furnace professionally inspected and tuned to make sure it is running at top efficiency.
3. Set your thermostat back several degrees at night or while you're at work. Installing a programmable thermostat makes this easy.
4. Turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120 degrees F).
5. Install a water heater insulating blanket.  For safety reasons, follow installation directions carefully.
6. Use foam pipe insulation to insulate hot water pipes, particularly when they run through unheated spaces.
7. Weather-strip doors and windows that do not seal tightly.  A slightly moistened hand is effective in locating leaks.  Air moving in through a leak will make damp skin feel cool.
8. Weather-strip and insulate your attic hatch.
9. On cold sunny days, adjust the window shades and drapes so that the sun can shine in and help to heat your house.  At night, close the shades and drapes to reduce the amount of radiant heat lost through the windows.
10. Use energy-saving settings on refrigerators, dishwashers, washing machines, etc.
11. Clean your refrigerator coils as directed by the owner's manual.
12. Use compact flourescent bulbs to replace the incandescent lights that you use the most. Compact flourescents now come in sizes and styles that will fit most standard lamps and fixtures.

Help For the Do-It-Yourselfer

A very cost-effective way to cut energy loss in your home is to seal the holes, cracks, and other air leaks in the walls, floors, and ceilings.  In many homes, even some new ones, the amount of air moving through these openings is comparable to leaving a small window open year round.  This results in drafts, uneven temperatures throughout the house, and high utility bills.

If you enjoy do-it-yourself projects, an excellent guide to sealing the leaks in your home is "A DIY Guide to Energy Star Home Sealing".  The guide can be downloaded for free from the Energy Star website at www.energystar.gov.

Energy Audit

If you are really serious about making your home as energy-efficient as possible, the place to begin is with a professional home energy audit. Some utility companies provide their customers with free or low-cost energy audits.  If your utility company doesn't provide this service, you can check the website of the Residential Energy Services Network (www.natresnet.org) for the name of a certified energy rater in your area who is able to perform a home energy audit.  If you live in Central Illinois, check out our Home Energy Audit services. Following the recommendations of an energy audit can result in as much as a 30% reduction in your annual home energy consumption.

Energy Efficient Mortgage (EEM)

These special mortgages are available to borrowers who are purchasing an energy-efficient home or are making energy-saving home improvements.  When you're buying an energy-efficient home, an Energy Efficient Mortgage provides benefits such as a lower interest rate or a more favorable debt-to-income qualifying ratio.  If you're making energy improvements, many lenders will increase your loan to pay for the improvements.  Your monthly mortgage payment will increase slightly, but the money you save on energy each month will more than pay for the increase.

EEM's are available through many lending sources such as FHA, VA, and conventional mortgages. In order to qualify for an EEM, a certified energy rater must evaluate your home's energy efficiency. A list of the certified energy raters in your area is available from the Residential Energy Services Network at www.natresnet.org.  You can find more information about EEM's by going to www.pueblo.gsa.gov and searching for "Energy Efficient Mortgage Home Owner Guide".

Building a New Home

The very best time to make sure that a new home will have superior energy efficiency and comfort is during the planning stages.  While the energy efficiency of an existing home can often be improved as much as 35%, a new home can be designed to save up to 75% in energy costs.  This savings can amount to tens of thousands of dollars over the life of the home's mortgage.

Building a truly energy-efficient home is more than just increasing the levels of insulation, adding high-performance windows, or installing a highly efficient furnace. Too often, we see new homes that have these features but still perform poorly. Owners complain of problems such as cold rooms or excessively high utility bills. These problems occur when designers and builders fail to consider the whole multitude of interrelated factors that affect a home's energy efficiency and overall performance.

Making sure that a new home is designed to have superior energy performance can be a complicated and time-consuming task.  Fortunately, the home performance professionals at HOME ENERGY SOLUTIONS are experts in updating the energy aspects of a new home design.  We use sophisticated software to determine the most effective mix of energy-saving technology, materials, and construction methods.  Check out the details of our New Home Design Analysis.

Designing energy efficiency into a new home is literally one of the best investments you can make. No matter how the economy or stock markets are doing, an energy-efficient house will save you money month after month.

DESIGNING FOR ENERGY EFFICIENCY