10 Easy Ways to Save Energy In Your Home

Photo credit: Andrea Church

1. Get an energy audit.
   Ask your power company if they provide energy audits. Having one every other year can determine updated methods for saving energy.
2. Install or upgrade the weather-stripping.
   Seal around all doors to the exterior, be sure to check those that lead to the garage.
3. Stop those drips.
   One drip every second can use 20 kilowatts of energy each month.
4. Get rid of those incandescent light bulbs!
   Switch to compact fluorescent bulbs. In spite of their higher initial cost, they are more energy-efficient, last for years instead of months, consume little power, and generate little heat.
5. Use a programmable thermostat.
   Set it to turn your heating/cooling system off a half hour before everyone leaves and to come on a half hour before anyone arrives home.
6. Two degrees of change.
   Adjust your heating and cooling thermostat to run two degrees warmer in the cooling mode and two degrees cooler in the heating mode.
7. Set it and wait.
   Keep your thermostat at a comfortable temperature and wait rather than turning it up and down constantly. Constantly adjusting the thermostat can dramatically waste energy and increase your heating and cooling costs.
8. Listen to the manufacturer.
   Make sure your water heater thermostat is set at the manufacturer’s recommended setting. Setting it hotter wastes energy by keeping the water hot when no one is using it.
9. Turn off your computer.
   When personal computers first hit the market, many computer experts advised leaving the computer on in order to save wear and tear on the hard disk. That’s not necessary with today’s computer. You can either turn it off when you’re not using it or use the energy-saving "sleep," "hibernate," or "standby" mode.
10. Seal energy leaks.
    This is where the energy audit in Item 1 can really help. Caulk over cracks and small holes around windows and exterior walls. Look carefully around plumbing pipes, telephone wires, dryer vents, sink and bathtub drains, and under countertops for holes and gaps and have them sealed as well.
    

Information adapted from Paul Roueche of ARK Home Inspections. Paul has been one of our recommended local inspectors since 2004. He can be reached at (508) 254-1155 or via email at arkhi@clearwire.net.