Energy consumption in our homes has become a controversial issue. Society has become aware of the conservation concerns and lack of resources we face in our cities and communities. There are several things you can do at home on an individual basis to help with this growing problem. Take the time to make sure your home is energy efficient and help conserve energy usage in your community.
Society has become more aware of conservation issues in our country. There are several ways we can help conserve in our homes and our communities. We can regulate energy usage in our homes by being aware of our surroundings.
The first step to making your home energy efficient is to determine which parts of the house use the most energy and where you are unknowingly wasting valuable energy. You can conduct a simple energy audit yourself, have your local utility company do it or call a professional for a comprehensive examination.
If you choose to do it on your own here are some things your should look for:
Locate any air leaks (drafts) by checking obvious places such as windows, doors and baseboards. Look for gaps around pipes and wires, electrical outlets, foundation seals and mail drops. Check your homes weather stripping and caulking to see if it is in proper condition. On the outside of your house check exterior corners; where siding and chimneys meet; and areas where the brick or siding meets. Look for cracks and holes in mortar, foundation and siding, and repair with proper material. Inspect the caulking around the outside of doors and windows.
Check the insulation levels in your home. Heat loss could be a big problem if you don’t have the proper amount of insulation in your walls, ceiling and attic or if the insulation is less than recommended. To check the walls you will need to select an exterior wall and turn off the electric outlets while you unscrew one from the wall to determine the thickness and amount of insulation. If your basement is unheated determine whether there is insulation under the living room floor area. In most areas of the country the recommended insulation level is R-25.
Inspect the heating and cooling equipment in your home. You should actually do this type of inspection annually or as recommended by the manufacturer. Replace furnace filters regularly and have a professional check and clean your equipment once a year. Check your ductwork for dirt streaks, especially near seams because these types of traces could air leaks and should be sealed with a duct mask.
Examine your household lighting, which accounts for 10% of the electric bill. Look at your light bulb wattage and make sure you don’t have 100-watt bulbs where 60 or 75-watt bulbs will do. Compact fluorescent lamps can help conserve electricity especially for areas where lights are on hours at a time.
A major factor of energy consumption in your home is appliances, which are typically essential for maintaining your household. Appliances account for almost 20% of the energy consumption in our houses. Large appliances such as refrigerators, washing machines and dryers consume the most energy. Newer appliance models are more energy efficient than the ones from 10 or 20 years ago. Investing in a newer model of appliance can help save water, energy and operating costs.