Use this month to make your home more energy-efficient from the inside out. Light the fire in your desire for a green home by incorporating these three changes.
1. Install a programmable thermostat.
This step is a small way to make your home more green, according to the National Association of the Remodeling Industry. If you’re able to adjust the temperature when you are away from home, you will save energy, because up to half of the energy used in your home goes to heating and cooling, according to the Energy Star program, managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy.
Look for Energy Star-qualified models with a variety of temperature settings, and by using them properly, you can save an estimated $180 a year in energy costs.
Experts at Lowe’s suggest that to save money in the winter, set the thermostat so that the temperature is lowered from your home’s normal temperature 5 degrees at night and 10 degrees while you are away during the day.
For more help: The Energy Star website offers a video on using a programmable thermostat. Visit www.energystar.gov, then select the Products tab, then Save Energy at Home.
2. Manage your electric use.
“Figure out what’s using energy in your house,” says Carl Seville, owner of Decatur-based Seville Consulting, a green home consulting firm. One major culprit: electronic equipment not in use. To make it easy to turn off those items, plug your TV, computers and other items into power strips that can be turned off when they’re not on.
For more help: Seville recommends The Energy Detective, an electricity monitor that provides household energy feedback by the second (retails for $199.95-$455.80, www.theenergy detective.com).
3. Insulate your water heater.
Keep your old water heater warm by wrapping it with an insulating jacket or blanket. The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy notes that the insulating jacket will reduce standby heat loss, or heat lost through the walls of the tank, by 25 to 40 percent, resulting in a 4 percent to 9 percent decrease in your water heating costs. The average savings for homeowners are more than $30 a year because of the reduction in heat loss, according to the EPA. The jacket will keep more heat inside the tank, which often is in a cooler spot such as the basement or garage.
For more help: Water heater insulation jackets are available at home improvement retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe’s, hardware stores and major retailers such as Sears, and they generally start around $10, according to the American Council.
