Energy Savings: Time To Audit Your Home's Energy Use
(HIT) - Mention the word "audit" and most people cringe. But there is one type of audit that is easy, costs next to nothing, and can actually help you save money: A home energy audit. An audit will show you where your home may be wasting energy, which is a good idea any time of the year, but especially important during the summer cooling and winter heating months, according to Edison Electric Institute, the national association of electric utility companies.
To get started you need to consider the three areas that affect your home's energy use: the building itself, the appliances, and the occupants. Begin with the home's thermal envelope—this includes everything that separates the inside of your home from the outside—the roof, walls, windows/doors, insulation. If you have storm windows, close them in the winter. If you do not, use plastic window film to insulate them. Next, walk around your home and check for gaps around electrical outlets/switch plates on exterior walls, window frames, doors, attic hatches, wall- or window-mounted air conditioners, and piping. Fill any openings with caulk where things do not move and weatherstripping where they do, such as windows and doors. Adequate insulation is essential too. To find out how much your home needs, visit this U.S. Dept. of Energy Web site: www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/insulation/l.
Consider your appliances next, starting with your heating and/or cooling system. Make sure its air filter is clean and keep it clean by changing it monthly. Tune the system up every year or so. Water heating is the second largest energy user in your home. Set the tank's temperature to 120 degrees. Check by holding a thermometer under a tap. Insulate the water tank if the sides feel warm, and insulate the piping leaving the water heater for the first six feet. Install low-flow shower-heads and faucets.
The third area to audit is the easiest—the way you use energy. The simplest step to take is to turn something off if you are not using it. Other energy-saving measures include setting the thermostat to 68 degrees in winter when someone is home and 60 degrees when no one is home or overnight. In the summer, set it to 78 degrees during occupied hours and higher when no one is home. Arrange the furniture and draperies so they do not block or obstruct the vents. Close vents in unused rooms. When cooking, preheat the oven as little as possible. When cooking, use the microwave oven whenever you can. If no one is using the computer, turn off the monitor after 20 minutes and the central processing unit after 2 hours. Wash and dry full loads of clothes. And for lighting, which uses about 7 percent of your total energy, considering using timers, dimmers, and install compact fluorescent light bulbs in the outlets that are used the most, like your porch or in the kitchen.
To learn more about how you can save energy in your home, contact your electric utility or visit Edison Electric Institute's Web site, www.eei.org/wiseuse.
Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center
|
