How to make your home more energy efficient (and be good to the earth and save money in the process)

Are your utility bills larger than you’d like?  There are likely a number of steps you can take to make your home more energy efficient, which will both cut your utility bills and reduce your carbon footprint.

Drafty old windows are an obvious sign that your house isn’t as efficient as it could be, but windows are expensive.  Heat rises, so in the winter time if your attic insulation isn’t up to the task, you’re likely losing more heat through your ceiling than anywhere else.  Currently, Energy Star (the Environmental Protection Agency’s energy saving arm – www.energystar.gov) recommends an attic insulation level (R Value) of 38 or higher for attic insulation in our area.  If your house is fifteen years or more old, it is a good idea to check the depth of your existing attic insulation. 

Wall insulation can sometimes also be improved upon as well.  Insulation can be blown in through small circular holes cut in the exterior walls, which are then patched and re-sealed.

Another entry point for cold air is sometimes around the light switches and outlets.  Thin, precut foam insulation to prevent this is available, and is both inexpensive and easy to install. 

Another way to keep your heat inside your house is by running ceiling fans on low, in a clockwise direction.  This pushes the warm air back down into the living space.  When summer comes, make sure you switch the fan direction to counterclockwise, to pull the hot air up to the ceiling.

Back to those drafty windows – short of replacing them, there are numerous ways to improve their efficiency.  Temporary storm windows are sheets of clear plastic that are cut to fit and then taped around the inside of the window.  Blinds or window coverings of any kind also keep out the cold, and the heavier or more layered the coverings, the more effective they are.

It’s also good for your electric bill to replace incandescent light bulbs with LEDs.  If the majority of the lights in your home are the incandescent type, you’re using a lot more electricity than you need to be.  LED bulbs last up to 25x longer than a traditional incandescent bulb, while consuming up to 75% less electricity.   Those lights you use the all the time provide the most savings, but replacing others as they burn out ensures that your house is at its peak efficiency, lighting wise, anyway.