The following is an extensive list of general areas of areas and components of most homes:
Heating and Air Conditioning: When buying new heating and cooling equipment such as a central air conditioning unit, proper sizing and quality installation are critical to your home's energy efficiency and comfort. Remember: Bigger doesn't always mean better. Oversized equipment can cause reduced comfort and excessive noise. Over-sizing also can shorten the life of the equipment by causing it to cycle on and off more frequently than a properly sized unit. However, undersized equipment can reduce the efficiency and accelerate wear on system components, leading to early failure
Dirt and neglect are the top causes of heating and cooling system inefficiency and failure. It’s important to change your system’s air filter regularly and have routine maintenance performed by a qualified technician. If you have older HVAC equipment that is not keeping your house comfortable, consider replacing it with a unit that has earned the ENERGY STAR. When replacing equipment, make sure to ask your contractor if they follow Energy Star Quality Installation Guidelines. .
As much as half of your household energy use goes to heating and cooling. Replacing old equipment with more efficient equipment is one way to save. But equipment is just one part of an entire system that requires proper sizing, maintenance, properly sized and well-sealed ducts, insulating ducts in unconditioned spaces and more.
Room Air Conditioner: Considering purchasing a room air conditioner? ENERGY STAR qualified room air conditioners often include timers for better temperature control, allowing you to use the minimum amount of energy you need to cool your room.
- In the winter, be sure to insulate room air conditioners from the outside with a tight-fitting A/C unit cover, available at your local home improvement center or hardware store. This keeps heated air from escaping outside. Alternately, you can remove the window unit in the winter months to prevent energy losses.
- Be sure the window unit fits tightly in the window so outdoor air is not getting in.
- Large window A/C units should have their own separate electrical circuit so the system is not overloaded.
- And remember, proper sizing is important for room air conditioners too!
Programmable Thermostat: It’s easy to forget to adjust the thermostat when leaving the house or going to bed, and it takes time for the house to cool off (or warm up) once the thermostat is adjusted, which can be uncomfortable. Here's where a programmable thermostat pays off, because it automatically adjusts the temperature when your home is empty, and when you go to sleep. Total energy savings will depend on your climate and the efficiency of your house and heating and cooling system.
Install a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust your home's temperature settings when you're away or sleeping. When used properly, a programmable thermostat with its four temperature settings can save about $180 a year in energy costs. Save with a manual thermostat, too! Every degree you set your thermostat up in hot weather or down in cold weather will help you save on your overall energy bill. It's a common misperception that it takes more energy to cool off (or heat up) a house than it takes to keep it cool all the time. Turning up the thermostat in summer (or down in winter) will always save energy. It's best to only cool (or heat) a house as much as necessary, based on occupants and time of day.
Air Registers: Make sure that the connections at vents and registers are well-sealed where they meet the floors, walls, and ceiling. These are common locations to find leaks and disconnected ductwork. Also make sure that all vents are clear of any furniture or rugs to improve air flow and comfort. If your home has radiators, place heat-resistant reflectors between radiators and walls for in the winter, this will help heat the room instead of the wall.
Hot Water: Savings resulting from turning down your water heater temperature are based on two components: reduced standby losses (heat lost from water heater into surrounding basement area); and consumption (from water demand or use in your home). Set too high, or at 140 degrees F, your water heater can waste anywhere from $36 to $61 annually in standby heat losses and more than $400 in demand losses. Set at 120 degrees F, you will save energy and money.
If you have an older water heater, you can improve its insulation by wrapping it with an insulating jacket and save more than $30 per year in excess heat loss. To help keep your hot water from cooling off before it gets to the tap, you can insulate the hot water piping, leaving the water heater for additional savings. Don't forget to turn off electric water heaters and turn down gas water heaters when going away on vacation.
Lighting: is one of the easiest places to start saving energy. Replacing your five most frequently used light fixtures or the bulbs in them with ENERGY STAR qualified lights can save $70 a year in energy costs. ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures feature stylish designs and are available in a variety of models of lamps and fixtures. ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) provide high-quality light output, use less energy and last up to 10 times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs, saving money on energy bills and replacement costs.
Light Switch: Remember to always turn off your lights when leaving a room.
Sliding Door: Apply caulking around door frames and weather-stripping around doors that do not close tightly. If replacing your sliding door, select ENERGY STAR qualified doors instead of regular clear-glass double-paned doors. You can save on energy costs while improving your comfort, cutting drafts, and reducing fading of interior furnishings. Improve your home's “envelope” to lower your energy bill and improve your comfort. Home sealing reduces uncomfortable drafts and helps avoid moisture problems through sealing holes, cracks, and gaps in the home.
Fireplace Damper: Close the flue damper tightly when not in use. Otherwise, warmed or cooled air can easily escape from the house. A chimney is designed to remove by-products from a fire by creating a draft. The draft also pulls air from your home up the chimney-air that you've paid to cool or heat. Even without a fire in the fireplace, there still will be a draft in the chimney as long as there's a temperature difference between indoors and out. Closing the damper will keep air conditioned (or warmed) air in the living space where it belongs.
Windows: During the winter months, replace your screens with storm windows to provide an extra barrier to the cold outside air. Caulk and weather-strip around windows and doors that leak air. If replacing windows, choose. With proper installation to ensure all gaps around them are sealed, ENERGY STAR qualified windows can help improve
Power Strip: Use a power strip as a central “turn off” point when you are done using equipment. Even when turned off, electronic and IT equipment often use a small amount of electricity. U.S. households spend approximately $100 per year to power devices while they are in a low power mode, roughly 8 percent of household electricity costs. Using a power strip for your computer and all peripheral equipment allows you to completely disconnect the power supply from the power source, eliminating standby power consumption.
Electrical Outlets: Seal holes around outlets with an inexpensive outlet gasket.
Pipes: To save energy and reduce drafts, use spray foam or caulk to seal holes around penetrations, such as pipes, wiring, vents or recessed lights, that go through the home to the outside, attic, crawlspace, or an unfinished basement.
