Conserve Energy and Save Money

 

There are many ways to conserve energy in your home. Some involve a substantial investment, but with a return, and some are simple do-it-yourself tasks.

 

Before starting your energy conservation quest, identify what you are trying to accomplish. Do you simply want to save money? Are you trying to add comfort? Are you investing in your home to reap the benefits when you sell it?

 

Easy energy savings

 

Some ways to make your home more energy efficient are fairly quick and inexpensive. These simple do-it-yourself techniques add comfort and keep your money in your wallet.

 

1)      During the summer and fall months, during which windows are opened and closed routinely, many homeowners fail to lock their windows after closing them. Locking most windows pulls the seal tight together so the window doesn’t pull in drafts or allow heat to leak out.

2)      Switch to Energy Star® rated light bulbs. Some bulbs last ten times longer than standard incandescent light bulbs and cost significantly less to use.

3)      Make sure there is a tight seal around all exterior doors. If you can see daylight around your doors, replace the seal around the door slab.

4)      Install an attic hatch insulation cover. A tremendous amount of heat is lost through attic hatches. It’s the equivalent of leaving a window open in the winter. Make sure that the product you use has a high R-value. As an alternative, you can also screw three pieces of two-inch Styrofoam Dow board together and slide it over the opening before closing the hatch.

5)      Foam or caulk all gaps in your attic. Use an expanding foam or caulk to seal the openings around plumbing vent pipes and electrical wires. Wear gloves and use care not to get foam or caulk on your hands or clothes, because it’s nearly impossible to remove once it dries. Cover the area with insulation once the foam or caulk dries.

6)      Seal all gaps and holes around rim joists. Air can come in through gaps and cracks around the rim joist, and cold air will run across the floor joists, causing problems such as frozen pipes. Foam or caulk where the floor joist meets the rim joist, and caulk at the top and the bottom at the sill plate. Once the caulk has dried, stuff that area with fiberglass to minimize air infiltration.

 

Insulation issues

 

The next step you could take is to call a professional to either retrofit your walls with insulation, or one of the best options is to blanket your existing attic insulation with rolled fiberglass batts or cellulose insulation. Fiberglass will be the least expensive and will definitely help with energy costs and comfort, but cellulose is highly regarded as the best insulation and provides significant savings over the years.

 

Having a professional install your insulation will be more of an investment, but when using cellulose, you will not have to wait long for a return on your money. With oil now at over three dollars a gallon, and with little or no attic insulation, you could literally be draining your hard-earned money through your roof!

 

The Natural Resources Defense Council  examined fiberglass and cellulose insulating materials and released the following information:

 

Cellulose is the only "green", high-performance, energy-efficient insulation available. Benefits of cellulose include superior protection against moisture, mold, vermin, sound, and fire.

 

When deciding to invest in insulation, determine what best suits your needs, return on investment, and budget. With a few choices out there, you need to educate yourself. The Internet can supply the information you will need to educate yourself and make a proper decision.

 

Heating and cooling

 

A geothermal heating and cooling system takes advantage of the earth's constant temperature, about fifty-five degrees, to heat and cool your home. By tapping this steady flow of heat from the earth in the winter and displacing heat in the earth in the summer, a geothermal heat pump can save homeowners 40% to 70%  in heating costs and 30% to 50& in cooling costs, compared to conventional systems. With a geothermal system you get 70% of your heating and cooling from the earth and a 30% electrical pull. You would no longer be reliant on foreign oil ever again!

The drawback of a geothermal system is the cost of installation. It is more expensive to install than a typical forced-air heating system and significantly more than a hot-water baseboard system. I still feel it deserves mentioning because of the efficiency, safety and energy savings. Although installing this type of system for a first-time homebuyer may prove difficult, it is worth it to at least explore it as an option.

 

If you can afford the initial cost of installing a geothermal heating system or cellulose insulation, you will save money in the long run. Potential homeowners should explore their options and focus on the most important aspects of a home, like the structural integrity and energy efficiency, rather than basic amenities.

 

The bottom line is that you have many options that make your home more energy efficient, from small tweaks you can do yourself to more expensive investments requiring licensed professionals. The important thing is that you are doing what you can to conserve energy, which in turn protects your family, your savings account, and the environment.