How Effective Are Your Energy-Efficient Efforts?

By: Craig D. Antonelli, President of Antonelli Construction, LLC and

Chairman of the Rochester Homebuilders Association

Home Fueling Costs are always a concern, especially as we enter into the colder seasons.  Fueling costs will inevitably rise and unfortunately, home heating and cooling utilization make up 46 percent of this cost.  Ensuring your home is energy efficient is essential for your comfort and budget.  Energy efficiency is not only earth-friendly, but it can also be friendly to your wallet.  Are you doing the right things to get the most out of your efforts to be “green”?

A study on energy efficiency by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences shows that most people surveyed mentioned curtailing their energy use rather than investing in efficiency improvements is a way to live “greener”.  While curtailment is a positive move, most people don’t realize that they can get more long-term benefits, both environmentally and financially, by investing in upgrades to the home.

The best of both worlds is to limit your usage, eliminate wastefulness and upgrade your home with efficiency improvements.  While investing in system upgrades provides a higher percentage of energy savings, combining curtailment efforts with system upgrades could yield up to a 30 percent savings on your energy bill.

The following are some of the most effective ways to save energy and money in both categories:

Curtailment

Curtailing your current lifestyle involves a continuous, active effort by household members.  Like the suggestions listed below, they often involve very low to no cost to the home owner.

What you can do today:

• Replace 85 percent of your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent ones.
• When heating your home, reduce the temperature from 72 degrees to 68 degrees during the day and even further down to 65 degrees at night.
• Perform routine maintenance on heating and cooling units. Clean or replace filters on furnaces once a month, or as indicated by the manufacturer. Make sure radiators, baseboard heaters and warm-air registers are clean of debris and are not being blocked by furniture or draperies.
• Wash your clothes in warm and cold temperatures, rather than hot.

These four simple steps can save you more than 8 percent on your energy bill and cost little if no money to implement.

Upgrade to Higher Efficiency

While curtailment should be considered a minimum effort to be green, investing in energy-efficient upgrades to your home will provide the most significant changes to your energy bill and to the planet. Upgrades involve some initial costs upfront but will give you a return on your investment tenfold over time.

What you can do this week, month or year:

• Caulk and weather-strip your home. By reducing air leaks, an average household can cut 10 percent of their monthly energy bill.
• Install or upgrade your attic insulation, particularly in homes built prior to 1980.  Look for R-values between 30 and 60 — the higher the R-value, the better.
• Change out old inefficient single pane windows and replace them with New Energy Efficient windows with low e and argon gas.
• Install a more efficient hot water heater.  Consider a high efficiency hot water tank or a  tankless water heater which can be comparable in cost to traditional gas water heaters but are 30 percent more efficient, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
• Install a High Efficiency Furnace, Boiler, Heat Pump or A/C Unit
• Consider a programmable thermostat which automatically lowers the heat at night or when you are not home, and can save you up to 10 percent on your annual heating bill.

As an added bonus, some home energy-efficient upgrades may provide tax credits of up to $1,500 (if you act before Dec. 31).  Find out what qualifies at ww.nahb.org/efficiencytaxcredit.

The bottom line is this:  Energy efficiency is imperative in today’s economy.  The older housing stock needs much attention in this category and the homeowner should strongly consider performing the simple suggestions above in order to keep their energy costs down and help keep the environment green.  If you feel your existing home doesn’t warrant the investment, you may want to consider a new home.  Today’s energy efficient upgrades in existing homes are typically standard items in most new homes; therefore you can be green from the start.  To save money and to become “green”, it would be wise to consider upgrading your existing home or purchasing a new home.  Now is a good time to buy or remodel.

To find a builder or remodeler in your area that can help you with these upgrades, or for more information on why now is a good time to buy, contact The Rochester Home Builders Association at www.rochesterhomebuilders.com

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