Few people realize the amount of energy that is wasted at home that affects the environment and makes us more dependent on foreign oil. They also don’t understand that they can quickly reduce their energy costs substantially through a variety of cost-effective conservation efforts.
Obama gets it
President-elect Barack Obama has announced that energy conservation is a strategic new way to help lower energy costs for low-income households. He has promised to provide conservation contractors for 1 million poorer households to reduce energy consumption and lower energy costs. This would represent a historic shift in government emphasis, reducing people’s energy bills rather than helping pay them. At the same time, he will create tens of thousands of jobs for contractors to help with conservation improvements to these homes. This will be part of the new president’s plan to create new jobs, lower consumer energy costs, and at the same time make us less dependent on foreign energy sources.
global climate change
The scientific community agrees that rising CO2 levels are contributing to global climate change. But not all of this CO2 comes from industry and transport, as many people assume. Homes are responsible for a fifth of the energy consumed in the United States. Just over half of the energy used in our homes is in the form of electricity. The rest comes from natural gas, coal and oil. All this CO2 takes its toll on our environment. For example, the average home produces more than twice as much greenhouse gas pollution as the average car. If you add up the emissions produced by power plants that generate electricity, plus those from appliances that run on oil and gas, the average home is responsible for the release of 22,000 pounds of carbon dioxide (CO2) each year. According to the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), this compares to 10,000 pounds of CO2 per year from a typical car.
Conservation and use of energy
In many homes, we don’t even benefit from much of the energy we end up paying for. Unnecessary lights, old appliances, poorly maintained heating and air conditioning systems, drafty doors and windows, and poorly insulated attics, walls, floors, and basements lower energy bills in almost every home. homes. Studies have also shown that two families living in IDENTICAL homes can have energy bills that vary by as much as 100 percent; this means that occupants’ energy-efficient habits and appliances can double (or cut in half) their energy bills.
Many people are reluctant to improve the energy efficiency of their home when they could be moving in a few years, or think the costs will be too high for conservation efforts. But published research is clear that energy efficiency investments are often relatively inexpensive, extremely profitable, and also lead to higher home resale values.
A study published in The Appraisal Journal found that a home’s market value increases between $10 and $25 for every $1 decrease in annual fuel bills. The study was conducted by ICF Consulting with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency. The research was carried out on a sample of more than 16,000 housing units throughout the country.
what you can do right now
Schedule an energy efficiency inspector audit of your home. My client’s report of an annual net energy savings of $300 after implementing cost-effective efficiency recommendations from my audits. I offer my audits at no cost if I am doing a new home inspection. In addition, many utility companies sponsor free or reduced-cost energy efficiency inspections. Additionally, utility companies often have a web-based self-audit that the owner can complete to develop their own energy efficiency plan. Most utility companies also offer rebates on the purchase of new EnergyStar-qualified efficient appliances and other conservation materials and services. Contact your local utility provider for more information. In California, visit the Energycheck website to find a California qualified energy efficiency inspector. energycheckup.com/content/findspector.asp/.
A quick and cost-effective way to reduce electricity costs is to replace current incandescent light bulbs with the new generation of energy efficient CFL light bulbs. Local utilities often provide incentives to retailers (including Cost-Co) to sell these bulbs at very low costs. I recently found these bulbs for sale at various retailers in California for less than $1 per bulb. Using these CFL bulbs can reduce your electricity usage and bill by up to 20%. There has been some misinformation about CFLs emitting mercury during operation. These claims about the danger of mercury are false. However, if a CFL bulb breaks (since it has a very small amount of mercury), it should be placed in a plastic bag and disposed of at the proper facility where the paints or batteries are kept. CFL technology has been greatly improved: they light up faster and last longer. However, they have not yet been perfected for dimmer lighting controls.
So be smart about making your home more energy efficient at the same time: you’ll save money, help the environment and the economy, and reduce our dependence on foreign oil.
