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Top 5 tips to save energy bucks at your casa!

By
Home Inspector

1. Replace your highest-use incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) or LED bulbs. Check out APS' CFL savings calculator for a rough idea of what you could save. Although CFLs are much more expensive than incandescent bulbs, they last at least 10 times as long, use 75 percent less energy, and generate far less heat, resulting in lower air-conditioning bills. Bear in mind that seldom-used incandescent bulbs, such as those in a closet, are probably best left alone until they burn out, as the payback isn't as immediate as for those in living areas.

2. Air seal the most easily accessible parts of your home first. New weatherstripping for your doors and windows, foam gaskets behind your switchplates and outlet plates, as well as caulking behind the doorjamb trim, could save a few hundred dollars per year. Keep in mind, however, that a home can be sealed too tightly, resulting in indoor air-quality issues that would need to be addressed with additional controlled ventilation. Have Target Building Inspections perform an energy audit to ensure that your home is neither too tight nor too leaky.

3. Caulk around all exterior penetrations - where plumbing and electrical conduit enters your home from the outside.

4. Close the curtains, blinds or shutters in south- and west-facing rooms when not in use during summer days. Consider solar screens and/or tint on the windows. Combine using the ceiling fans with raising the thermostat a few degrees during the summer. Consider a programmable thermostat, especially if the house is unoccupied during the day.

5. Set the water heater thermostat to low, and wash clothes only in cold water.

Comments (7)

Dan Edward Phillips
Dan Edward Phillips - Eureka, CA
Realtor and Broker/Owner

Nice post Ben, very important tips for the home owner!

Jul 01, 2010 05:32 PM
John Pusa
Glendale, CA

Ben - Excellent post. Thanks for sharing a very helpful blog about several tips to save money at home.

Jul 01, 2010 06:08 PM
Cara Marcelle Mancuso
Golden Girls with SW Desert Homes - Tucson, AZ
Call a Marana neighbor, I'm THERE!

Nice informative post!  I "twittered" it!  We need to do whatever we can in the SW!

Jul 01, 2010 06:34 PM
Dale Ganfield
Leland, NC

Hi Ben, we all need to beat the energy conservation drum!  I have a few links to energy efficiency info on my website resource page which you may already have or may find new and useful.

 

 

Jul 05, 2010 04:04 AM
Jay Lloyd
Cape Coral Florida - Cape Coral, FL
Allpro Home Inspection

Hi Ben, Great post! I hit the suggest for a feature and reblogged. It's important to spread the word on savings :) jay

Jul 26, 2010 07:55 PM
Barbara-Jo Roberts Berberi, MA, PSA, TRC - Greater Clearwater Florida Residential Real Estate Professional
Charles Rutenberg Realty - Clearwater, FL
Palm Harbor, Dunedin, Clearwater, Safety Harbor

Saving money is always something people want to hear about!

Jul 31, 2010 07:21 AM
Courtney Cooper
Cooper Jacobs - Seattle, WA
206-850-8841

Hi Ben - I read this on Barbara-Jo's reblog and wanted to come over and say hello - good ideas:)

Jul 31, 2010 07:31 AM