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You can save as much as 10% on your energy bills by simply turning your thermostat back 10% to15% for eight hours per day. This can be done easily by turning the thermostat back while your sleeping and while the home is unoccupied. This can be done automatically by using a Programmable Thermostat. With one of these devices you can adjust the times you turn on the heating or air conditioning according to a pre-set schedule that you set. For instance in winter it can be set to lower the temperature after bedtime and then raise it up to a more comfortable level before you get up . In summer you can set it to do the opposite.

Programmable Thermostats, sometimes called set-back or smart thermostats, can be set to multi daily settings per day that can be manually overridden without affecting the rest of the daily settings. As a result your equipment will run less when it is not needed and you will save energy, money, and be greener.

Weatherization is merely the process of optimizing the energy use in your home. This usually begins with a complete energy audit. This should be done by a professional, someone with the training and equipment to conduct a though audit.

Energy Audits are conducted with emphasis placed on health and safety. All combustion appliances such as water heaters, furnaces, space heaters, and ovens are tested for production of carbon monoxide, combustion efficiency and proper draft. It is extremely important that combustion appliances work at optimum efficiency and produce a minimal amount of CO (carbon monoxide). CO is colorless, tasteless, odorless gas produced by the incomplete burning of fuel. In high concentrations it can kill in minutes. I recommend that all homes with combustion appliances install a good co detector

After the safety of equipment is determined a thorough inspection of the house is conducted, including floor plan elevations, orientation, number and size of windows and doors, insulation levels etc.. This information is then entered into a computer program that does calculations and recommends the most cost effective measures that can be done to the home.

The cost of an energy audit is subsidized many times by local utilities or electric co-ops. In any case if you live in an older home an energy audit can be very beneficial.

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There are many things that you can do around your home to save on your energy bills, some are simple and low cost. Other measures may require a professional.

Formulate A Plan

1. How much money do you spend on energy?
2. Where are you losing the most energy?
3. How long will an investment in efficiency pay for itself in savings?
4. Can I do it myself or do I need to hire a Contractor ?
5. What is your budget for making improvements ? (continue reading…)