Simple ways to change things around your home with Energy Star!

Air Conditioning

Choose an Energy Star Air conditioner…If everyone purchasing a room air conditioner chose an Energy Star qualified model, it would prevent more than 1.3 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions each year – equivalent to taking more than 115,000 cars off the road.

Using the Energy Star central air conditioner can help you save a lot of money – about $1,000 a year, or about half of your home’s total energy bill.

Even if you aren’t ready to replace your air conditioner now, consider weather-stripping the seams around the unit to provide better insulation.  Keeping cool air inside will help reduce your electricity bills during the summer. 

Appliances

If everyone purchasing a clothes washer in 2009 chose an Energy Star model, together we would save 975 million kilowatt hours of electricity, 34 million Btu of natural gas, and 54 billion gallons of water.  The electricity saved in one year would power every household in Washington DC for 4 months.  Enough water would be saved in one year to fill the Rose Bowl Stadium 638 times. 

If everyone purchasing a refrigerator in 2009 chose an Energy Star model, consumers would save 914 million kilowatt-hours of electricity and more than $101 million in energy bills each year.

Even if you aren’t ready to replace your appliances, keep them clean and in good repair; clogged air vents or worn-out parts make motors work harder, which wastes energy!

Water Heater

Purchase an energy efficient water heater.  Energy efficient or gas, gas tank less, gas condensing, solar and heat pump water heaters all use less energy than standard water heaters.  You can now purchase an Energy Star water heater for high-efficiency gas storage, whole-home gas tank less, or solar water heaters – gas condensing and heat pump water heaters should have come out in the late part of 2009.  Depending on the type of water heater will save you between $30.00 and $290.00 for every year you use it. 

Even if you’re not ready to replace your water heater, you can save energy by insulting your water heater and your hot water pipes – heat lost from your tank is wasted energy!

Lighting

Change your lights to energy-saving compact fluorescent lights (CFL).  If every American home replaced just one light bulb with an Energy Star CFL bulb, we would save almost six billion kWh per year – enough energy to light nearly three million homes.  We’d also save more than $600 million in annual energy costs and reduce greenhouse gases by the equivalent of nearly 750,000 cars.  The average CFL lasts 10,000 hours, and when you replace it, you can recycle it. 

Windows

Energy efficient windows lower solar gain (the heat that enters your home through a window) and are better insulated, so that homes stay cool in summer and warm in winter.  If you are not ready to replace your windows, caulking your window seals around the glass can provide additional insulation.  Replacing single-pane windows with new Energy Star windows could save you $126-$465 in annual energy bills, depending on your climate zone.

Smart Meter

Ask your local electric utility if Smart Meters are available in your area.  A Smart Meter allows you to communicate in real time with your provider about your electricity usage.  This device helps you save money by shifting some of your consumption to off-peak periods; this helps your utility offer you a wider range of plans and services.  Smart Meters are becoming more widely available – and they can save you money by helping you monitor and adjust, when you use electricity.  Smart Meter technology is also being developed that will allow you to log in to your computer and turn on or turn off your home’s systems including heating and cooling, lights, and appliances. 

Attic

Air seal and insulate your attic!  Learn about the most cost-effective levels of insulation for your climate zone.  More than 50% of the energy used in a typical American home is for space heating and cooling.  Much of that conditioned air escapes through poorly sealed, under insulated attics.  Only 20% of homes built before 1980 are well insulated.

Properly sealing and insulating your attic can save you up to 10% annually on energy bills.  You can also save by insulating your home’s ventilation ducts. 

Light Emitting Diodes (LED)

Purchase lighting that uses LED’s for home applications or solar.  LED lighting is being made for a variety of uses around the home including general applications such as recessed down lights, as well as decorative uses including holiday tree lights, night lights, and walkway illumination.  LED’s are durable, long-lasting, and use about one-tenth as much energy as incandescent bulbs.  The Department of Energy (DOE) is working to speed up wide home use of LED for general lighting needs, providing an even more efficient alternative to incandescent bulbs.  In the fall of 2088, Energy Star began recognizing lighting products in several categories, including under-cabinet lights, task or desk lights, recessed can lights, and several types of outdoor lighting.  New types of LED lighting are being added to Energy Star all of the time. 

Cars; what you can do!

Get the junk out of your trunk and properly inflate your tires! An extra 100 pounds in your vehicle could reduce your fuel efficiency by up to 2%.  Properly inflated tires are safer, last longer and save fuel.  You can improve your gas mileage more than 3% by keeping your tires inflated to the recommended pressure.  Car pooling and sharing travel makes a difference.  Reducing the number of vehicles on the road decreases congestion and reduces CO2 emissions. 

Fuels & Hybrids

If you’re in the market to buy a new car consider a hybrid or a clean diesel vehicle.  They can save up to $1,500 in fuel each year, and they come in all shapes and sizes so you don’t have to sacrifice utility.  Dozens of models of flexible fuel vehicles (FFVs) are also available, designed to run on gasoline or a blend of up to 85% ethanol (E85).  Except for a few engine and fuel system modifications, they are identical to gasoline-only models and many more models and classes are in development.  Keep an eye out for Plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV) as they will soon represent an even greater leap in efficiency- to the point that urban drivers may not use gas at all for their commute.  Instead, you’ll be able to power your car from an ordinary wall outlet.  President Obama recently announced $2.4 billion in funding to put America’s manufactures to work producing these vehicles and the battery components they run on.  American’s who decide to purchase these PHEV’s can claim a tax credit of up to $7,500.00. 

Our future for a clean energy economy is looking bright!