The Energy-Efficient Home
Posted January 26, 2010  |  No Comments  | 

Anyone who opened a utility bill this past summer had to have gone into shock. But perhaps the heat waves experienced throughout the country took such a chunk out of the monthly budget that consumers were a lot more eager to make some fundamental, energy-saving changes in their homes. How about you? Did you mean to alter your home and lifestyle a bit, but lost momentum when cooler fall weather waltzed in? Well, now that we've had some pretty astounding winter storms and chilly temps this past week, it's a good time to put best intentions into action.

According to the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), each American uses about 10,000 kilowatt hours of electricity annually--the equivalent of leaving 15, 75-watt light bulbs on all day, every day. That makes a big impact on our monthly bills and, more importantly, on the planet. Even modest steps can save 20 percent or more of that energy use.

Now, at Vantage Pointe, we've got a lot of this down already, with Energy Star-rated appliances, dual-pane windows, and energy-smart approaches to construction. But, if you're in the market for a condo and have an older home to sell first, making your house less of an energy gobbler could help you in making the sale at the price you want and will give a hand to the planet. And, if you live at Vantage Pointe, there are still some additional actions you can take that will help lower your SDG&E bill.

The question usually is where to start. The ACEEE has a terrific online consumer guide on their website as well as one you can purchase. 

The organization suggests some preliminary approaches--regularly clean or replace the filter in your heating and air conditioning system, reduce the temperature setting on your water heater, install four or more compact fluorescent bulbs starting with the fixtures you use most, adjust your thermostat a little warmer in summer and cooler in the winter, and install water-saving showerheads and faucet aerators.

But, there's more, much more. Here are some other suggestions to consider.

Heating and Cooling

1. Program your thermostat to turn heat down or air conditioning up while you're out.
2. Buy an Energy Star-rated programmable thermostat.
3. Insulate your attic and water heater.
4. Have your heating/cooling systems serviced every one or two years.
5. Shut your fireplace flue after every fire to prevent drafts.
6. Cover your windows on sunny days when it's hot.
7. Keep weather stripping in good condition and caulk gaps.
8. Plant deciduous trees on the east and west sides of your house to shade and cool it by as much as 20 degrees.
9. Buy a tankless "on demand" water heater.

Appliances

1. Replace old appliances with Energy Star-rated models.
2. Replace your top-loading washing machine with a front loader.
3. Do several loads of laundry in one stint weekly, drying the loads back to back to capture the residual heat in the dryer.
4. Run only full dishwasher loads.
5. Switch from washing clothes from a hot/warm cycle to a warm/cold wash cycle.
6. Air dry your clothes in spring and summer.

Electronics

1. Buy power strips for your electronics. They can be switched off to stop the energy losses from "standby power"--the energy that these devices use when they are not in active mode.
2. Turn off your computer when it's not in use, or at least put it in sleep mode.
3. Turn off printers, copiers, and fax machines when not in use.
4. Unplug your cell phone charger and other electronic devices when you're not using them.

Miscellaneous Energy Use

1. Install dimmers on bulbs and install timers for security-related lights (front door, garage, patio).
2. Use solar-powered outdoor lights.
3. Use fans instead of air conditioning--Energy Star, of course.
4. Install Energy Star-rated windows.