Did you know that the typical U.S. family spends about $1,900 a year
on home utility bills? Unfortunately, a large portion of that energy is wasted.
And each year, electricity generated by fossil fuels for a single home puts
more carbon dioxide into the air than two average cars. And as for the road,
transportation accounts for 67% of all U.S. oil consumption. The good news
is that there is a lot you can do to save energy and money at home and in your car. Start making small changes today.
The key to achieving these savings in your home is a whole-house energy
efficiency plan. To take a whole-house approach, view your home as an energy system with interdependent parts. For example, your heating system is not just a furnace—it’s a heat-delivery system that starts at the furnace and delivers heat throughout your home using a network of ducts. Even a top-of-the line, energy-efficient furnace will waste a lot of fuel if the ducts, walls, attic, windows, and doors are not properly sealed and insulated. Taking a whole house approach to saving energy ensures that dollars you invest to save energy are spent wisely.
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Energy Auditing Tips
• Check the insulation levels in your attic, exterior and basement walls, ceilings, floors, and crawl spaces.
• Check for holes or cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets that can leak air into or out of your
home.
• Check for open fireplace dampers.
• Make sure your appliances and heating and cooling systems are properly maintained. Check your owner’s manuals for the recommended maintenance.
• Study your family’s lighting needs and use patterns, paying special attention to high-use areas such as the living room, kitchen, and outside lighting. Look for ways to use lighting controls—like occupancy sensors, dimmers, or timers—to reduce lighting
energy use, and replace standard (incandescent) light bulbs and fixtures with compact or standard fluorescent lamps.
Formulating Your Plan
After you have identified where your home is losing energy, assign priorities by asking yourself a few important
questions:
• How much money do you spend on energy?
• Where are your greatest energy losses?
• How long will it take for an investment in energy efficiency to pay for itself in energy cost savings?
• Do the energy-saving measures provide additional benefits that are important to you (for example, increased comfort from installing double-paned, efficient windows)?
• How long do you plan to own your current home?
• Can you do the job yourself or will you need to hire a contractor?
• What is your budget and how much time do you have to spend on maintenance and repair?
Once you assign priorities to your energy
needs, you can form a whole house
efficiency plan. Your plan will provide
you with a strategy for making smart
purchases and home improvements that
maximize energy efficiency and save the
most money.
Another option is to get the advice of
a professional. Many utilities conduct
energy audits for free or for a small
charge. For a fee, a professional
contractor will analyze how well
your home’s energy systems work
together and compare the analysis to
your utility bills. He or she will use a
variety of equipment such as blower doors, infrared cameras, and surface thermometers to find leaks and drafts. After gathering information about your home, the contractor or auditor will give you a list of recommendations for cost effective energy improvements and enhanced comfort and safety.
A reputable contractor can also calculate the return on your investment in high-efficiency equipment compared with standard equipment.
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Mineral Export Contract Agreement
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Mineral Export Contract Agreement
Insulation & Saving Airleaks
Checking your home’s insulation is one of the fastest and most cost effective ways to use a whole-house approach to reduce energy waste and make the most of your energy dollars. A good insulating system includes a combination of products and construction techniques that protects a home from outside hot or cold temperatures, protect it against air leaks, and control moisture. You can
increase the comfort of your home
while reducing your heating and
cooling needs by investing in proper
insulation and sealing air leaks.
First, check the insulation in your attic,
ceilings, exterior and basement walls,
floors, and crawl spaces to see if it meets
the levels recommended for your area.
Insulation is measured in R-values—the
higher the R-value, the better your
walls and roof will resist the transfer
of heat. DOE recommends ranges of
R-values based on local heating and
cooling costs and climate conditions in
different areas of the nation. The map
and chart on pages 6 and 7 show the
DOE recommendations for your area.
State and local code minimum insulation
requirements may be less than the DOE
recommendations, which are based on
Insulation and Sealing Air Leak Floors
Where to Insulate
Adding insulation in the areas shown above may be the best way to improve your home’s energy efficiency.
Insulate either the attic floor or under the roof. Check with a contractor about crawl space or basement
insulation.
When Can I Insulate My Home?
Insulate your home when:
• You have an older home and haven’t added insulation. Only 20% of homes built before 1980 are well insulated.
• You are uncomfortably cold in the winter or hot in the summer— adding insulation creates a more uniform temperature and increases comfort.
• You build a new home, addition, or install new siding or roofing.
• You pay high energy bills.
• You are bothered by noise from outside—insulation muffles sound.
$ Long-Term Savings Tip
• One of the most cost-effective
ways to make your home more
comfortable year-round is to add
insulation to your attic.
Adding insulation to the attic is
relatively easy and very cost effective.
To find out if you have enough attic
insulation, measure the thickness of
the insulation. If it is less than R-30
(11 inches of fiber glass or rock wool
or 8 inches of cellulose), you could
probably benefit by adding more. Most
U.S. homes should have between R-30
and R-60 insulation in the attic. Don’t
forget the attic trap or access door.
If your attic has enough insulation and
your home still feels drafty and cold in
the winter or too warm in the summer,
chances are you need to add insulation to
the exterior walls as well. This is a more
expensive measure that usually requires
a contractor, but it may be worth the cost
if you live in a very hot or cold climate.
If you replace the exterior siding on
your home, you should consider adding
insulation at the same time.
You may also need to add insulation
to your crawl space or basement. Check
with a professional contractor.
anNew Construction
For new homes in most climates, you
will save money and energy if you
install a combination of cavity insulation
and insulative sheathing. Cavity insulation can be installed at levels up to R-15 in a 2 in. x 4 in. wall and up to R-21 in a 2 in. x 6 in. wall. The insulative sheathing, used in addition to this cavity insulation, helps to reduce the energy that would otherwise be lost through the wood frame.
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Sources of Air Leaks in Your Home
Areas that leak air into and out of your home cost you lots of money. Check the areas listed below.
1 Dropped ceiling
3 Attic entrance
4 Sill plates
5 Water and furnace flues
6 All ducts 7 Door frames 8 Chimney flashing 9 Window
10 Electrical outlets and switches frames 11 Plumbing and utility access.
5 Water and furnace flues
6 All ducts 7 Door frames 8 Chimney flashing 9 Window
10 Electrical outlets and switches frames 11 Plumbing and utility access.
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