Energy Saving Tips

* Make sure your home is properly insulated. Whether your home is old or new, inadequate or improperly installed insulation can lead to high energy costs, uncomfortable rooms, and structural problems. Ask a BPI Accredited Home Performance with ENERGY STAR® contractor to check insulation levels and make sure it is installed properly.

* Not all insulation is the same. Insulation is measured by R-value, which is its resistance to heat flow. The greater the R-value, the greater its effectiveness in slowing heat loss and maximizing energy efficiency and comfort, keeping you warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.

* Windows and doors can lose as much as 15 percent of the total heating energy in a typical home. When buying new windows, consider U-value and Low-E coatings. U-value is the measure of the window’s ability to insulate. Lower U-value means less heat flows through the windows. Low-E (low emissivity) window coatings are thin and transparent, permitting visible light to pass through, while effectively reflecting radiation and keeping your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.

* Check your heating and cooling systems for safety and efficiency. The tell-tale signs of an improperly functioning heating and cooling system include varying temperatures from room to room, the house feels too hot or too cold, or the air is stuffy or clammy. In addition, it’s important to have fuel-burning equipment like fireplaces, water heaters, dryers, gases and furnaces checked for proper venting to avoid harmful gases, including carbon monoxide, from entering your home.

* Stop the leaks in your duct system. Leaking ducts can decrease the overall efficiency of your heating and cooling system by as much as 20 percent. Properly sealing the leaks in your duct system can boost efficiency and lower your energy bills. BPI Accredited Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractors have special testing equipment to measure and pinpoint where air is escaping. They can seal up the air leaks and test again to ensure that your home has just the right amount of air flow to keep you comfortable and safe.

* Close the chimney flue damper when you’re not using your fireplace. This will keep warm air from escaping through your chimney. An open damper can let out up to 8 percent of your heat.

* Keep it Clean Replace furnace filters at least once every three months and make sure to have oil-fired furnaces and boilers professionally cleaned and checked out once a year by a BPI Accredited Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor. Gas heating equipment should be checked every other year. Maintain your air conditioning equipment by replacing or rinsing air filters monthly and having it checked for proper refrigerant charge once a year. Also keep registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators clean, and unobstructed by furniture, drapes and carpets. This will make things run smoother and better.

* Dusting makes a difference. Make sure there is some breathing room around your refrigerator so that heat can escape easily. Give the coils in the front and back a dusting to keep them running efficiently.

* Only trust your home to a BPI Accredited Home Performance with ENERGY STAR contractor. Any time you’re making home improvements, including remodeling, window replacement, heating/cooling system repair or replacement, or insulation upgrades, be sure to call a BPI Accredited Home Performance contractor from Home Performance with ENERGY STAR. You can trust that these contractors have passed rigorous testing to meet high energy efficiency standards for assessing and treating your home so that it functions efficiently, comfortably and safely.

* Choose ENERGY STAR qualified products. Only those products meeting the high efficiency standards of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) can earn the ENERGY STAR label. Look for the ENERGY STAR label on heating and cooling equipment, clothes washers, dishwashers, refrigerators, room air conditioners, dehumidifiers, TVs, VCRs, light fixtures and bulbs, computers, windows, and programmable thermostats. They use up to 50% less energy without sacrificing the features, quality and convenience you want.

* Use ENERGY STAR qualified compact fluorescent light fixtures and bulbs. ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures and bulbs last up to 10 times longer than standard models, and operate on two-thirds less energy. In addition, lighting products that have earned the ENERGY STAR generate about 70% less heat than standard incandescent lighting, which means they’re cool to the touch and can help reduce energy costs associated with cooling the home.

* Change five lights. Replace your home’s five most frequently used light fixtures, or the bulbs in them, with models that have earned the ENERGY STAR. By making this change, a household can save more than $60 a year in energy costs. The home’s five most frequently used lights typically include kitchen ceiling dome light, living room table lamp, living room floor lamp, bathroom vanity light and outdoor porch or post lamp.

* Install a programmable thermostat. To conveniently adjust the temperature of your home at certain times of the day, replace your thermostat with a programmable thermostat. When used properly, an ENERGY STAR qualified programmable thermostat can consistently control your home’s temperature and save you about $100 every year in energy costs.

How can I find out more information?

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