Are your energy bills too high? Did you know the most common causes for high energy bills are poor insulation, outdated equipment or fixtures, and poor energy conservation habits?
Unless you have experience with building or major home repairs (i.e. you are a contractor, or know one personally), there isn’t a whole lot you can do about the first one.
You can certainly update your appliances or “fixtures” which in this case includes lighting fixtures, small appliances and electronics, windows and doors…although this approach can be rather expensive and time consuming. Plus …

60%  savings on the electric bill, and 35% off gas/heating bill…read how it was done.
After a previous brutally cold winter, our first focus was the windows. They were in sorry shape, with the window pane itself damaged and the frame warping away. Many were so bad that the windows themselves couldn’t be opened. They simply would not slide up and down.
The screens were in bad shape too, as well the storm windows. We had previously covered up the problem by placing plastic over the window, but …

The cover of this issue depicts extraordinarily useful information: the homes whose attics are inadequately insulated. British residents can go onto the Web and find their homes-or their neighbors’ homes-to determine their thermal efficiency.
This aerial photo, along with the widely available photos in Google Earth and other services, illustrates the rapidly changing definitions of privacy. Thirty years ago, various groups in the United States used high-flying planes to take infrared photos like this one for the same purpose. But those programs were scotched by people outraged by the invasion of …

Its happened to everyone. A few months out of the year, you either slip up and use too much energy, or need to use more energy out of necessity. Winter months in a cold climate, or the summer months in warmer climates are the classic examples.
Budget payments offered by the utility companies give you the flexibility of paying lower energy bills during these months, but you pay the same amount every month for a fixed term – usually 6-10 months or billing cycles.
Budget payments do no save you money. And …

There is a debate in the home energy community over what to do if given the choice between using a microwave oven to cook versus a gas powered range. My obvious advice is this: it really depends on what is being cooked and how much is being prepared. All meals are not created equally.

The holidays are over, and hopefully they have been good to you. Chances are you received some new gadgets, maybe bought a new one or two, or are planning on improvements with your tax refund.
Now is the time to take stock of your energy usage in your home. Yes, today is time for another energy audit.
Once you have everything settled in place, take a few hours to walk through, measure energy usage, and make some estimations as to how much you will use it. Most people’s energy bills spike after …

In other words, what is the single biggest user of electricity in a typical home?

Appliance

% Usage

Refrigerator

13.00%

Air Conditioning

12.00%

Electric Water Heating

11.00%

Space heaters

11.00%

Lighting

9.00%

TV’s

3.00%

(Source: US Department of Energy)
As you can see, a typical sized single family home uses more electricity to run a single refrigerator than any other single area.
We’ll be covering more about refrigerators and energy ramifications in a future post soon.

This is a lazy man’s dream. Having the lights turn on and off with no effort or action on your part to me is absolutely amazing, and perfect.
Place commonly used lights, like lamps in the living room, on simple timers. You can program them to turn on automatically at a certain time, and more importantly turn off at a designated time. There is no more forgetting to turn off the lights at night.
Plus there is the added security bonus of giving the illusion that you are home when …

When you are buying a new home, here are some things to look for to ensure you keep your energy bills low:

Look for energy efficient appliances. Most of the time they will still have the energy guide sticker on them. Check the efficiency and relative costs.
Check the age and condition of the delivery ducts and vents
Ask what the last HVAC job was. If someone installed central air or a new furnace after the home was built, there is an excellent chance the installer did due diligence and inspected the house …

It used to be the case that when you moved in an area, you were stuck with a single provider for your utilities without any choice. For example, you had to choose ABC company for your electricity, because they were the only provider in the area. Not choosing them and their terms and rates means you didn’t get electricity.
Now, in most areas, you have a choice when it comes to two, sometimes all three of your major utilities (natural gas, water and electric). Each company competes for …