Don't Run on Empty: Increase Your Home's Energy Efficiency

Would it surprise you to know that up to 15% of our power bills are spent simply on electric lighting? Perhaps many of us are not aware of the small, yet effective ways we could economize on our energy payments.

For those of us who do not have homes built in the last few 'energy-conscious' years, there are still ways that we can 'green-up' our homes. Many of the obvious ways have to be incorporated into the actual construction, but there is always room for improvement, even with new houses.

Statistics say that air conditioners and heaters suck up the largest supply of energy in the home and that reverting back to the old fashioned methods of keeping cool may cut down on our energy bills.

One old fashioned method for keeping your house cool is not to let the sun shine on your windows. Glass heats up very quickly and the warmth radiates into your home just as if the oven door was open. Drop down blinds on the outside of your house are the easiest and most efficient way to keep the sun off your glass windows. A cheap and effective alternative, which you can use temporarily each summer, is the bamboo roll down shade. It attaches to the outside of your home - even a couple of nails will hold it if you're desperate, and it stops the sun from heating up your glass.

Failing this, blinds closed on the inside of your windows will stop the heat from moving too far into your room. Likewise the closing of drapes helps keep the heat within the window area. However, the use of external bamboo roller blinds - especially on south facing windows - will make a noticeable difference.

Another old fashioned of keeping your home comfortable throughout the year is to plant trees and shrubs against the house. In the Mediterranean, for instance, large olive trees which 'fan out' are planted near the windows. They keep the house permanently in shade in the summer but in the winter the leaves fall and the sunlight can shine into your home.

Another point to consider is this: throwing open the doors and windows to give a cross-breeze is also a way of letting in the warm air. Therefore, if the roof of your home is well insulated, it is often better to keep all the windows and doors closed. The cooler overnight temperature will last longer - as long as your roof is well insulated.

If you incorporate these ideas into your home, you'll notice a difference in your air conditioning consumption. Heating costs, however, are more difficult to manage.

Old fashioned draft strips really do work to keep the warm air in, and the cool air out. They're very inexpensive to buy, so they can be used in the winter and discarded for spring.

You'll want to check your furnace as well, as older furnaces sometimes run very inefficiently. This means that you're paying more to heat your house than you need to. The newer models are far more energy efficient, and well worth the initial costs of buying a new unit.

Since lighting covers up to 15% of the power bill, it must be included in any economical measures. Turning off lights when leaving the room, not leaving computers or TVs on standby - all these save power. A big change would be to replace your incandescent lamps with fluorescent lights. You will have four times the amount of light per watt, the bulb will cost one third as much to operate and will last ten times longer!

Finally you can look at your hot water system - another possible 15% of your total bill. If you do not want to switch to the new 'tankless' hot water on tap method, then try installing energy efficient flow controls for your showers and sinks. The volume of water is reduced without the pressure being compromised.

Most of these changes are inexpensive to implement, but will give you noticeable returns on your energy bills.