- Appliances: use less power
- Beware vampire appliances
- Commercial building energy assessments
- Commercial building incentives
- Common mistakes
- Gifts that save energy all year
- Heating and coolling savings
- Holiday lighting: festive & efficient
- Insulation types: pros & cons
- Kitchens: ways to save
- Lower your utility bills
- Path to Energy Efficiency
- Programmable Thermostats
- Radon: test after energy upgrade
- Refrigerator: retire for quick payback
- Resolutions to conserve energy and save money
- Seal duct leaks
- Stack Effect Influences Energy Use
- Systems in house work together
- Wash clothes in cold water
- Water heating bills
- Where to make home improvements
- Windows: repair, don't replace
Get on the Path to Energy Efficiency
Your Path to Energy Savings
By Doominic Frongillo, Special to The Ithaca Journal
March 21, 2011
Most people don't realize their homes are ENERGY WASTERS. Built for cheap energy and to poor energy code specifications, most homes are leaky, lack insulation, and have old or inefficient heating systems, lighting, and appliances.
Are you used to your kitchen being cold, cranking up the thermostat to stay warm, or high energy bills? You may have done some things to reduce energy costs, but have you made improvements systematically?
We hear many misconceptions about home energy savings, from "my home is already weatherized" to "I need solar panels" to "I need new windows." For example, most people mistakenly think new windows are cost-effective energy savers, not realizing they take 50 years to pay back -- and boosting a window's energy performance can be done very inexpensively with caulking, weather stripping, and storm windows.
Upgrading home energy efficiency is a multi-step process. The Home Energy Path shows the most cost-effective pathway to whole-house energy savings, starting with do-it-yourself steps and progressing to working with an accredited contractor:
First, make LOW/NO COST UPGRADES with energy-saving light bulbs, low-flow shower heads, caulking, and weather stripping. These pay for themselves very quickly.
Second, TUNE UP ENERGY USERS by keeping major appliances and heating system tuned up and thermostats programmed.
Third, get a HOME ENERGY ASSESSMENT AND UPGRADES using a Building Performance Institute (BPI) accredited contractor, who will recommend the most cost-effective upgrades, typically air sealing, insulation, and heating system upgrades.
Forth, UPGRADE APPLIANCES like refrigerators, washers, and dehumidifiers with Energy Star models. If your refrigerator is more than ten years old, it's time to replace it.
Lastly, RENEWABLE ENERGY systems like solar, wind, wood pellets, and geothermal are icing on the cake; do after everything else. By upgrading efficiency first, you can cut the cost of renewable systems in half.
Visit ccetompkins.org/energypath for the interactive Energy Path, including checklists of actions for each step and listings of accredited BPI contractors.
