American households spend 20% energy bills on appliances and home electronics

Aug 10th, 2010
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Did you know that a typical American household spends 20% of their energy bills on appliances and home electronics? These appliances are:

  • Clothes washers and dryers
  • Computers
  • Dishwashers
  • Home audio equipment
  • Refrigerator and freezers
  • Room air conditioners
  • Televisions, DVD players, and VCRs
  • Water heaters

So using energy efficient appliances will make a big difference in your budget. It’s true that the cost of replacing and the pay back time can be too high, but if you have to replace your appliances anyway, looking into energy efficient ones will be a good option. Plus purchasing new ENERGY STAR-qualified appliances can earn you tax rebates.

Source: EERE

Posted in: Energy Bills, Energy Efficient Appliances, Home Energy Savings.
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Does the Power-Down or Sleep Mode save energy?

Aug 5th, 2010
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Just about all PCs now come with a power-down or sleep mode feature for the CPU and monitor. ENERGY STAR® computers in a sleep mode use 70% less electricity than a computer without such features. ENERGY STAR monitors even have the capability to power down into two successive “sleep” modes. Such mode usually saves 10% of its operating power consumption.

You can setup those power down features when you first setup your operating system. Most new computers are not setup with those features automatically.

One funny note, the old screen savers actually do NOT save energy. The plus side is that new LCD monitors do not need screen savers at all.

Source: EERE

Posted in: Home Energy Savings.
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Home electronics are not required to have EnergyGuide Label

Aug 2nd, 2010
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Most home appliances are required to have EnergyGuide labels on them. Except stove ranges and ovens. So when you purchase new ranges and ovens, don’t expect to see these labels. Home electronics such as computers, TVs, or audio equipments are not required by the FTC to have these labels either.

If you haven’t noticed the EnergyGuide labels posted on your appliances, what it does is to provide an estimate of the product’s energy consumption or energy efficiency. They also show the highest and lowest energy consumption or efficiency estimates of similar appliance models.

It offers consumers a way to compare energy costs when purchasing new appliances. So check with the label when you shop for new appliances.

Posted in: Home Energy Savings.
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Turning off your personal computer can actually save you energy

Jul 30th, 2010
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Most of us leave the computer on during the day while we walk away from the computer for a few hours. Whether it’s laptop or desktop. It just makes more sense to leave it on since it’ll go to sleep by itself anyway. But according to a study done by the US department of energy, it actually saves more if you turn it off while you’re away. We all know that there is a small surge in energy when a computer starts up, but the small amount of energy is still less than the energy used when a computer is running for long periods of time. So the better choice is to turn it off.

It’s recommended that turning off the monitor if you’re away for more than 20 minutes, and both the monitor and computer off if you are away for more than 2 hours.

The other saving comes from cooling off the temperature in the house. Whether desktop or laptop do tend to heat up. But turning on and off your computer can be a hassle. So the best way is to leave it to hibernate which only uses 70% less of its electricity.

Also never use screen savers. Because it uses even more energy. The good news is that modern LCD color monitors do not need screen savers at all.

Source: EERE. U.S. Department of Energy

Posted in: Home Energy Savings.
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5 Ways to lower your water heating bills

Jul 19th, 2010
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There are 5 simple ways to lower your water heating bills, try one or more of these energy-saving strategies:

1. Reduce your hot water use

Wash most your clothes in cold water;
install low-flow fixture;
purchase energy efficient washer and dish washer;
fix any faucet leaks.

2. Lower your water heating temperature

You don’t need any temperature higher than 120ºF.

3. Insulate your water heater tank

Use pre-cut blankets to insulating your storage water heater tank. The cost is less than $25.

4. Insulate hot water pipes

Use quality pipe insulation wrap, or neatly tape strips of fiberglass insulation around the pipes, especially within 3 feet of the water heater.

5. Install heat traps on a water heater tank
Heat traps allow water to flow into the water heater tank but prevent unwanted hot-water flow out of the tank. The cost is about $30-40.

Source: EERE

Posted in: Home Energy Savings, insulation.
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Reduce your monthly water heating bill

Jul 19th, 2010
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Most people don’t know this, water heating can account for up to 25% of the energy consumed in your home. Selecting the energy-efficient water heater for your home and pools can reduce your monthly water heating bills.

Energy-efficient water heating system will not only provide enough hot water but also will do so energy efficiently, saving you money.

Posted in: Home Energy Savings.
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Ways to use to save home energy other than investing in solar panels

Jun 30th, 2010
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When we think of using the solar power, we automatically think about solar panels. But there are passive solar home design that can save you not only energy but also money.

A passive solar home design uses the fundamental law of heat moves from warmer materials to cooler ones. So a passive solar home distributes heat throughout the whole house.

Some materials store heat better than others. Masonry materials, such as concrete, stones, brick, and tile, are commonly used as thermal mass in passive solar homes.

Posted in: Home Energy Savings.
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Make sure to install the energy saving devices correctly

Jun 25th, 2010
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Energy savings heating and cooling systems will not only save energy but also money. However, buying energy savers is only part of the game. If they system is installed incorrectly, you will waste money and energy. You will need to find the right contractors to handle the right jobs. But how do you find the right person?

Well, ask around is the first step. Ask your relatives, co-workers, friends, and neighbors to find our whether they have worked with a contractor. Or pick up the phone book, and call and ask for licenses and insured contractors. Make sure ask them whether they have installed the same system before. If necessary, ask them for references if the job is big.

Just make sure the select the right person to handle the right job and install the energy saving systems correctly.

Posted in: Home Energy Savings.
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Cooling Ventilation Systems

Apr 14th, 2010
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Ventilation is the least expensive and most energy-efficient way to cool buildings. Ventilation works best when combined with methods to avoid heat buildup in your home. In some cases, natural ventilation will suffice for cooling, although it usually needs to be supplemented with spot ventilation, ceiling fans and window fans. For large homes, homeowners might want to investigate whole house fans.

Ventilation is ineffective in hot, humid climates where temperature swings between day and night are small. In these climates, attic ventilation can help to reduce your use of air conditioning. Ventilating your attic greatly reduces the amount of accumulated heat, which eventually works its way into the main part of your house. Ventilated attics are about 30°F (16°C) cooler than unventilated attics. Properly sized and placed louvers and roof vents help prevent moisture buildup and overheating in your attic.

Source: EERE

Posted in: Home Energy Savings, insulation.
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Sizing Heating and Cooling Systems

Jan 26th, 2010
by admin.
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Older space conditioning systems (more than 10 years old) are often unreliable and much less efficient than a modern system. When it’s time for a new replacement, choosing one of the correct size (heating and/or cooling output) is critical to getting the best efficiency, comfort, and lowest maintenance and operating costs over the life of the new system. Some national surveys have determined that well over half of all HVAC contractors do not size heating and cooling systems correctly.

The most common sizing mistake is in oversizing. This not only makes the new system more expensive to install, but also forces it to operate inefficiently, break down more often, and cost more to operate. Oversized heating equipment also often creates uncomfortable and large temperature swings in the house. Oversized air conditioners (and heat pumps) do not run long enough to dehumidify the air, which results in the “clammy” feeling and unhealthy mold growth in many air-conditioned houses.

Source: EERE, Department of Energy

Posted in: Home Energy Savings, Remodeling.
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