Before we start a few facts.
The average house uses almost 40% percent of its total energy on
heating.
When a house is occupied, the
thermostat should be set at 65 to 68 degrees F for maximum comfort and
money saving energy efficiency.
Consider replacing aging appliances
with newer more energy efficient models.
When comparing an average house to a
super energy efficient house, it’s possible to reduce annual energy
bills up to 40 percent. This type of savings may not be possible on
all homes but conservation techniques can save you a decent amount of
money by lowering utility bills. Prudent homeowners should consider
developing an energy conservation plan for their home. This is both an
environmentally friendly and economically sound action.
In developing an energy
conservation plan for your home, use the following approach: identify
the problem areas where energy is being lost or inefficiently used;
prioritize the problem areas according to how much energy is being
lost or inefficiently used; and systematically correct the prioritized
problems according to the limits of your household energy improvement
budget.
The average house uses energy for the following tasks
Heating 39%
Hot Water 18%
Appliances 35%
Lighting 8%
As you develop your home energy
conservation plan, the first task is to identify problem areas. The
above list of household energy uses suggests a place to start – the
higher energy uses (i.e. heating) have the greatest potential for
savings. Review the energy conservation measures checklist below to
identify problem areas in your home.
The checklist describes energy
conserving measures according to energy use. Under each task is a list
of energy conserving actions prioritized by their cost effectiveness.
You may already be implementing some of these measures, so use the
items below to help you identify other strategies to further develop
your plan.
