What Can Owners Do To Reduce Energy Costs?

HIGHER ENERGY COSTS will impact heating, appliance, and cooling costs for real estate owners. Natural gas and electrical bills will increase this summer. What can you do to reduce costs?

The general rule I follow is if the cost of energy improvements can be recovered in seven years or less, mainly less, then spend the money to reduce energy bills.

First, obtain an energy audit. In California these are available from certified energy auditors in every community.   The link also provides a guide for doing your own energy audit.

Second, your home should have at least R-21 insulation in the attic, and R-19 insulation in walls. This is the most cost effective improvement you can make. Most 40 year old homes need added attic insulation, and don’t have insulated walls.

Third, have dual pane window. Over half the homes in Santa Clara County have had these installed, but almost half of older homes have single pane windows causing significant loss of heat and cooling. This is also cost effective with savings in energy paying for this improvement in seven years or less for most owners. Don’t forget to put weather stripping around doors, and close fireplace vents.

Forth, install reflective insulation in the crawl space if you have a peripheral foundation if you have A/C. Cold air sinks, and escapes through crawl space vents. Brown outs occur during summer when energy use is at its highest. In Santa Clara County if your home has dual pane windows, attic and wall insulation, and crawl space insulation expect a 15-20 degree difference between outside and inside temperatures. In my home, without the A/C on, when the outside temperature is 99 degrees the inside temperature is 81. When the temperature reaches 100 degrees outside, I turn on the air conditioner. An air conditioner is the most expensive appliance to run. Air conditioning costs can be reduced by about 70% with proper insulation or eliminated altogether. Opening the windows late at night, and closing them early in the morning can save a fortune in electrical bills.

Fifth, A/C with a energy efficiency rating of 13 or more should be purchased. These use the new R410 refrigerant. Most conventional A/C units have an efficiency rating of about 7. The new A/C units are more expensive, but mine for example will pay for itself in about 4 years in energy savings.

For Green homeowners, build or have built insulated plywood “plugs” for every window that fits every window and fills the window space on hot days. This will reduce cooling costs on hot days by another 10%. The thermal calculations for my home revealed that I could maintain the inside at 83-85 degrees with outside temperatures at 108 degrees using window insulation plugs. The window insulation plugs are light and can be stored in the garage attic. This will be a good next project.

Fifth, buy an energy efficient refrigerator with separate freezer door. Clothes dryers are energy inefficient. If you’re Green, dry clothes on a line. If not, use low heat to dry clothes. Be certain to turn off heater pilot lights in the summer. Leaving them on wastes natural gas.

This is a fun game! I win! Most owners can do all of the above, and save money over 7 years or less, at the old energy costs.

Sixth, it is likely that home energy costs may go up in the coming year. It is now worth considering: taking out the water heater and installing new “on demand” kitchen and bathroom water heaters; installing solar roof water heaters, and roof solar electric panels.  Yipee!

Next, I’ll be going off the grid!

Go Green!

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