Free House Repair Tutorials - Lower Electric Bills / Save Energy

There are many features about a home that make a difference in the amount of energy needed for heating, cooling and lighting. Thus, these features can have a major impact on the amount of money you devote to maintaining the winter and summer comfort of occupants. This checklist will help you evaluate the energy-saving potential of various housing features.

Housing features to consider include: Site; House Design; Construction and Insulation; Heating and Cooling System; Color and Lighting.

Heating and Cooling System

Thermostat is located on an inside room partition (thermostats on exterior walls, near windows, near heat-generating appliances, in drafts or in sunlight may not react to actual room temperature, hence will not keep room temperature within limits desired).

Heating controls are designed to allow for zoned heating (permits heating of lightly used areas only as needed). Note: In some homes, heating runs or registers may be designed with dampers or valves which allow you to stop the flow of heat into seldom used rooms (these can be added by heating and cooling professionals); while in other homes, zoned heating may be achieved by the use of two thermostats, one controlling the bedroom area and one controlling the living area (a more expensive alternative).

Mechanical ventilators/fans in kitchen, bath and laundry fit tightly, are weatherstripped and have positive closure shutters (ventilators without shutters allow excessive backdrafts of cold air into home).

Furnaces are located as centrally as possible in house (to reduce lengths of both hot and cold runs to shortest possible distance).

Furnace design and location permit easy access to air filters (clogged filters reduce efficiency).

Humidity level of home is kept at 30 to 40 percent during the heating season (warm air feels warmer and more comfortable when humidity is present in the air; humidity can reduce static electricity problems as well). Note: Portable humidifiers located centrally in home will add humidity, or power humidifiers connected to forced air furnaces will add humidity.

Next Page: Lighting and Colors

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