This infographic by Information is Beautiful compares and contrasts the viewpoints of skeptics of climate change and the general scientific consensus.
VP Biden Announces Home Energy Score Program
TAGGED WITH climate change • energy audit • energy efficiency • financing • home energy • home performance • policy • rebates • savings tips
With the new Home Energy Score, consumers will find out how their home compares with others and how much money they could save by adding insulation, sealing air leaks or doing other upgrades. Ten U.S. communities will test the score, similar to a miles-per-gallon label for cars, before it’s rolled out nationally next summer.
“Together, these programs will grow the home retrofit industry and help middle-class families save money and energy,” says Vice President Biden
The program is designed to encourage homeowners to make energy-saving upgrades and to jump-start the industry for home energy retrofits, Biden said in a statement. It will also include financing for homeowners (up to $25,000) and software that will let energy contractors give consumers the home efficiency equivalent of miles per gallon for cars.
Time Running Out For Energy Tax Credits
TAGGED WITH air seal • cooling • energy efficiency • heating • home energy • insulation • rebates • savings tips • windows • winter
Homeowners only have two more months to take advantage of up to $1500 in tax credits for energy upgrades. Eligible improvements include insulation, air sealing, high efficiency furnaces, and more.
Cut home energy use by 20-40% just by doing basic measures such as sealing and insulating your house. Find out how you can benefit from these tax credits before they expire on December 31, 2010.
Get Your Kids Involved in Saving Energy
Getting your kids excited about saving energy helps them adopt lifelong values about energy use, money, and the environment. By turning energy-saving tasks into games, you can make learning about energy fun and easy.
Bring home real results by encouraging games and activities such as:
- Keep count of how many times your kids turn off the lights in unoccupied rooms, and reward them after they reach a certain number each week.
- Ask your children to track down all the incandescent lights in the house, and replace them with efficient bulbs together.
- Use a Kill-A-Watt electricity usage monitor with your kids to identify which appliance or electronic in the house is the biggest energy hog. If you decide it’s time to replace it, shop for a new one with an Energy Star label together.
Check out the U.S. Department of Energy’s site for other games, tips, and facts.
Heating Costs Expected to Rise This Winter
According to the Energy Information Administration, the average U.S. household will pay $986 this winter (October 1 to March 31). This is up $24, or 2.5 percent, from last winter – and it would be worse if not for the fact that heating degree-days are expected to be 3% warmer this season.
Consumers who heat with oil will see the biggest hike in expenditures up an average of 11.5 percent to $1,906. That’s followed by propane (up 7.5 percent to $1,830) and natural gas (up 3.6 percent to $751). Consumers who heat with electricity will actually see their bills go down 1.9 percent on average to $959.
Make sure you follow these easy steps to help winterize your home so you can stay comfortable without skyrocketing energy bills.
6 Easy Weekend Winterization Projects
TAGGED WITH air seal • comfort • ducts • energy efficiency • expert tips • facts • financing • heating • home energy • insulation • rebates • savings tips • winter
Winter is just around the corner – time to think about how you can button up your house to make sure it’s comfortable without costing you a fortune in energy bills. The Daily Green has put together a great list of easy weekend projects to help you winterize your home.
- Dodge the Draft(s)
According to the U.S. Department of Energy, drafts can waste 5% to 30% of your energy use. Start simple and adopt that old Great Depression fixture — the draft snake, which you can easily make yourself. Just place a rolled bath towel under a drafty door, or make a more attractive DIY draft snake. - Change Furnace Filters
Yes it’s easy to forget, but it’s important to replace or clean furnace filters once a month during the heating season. Dirty filters restrict airflow and increase energy demand. Here’s a worry-saving tip: mark a monthly check on your calendar.
Better, consider switching to a permanent filter, which will reduce waste and hassle. Did you know that disposable fiberglass filters trap a measly 10 to 40% of debris? Electostatic filters trap around 88%, and are much better at controlling the bacteria, mold, viruses and pollen that cause illness and irritation. - Run Fans in Reverse
Most people think of fans only when they want to be cool, but many ceiling units come with a handy switch that reverses the direction of the blades. Counterclockwise rotation produces cooling breezes while switching to clockwise makes it warmer: air pooled near the ceiling is circulated back into the living space – cutting your heating costs as much as 10%! - Turn Down Your Water Heater
While many conventional water heaters are set to 140 degrees F by installers, most households don’t need that much steam, and end up paying for it — in dollars and the occasional scalding burn. Lowering the temperature to 120 degrees F (or lower) would reduce your water heating costs by 6% to 10%. - Give Your Heating System a Tune-Up
You probably already know that cars need periodic tune-ups in order to run their best. Well the same is true for heating equipment. Keeping your furnace clean, lubricated and properly adjusted will reduce energy use, saving up to 5% of heating costs.
If your entire furnace is in need of replacement, it will cost a lot more — but replacing an inefficient burner for a modern machine will save you every month through the heating season. Be sure to take advantage of federal tax credits for new furnaces, which can cover 30% of the cost, up to $1,500. - Mind That Thermostat
It’s easy to forget to turn down the heat when you leave the building, but doing so is one of the surest ways to save money. Most households shell out 50 to 70% of their energy budgets on heating and cooling, so why pay for what no one uses?
For every degree you lower the thermostat during heating season, you’ll save between 1 and 3% of your heating bill. Make it easier with a programmable thermostat; they are widely available for as little as $50, and the average family will save $180 a year with one.
For even higher impact on your home’s comfort and energy bills, contact Recurve so we can provide expertise on projects such as:
- Air sealing – simple leaks can sap home energy efficiency by 5% to 30% a year, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.
- Insulation – it may not seem sexy, but insulation is one of the best ways to save energy and money at home.
- Duct sealing – studies show 10% to 30% of heated (or cooled) air in an average system escapes from ducts. Properly sealing ducts can save the average home up to $140 annually, according to the American Solar Energy Society.
- Upgrade to an efficient furnace – if your furnace is old, you could save a lot of money in the long run (and improve your home’s value) by upgrading to a new unit.
Where Does Your Money Go?
TAGGED WITH cooling • energy efficiency • heating • home energy • home performance • lighting • water
The average yearly energy bill for a typical single-family home is $2,200. Where does it all go?
Source: Energy Star
Stay Warm & Save Money This Fall/Winter
TAGGED WITH air seal • energy efficiency • fall • financing • home energy • insulation • maintenance • rebates • savings tips • winter
Fall is the perfect time to start prepping your house for winter. The U.S. Department of Energy suggests these 5 steps to ensure that your home stays comfortable this winter without costing you an arm and a leg:
- Look for rebates from your utility or state. Recurve has put together a handy resource for available incentives on our website.
- Get an energy audit. In order to know how to save energy, you have to first find out where you are losing energy – and money.
- Have your heating system serviced. Keep your system operating efficiently, and don’t forget to replace your furnace filter once a month or as needed.
- Find and seal your air leaks. This includes less obvious gaps such as recessed lights and unfinished spaces behind cupboards and closets.
- Check your insulation and add more as needed. Insulation is often the most cost-effective energy improvement you can make in your home.
Home Sick Home
It seems like Americans are more health-conscious than ever these days, but do you ever ask yourself how healthy your home is? The Sierra Club has put together a list of 9 home health hazards to be aware of. The high points are summarized below.
1. Radon
You can’t see it or smell it, but radon kills about 20,000 Americans each year. It’s the number two cause of all lung cancers, and the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers in the United States.
Retrofitting most homes to reduce radon levels isn’t complicated, but you’ll probably want to hire a state-certified radon mitigation contractor. A basic mitigation system consists of a pipe and a fan that pulls radon from below your house and vents it to the outside, typically through the roof. The cost of reducing radon in a home ranges from about $800 to $2,500, according to the EPA.
2. Volatile Organic Compounds
Volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, are one of the main sources of air pollution in our homes. VOCs are a huge class of carbon-based chemicals that share a common trait: they are volatile at room temperature, meaning they readily release gases into the air we breathe.
The list of health effects from VOC exposure is enough to scare the daylights out of anyone: nausea; cancer; memory loss; eye, nose, and throat irritation; kidney, liver, and central nervous system damage.
3. Problems with Plastics
Although VOCs are the primary indoor air pollution culprit in our homes, they’re not the only chemical that can compromise human health. Many of the “miracle” plastics developed by science and industry in the past half-century turned out to have hidden health burdens. While completely eliminating harmful plastic items from your home may be next to impossible, you can reduce your exposure.
4. Pesticides and Herbicides
Pesticides and herbicides are biocides: they’re designed to kill living organisms. Makers of these chemicals may claim the products are safe when used properly, but why take the chance? Banning pesticides from your home and garden is an especially good idea if you have young children–their developing bodies are particularly vulnerable to pollutants.
5. Mold
You’ve probably encountered the sensationalist media stories about house-eating toxic molds. The truth is, mold spores are floating everywhere, in the air inside and outside our homes. There’s no way to keep mold spores out of the air. The trick to controlling mold in your home is controlling moisture–mold thrives on moisture.
If mold is allowed to multiply unchecked in a building, it can eventually cause serious damage to the structure. It also has the potential to affect health. Not everyone is bothered by mold but for some people, exposure may trigger allergic reactions, asthma episodes, or other respiratory problems.
6. Other Biological Contaminants
Pet dander, pollen, and feces of dust mites and cockroaches can trigger allergic reactions, asthma episodes, and other respiratory problems. Good housekeeping, especially dusting and vacuuming regularly, will help keep these particles in check.
7. Energy-related Risks
Carbon monoxide and other combustion byproducts
Devices that burn fuel inside your home are potential sources of air pollution. Burning gas, heating oil, propane, wood and kerosene produces many potentially harmful fine particles and gases, including carbon monoxide (CO), formaldehyde, and nitrogen dioxide. The minute quantities emitted by a properly functioning, modern fuel-burning appliance don’t typically cause health problems. However, if an appliance malfunctions it can spew potentially harmful, or even fatal, levels of CO and other chemicals into your home.
Electromagnetic fields
Unlike fuel-burning devices, using electricity won’t create indoor air pollution (although electricity generation is a leading source of outdoor air pollution and CO2 emissions). Does that mean using electricity is healthy?
Despite the lack of evidence that low-frequency EMFs cause health problems, some people remain concerned and try to limit their exposure. Easy ways to reduce EMFs include choosing energy-efficient appliances and equipment (our site gives you lots of tips about this) and eliminating “phantom loads” by unplugging appliances and devices that draw energy even when they’re turned off–that includes anything with a transformer, a remote, a timer, or memory.
8. Banned Building Materials
Millions of homes harbor lead-based paint, asbestos, and toxic wood preservatives. All three have been banned from building products, but they continue to plague building owners and occupants.
9. Emerging Concerns
There’s lots of good news on the home health front. Lead-based paint and asbestos have been banned for three decades. Radon can be a problem in some homes, but it’s not too difficult to take care of. Mold problems can almost always be solved by drying up the source of moisture. More and more people are becoming aware of potential hazards associated with VOCs, vinyl, and pesticides and are choosing alternatives that are safer for their families.
But it’s not as if our homes will soon be completely safe. New products and technologies are being introduced all the time, outpacing the efforts of risk assessment scientists, regulators, and health advocacy organizations to keep up.
Click here for the full article on Sierra Club Green Home.