Warm weather is here and many consumers are looking to make home improvements while sticking to a budget. BBB ( Better Business Bureau ) advises consumers to balance cost effectiveness with energy efficiency, as more efficient windows, doors and skylights can make a big difference in energy consumption over time.

Start by looking for products that carry the Energy Performance Ratings label from the National Fenestration Rating Council. The label can help determine how well a product will perform its key functions – helping to keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter, keeping out wind, and resisting condensation.

As with any home improvement project, it’s important to make sure you deal with a reputable contractor and reputable materials. In the past year, the BBB serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming received 3,163 inquiries and eight complaints about window companies in its 38-county service territory and another 891 inquiries and no complaints about window installation companies.

When it’s time to purchase new windows, keep the following in mind:

1.  Check the window’s U-Factor.

During cold winter months, you want your windows to trap heat. U-Factor ratings generally fall between 0.20 and 1.20. The lower the U-value, the greater a window’s resistance to heat flow and the better its insulation value.

2.  How much solar heat?

The Solar Heat Gain Coefficient rates how much solar radiation is admitted through the window. SHGC is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The lower a window’s SHGC, the less solar heat it transmits in the house.

3.  Do you want lots of light?

Visible Transmittance is an optical property that indicates the amount of visible light transmitted through the window. VT is expressed as a number between 0 and 1. The higher the VT, the more light is transmitted.

4.  Thwart unwanted breeziness.

Heat loss and gain occur by Air Leakage through cracks in the window assembly. The lower the Air Leakage, the better the window is at not letting air pass through cracks in the window assembly.

5.  Ensure windows are free from any water leakage.

The higher the Condensation Resistance rating, the better that product is at resisting condensation formation. While this rating cannot predict condensation, it can provide a credible method of comparing the potential of various products for condensation formation. CR is expressed as a number between 1 and 100.

Original Article at http://wynco.bbb.org

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2012 issue of Home Energy Magazine.

From the beginning, the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)’s Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) was all about the numbers: $5 billion doled out to 50 states, the U.S. territories, and Indian tribes for three years, saving households an average of $437 a year—not to mention the 24 million barrels of oil left unused.

Now that March 31, 2012, the end of the ARRA funding period, is nearly upon us, we’re taking a look back at the fundamental changes (by numbers) that ARRA made to our industry. Following are just a few of the noteworthy milestones reached from coast to coast (Oregon and Massachusetts), with a significant stop near the middle (Illinois). Not only do these states’ successes make you feel warm and fuzzy inside, but they also guarantee that their residents will sit nice and cozy inside their homes for many years to come.

Oregon — 5,500 Jobs

In October 2010, Oregon’s governor announced that $188 million in federal investments through ARRA had funded approximately 5,500 jobs in the state. The jobs have been in myriad industries, including education, highway reconstruction, weatherization, and many more.

At this point, Oregon’s WAP had also weatherized 2,392 homes with ARRA funding to increase energy efficiency for low-income Oregonians. Just three months after receiving the funding, the program had invested $3.5 million in weatherization programs and funded 95 full-time equivalent jobs.

Along with the thousands of weatherized homes, there are thousands of success stories. One is that of Wallowa County resident Gwendolyn Trice. Trice was always cold in her home and had become used to sleeping with earmuffs on in the winter. In addition, she suffered from severe headaches and low energy.

During the weatherization audit performed on her 1940 house by Community Connection of Northeast Oregon, the auditor discovered that the source of Trice’s headaches was an extremely high level of CO fumes coming from a gas-fired kitchen oven that was less than five years old.

“Thanks to the help of Community Connections of Northeast Oregon, a mechanical contractor came to my house the very next day after the audit and made the necessary repairs to the oven,” says Trice.

Since the repairs were made, Trice feels better and has more energy while at home. “I was so relieved to have the origin of my illness identified. It certainly would have been fatal,” she says.

Now Trice not only feels better, but she’s warmer, too. In addition to taking care of the CO problem, weatherization experts warmed up her house by air sealing; installing sidewall insulation, attic insulation, and under-floor insulation; and tuning the gas furnace. They also replaced some of her windows with new vinyl-clad dual-pane sashes.

“As soon as the outside walls were insulated, I felt the difference immediately and was able to turn my heat down,” says Trice, adding that her house also stays “nice and cool” during the summer.

Illinois — Annual Weatherization Doubled

The Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies (IACAA), a membership organization that serves as the network for Illinois not-for-profit corporations and units of local government, announced in July of 2010 that its 35 member agencies had weatherized more than 17,000 Illinois homes in the past year with the help of ARRA funds—double the number of homes they weatherized the previous year without ARRA.

“We are creating green jobs, improving the energy efficiency of homes, and helping low-income families reduce their energy costs because of the Weatherization Assistance Program,” says Dalitso Sulamoyo, president and CEO of IACAA.

IACAA’s members also created and retained more than 500 Illinois jobs according to IACAA’s report “Keeping the Promise: Weatherizing Homes, Creating Green Jobs, Helping Families.” The state and IACAA member agencies added the new jobs to operate the WAP and increase the number of contractors and crews weatherizing homes.

Larry Dawson, deputy director of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, Office of Energy Assistance, reports that his office “has trained more than 1,500 weatherization workers in Illinois weatherization standards and lead-safe work practices.”

Illinois received $240 million from ARRA over a three-year period to expand the WAP.

Massachusetts — 10,000 Homes

In August of 2011, the Patrick-Murray Administration announced that a major milestone had been reached: 10,000 homes weatherized through the ARRA WAP.

“This important milestone means that 10,000 families across the Commonwealth are now saving money on bills, using less energy, and creating a greener future for the next generation,” says Governor Deval Patrick.

The state’s ARRA WAP includes $125 million in funding over three years. The average energy savings per ARRA-weatherized home is 35%, or $700 per home annually for fuel oil, according to DOE.

“The Recovery Act’s Weatherization Assistance Program is getting the Commonwealth back to work and lowering energy costs for Massachusetts families at a time when retaining and supporting jobs has been critical,” says Congressman John Tierney.

As of July 2011, 129 private-sector weatherization contractors and 21 special-purpose electrical and heating contractors were working in the state’s ARRA WAP, with nearly 3,000 individuals receiving an ARRA-funded paycheck.

Among success stories is that of Jeanette Ramirez and her family. When they moved into their home in Dorchester, Jeanette and her husband were both employed and supporting their six children. Jeanette worked for a construction company, and her husband worked for the public-school system as a corrections officer.

Their first winter in the home, the family discovered that their new house was a cold place to be, and they had to use space heaters throughout the season. Their fuel bills were extremely high—as much as $800 some months—and the house was never really comfortable. “I had the thermostat set at 85ºF, but it would always show that it was in the 50s,” says Jeanette.

A bad situation became worse when Jeanette and her husband were laid off in close succession. A friend told her about Action for Boston Community Development (Boston ABCD), an antipoverty agency that serves low-income people in the Greater Boston area. The agency had received $10 million for its weatherization services through ARRA, which enabled it to greatly expand the number of people it could help.

Omar Vasquez, an energy auditor for ABCD, called Jeanette to tell her she qualified for the program. “I cried when Omar called,” she says. Vasquez came to assess the energy needs of her house and quickly discovered that there was no insulation in the walls; many of the doors were letting the cold air in; and water was seeping into the basement. He called a contractor and they went to work.

learn more

For more ARRA success stories, visit www.waptac.org/Recovery-Act/ARRA-Success-Stories.aspx

To view the Illinois Association of Community Action Agencies (IACAA)’s report “Keeping the Promise: Weatherizing Homes, Creating Green Jobs, Helping Families,” go to http://iacaanet.org/docs/uploads/2010WeatherizationReport_1.pdf.

Thanks to the WAP, contractors insulated the home, installed new doors in the front of the house and in the basement, and installed a fan in the bathroom to prevent mold. ABCD estimates that the Ramirez family’s bills have been reduced by 40–45%.

“We’ve been here six years and this is the first time the house is warm,” says Jeanette.

Action, Inc., a local nonprofit community action agency that helped with weatherization projects in Massachusetts’ North Shore, notes that ARRA funds will make a lasting difference. “The energy savings for each housing unit will continue for years, long after the Recovery Act WAP program is over,” says the organization’s Executive Director Tim Riley.

Overall Numbers

At the end of the program, it’s still about the numbers—and they’re big ones. As of December 2011, more than 14,000 total jobs had been created from ARRA funds, and more than 600,000 homes had been weatherized (see detailed results in Table 1). ARRA’s WAP can also successfully report that for every $1 invested in the program, weatherization returned $2.51 to the household and society.

The vinyl siding on my house was not properly installed (no insulating board, no house wrap, no caulking). I can now see exposed plywood sheathing in a large gap between the edge of the siding panel and the edge of the vinyl window. How can I seal this gap around the windows so that it is water proof, but still allows for the expansion/contraction of the vinyl siding panel?? Thanks in advance.

Rex, Seattle, WA

______________________________________________

Hi Rex.

I’m not sure that anything you put at that vinyl siding gap is going to be completely waterproof. Vinyl siding is a deterrent to water, but it’s the materials behind the siding that actually prevent moisture from entering your home. Caulking the gap between the siding and your vinyl windows may improve the cosmetics of your home, but I don’t think it’s a solution for making it watertight — especially with Seattle’s reputation for damp weather.

If you can see plywood in the gap, that’s a pretty good indication that your vinyl windows don’t have proper weather stripping. While it’s more expensive than just using a bead of caulk, I suggest removing the siding around your windows and installing rubber flashing material at the flanges.

Vinyl siding comes off fairly easily and depending on the number of windows involved, it may not be a huge project as it will only be the siding pieces at the windows. Of course, an even better solution would be removing all of the siding and installing house wrap along with the window flashing. However, that could get fairly costly.

While having a contractor install the window flashing may cost a few dollars, it could save you a lot of expensive repairs down the road if you have water intrusion around the windows. It’s a shame the vinyl siding installation wasn’t done properly initially.

Removing and installing vinyl siding is fairly DIY friendly and the rubber flashing is easy to install so you may be able to save a little by doing the project yourself. The flashing normally comes in rolls and is self-adhesive. However, if you have a two story home and ladders are involved, hiring an experienced contractor might be a wise move.

Shopping for replacement windows can turn into a sea of numbers. U values, R values, SHGC ratings — it’s enough to make your head spin! And you may also be wondering about all the advice you hear while shopping for replacement windows. Let’s look at the realities behind some of these common myths:

1.  The U Factor matters most.

Maybe not — it depends on your climate. The U Factor tells you how well a window can keep warm air out and cool air in, or vice versa. But if you are in a warmer climate, you want a window that will alleviate the heat you get from the sun. The hotter the climate, the more the Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGH) number matters.

2.  New windows won’t have drafts.

That depends on the window. Keep in mind that there is a fourth factor — one that measures air-tightness — that manufacturers aren’t required to put on their windows. Look for windows that do feature this number, as it indicates that the manufacturer stands behind the product’s ability to keep drafts out of your home.

3.  Anyone can install new windows.

Just as with any other home improvement project, windows need to be installed by a professional in order to provide the best value. Look for contractors who have several years of experience, good references, and all the licensing and insurance required for your area. Find a certified, licensed windows installer near you.*

Finding the best contractor starts with getting connected. Time for replacement windows? We can help put you in contact with a reputable contractor near you.

I gathered up my auditing equipment and headed off to a neighboring community to perform a home energy audit that was constructed in 1901. Before I head out of the office and leave the comfort of my desk computer, I look up the home through County Records to determine about what year the home was constructed, about how big the home is, and if records show any remodel years.

When records indicate construction in 1901, I know that I will be dealing with a very old home that has had some degree of care over the years or it wouldn’t even be standing. I know that the home was originally heated with a wood fireplace or two and that some sort of up-dated heating source has been added. Also, I’m guessing if the foundation has not been replaced, the foundation is going to be a little shaky.

This home energy audit was a team effort. We took two vehicles, my partner would carry the equipment in one rig and I would meet him there in another rig. This way, since it is Friday afternoon, I can take a short cut home after the audit.

Why is it that I like my own unruly dog, but I don’t have much use for other peoples unruly dog. After greeting the lady of the house and her 3 year old son at the front door, I have to fight my way into the house past the offensive nose of  a big dog. I must have some real interesting smells on me, the dog won’t let up.

About this time, the dog owner see’s I’m being treated like a sniff-and-scratch and, with raised voice, commands the dog to get back and go lie down – which the dog pays no attention to and just goes right on vacuuming my denim.

The husband has taken off work early to be here during the home energy audit. The gentleman of the house arrives and my partner finally shows up with the equipment. The first order of business is to ask the homeowner to take us on a tour of the house.

1.  Remodel and additions:

The homeowner does not know for sure, but I suspect this home has been added onto twice. Looks like a back porch area was added as living space at some point and then an addition with a master bedroom and bath was added on behind the porch.

The whole interior of the house has under gone major upgrades. Standing in the kitchen on the wood laminate flooring, looking at the granite counter tops and all stainless steel appliances, one would not suspect this home has been here for 111 years.

The interior walls have been replaced with drywall and freshly painted. The exterior walls have been replaced with t1-11 and also freshly painted.

2.  Electrical system:

The attic still has signs of the original knob and tube electrical wiring. Today, the electrical system has all been upgraded to romex wiring and a grounded, 200 amp circuit breaker panel. All electric outlets, light switches, and fixtures have been replaced.

3.  Plumbing System:

Water fixtures and faucets have all been upgraded recently. The old iron pipes remain and seem to carry plenty of water pressure. A modern gas water heater sits in the utility room closet next to the furnace.

4.  Heating system:

In the old part of the house, both supply and return heating ducts are in the floor. In the master bedroom addition, both are in the ceiling. A 90% efficient gas furnace sits with the water heater in the utility room closet. There is no air conditioning.

5.  Insulation:

The underfloor of the main house has black visqueen attached to the bottom of the floor joist. However, only about 50% of the floor has fiberglass batt insulation. The newer addition with the master bedroom and bath has no floor insulation.

R-13 batt insulation was added to the exterior walls when the exterior siding was replaced. The infrared camera tells me there is a few small areas that were missed.

The upstairs has two unfinished rooms – at least they are unfinished at this time and the roof trusses are exposed. The homeowner tells us that this was his bedroom when he was growing up. The homeowner is in the process of remodeling the upstairs and has removed all the interior wall covering. Insulation was never added to this part of the home.

6.  Windows and Doors.

Doors and windows have been replaced. The front door is metal with 1/2 glass and a storm door. The utility room door is metal and the master bedroom has a vinyl framed, double glass, sliding door.

All the windows have been upgraded to vinyl framed, double glass units. I suspect U-35 with some Low-E glazing.

Homeowner Concerns and Wish List

The homeowner would like to use their available weatherization funds to help insulate the upstairs remodeling project. By using the funds to install the insulation, their remodeling budget can be spent on drywall and floor coverings.

Also of concern to the homeowners is the cool spots in the living room and the warm spot in the master bedroom. The living room has two supply registers located near interior walls and two return registers located under the living room windows. They find that there is noticeable cool air that comes out of the return registers, so they have placed the dogs sleeping mat over on of them and a fluffy pillow over the other.

Because of the cool air that rises from the return registers, they have effectively closed them off. The only working return air register is in the master bedroom. I asked them why the return air grill in the ceiling of the bedroom was dented and was informed that the register would rattle when the furnace was on so he struck it with his hand until it stopped rattling.

The Blower Door and Air Infiltration

1.  First blower door test is with all interior doors open.

Blower door was set up in the front door opening and the house was prepared for the test. With all interior doors open, the air leakage was 4,100 CFM ( cubic feet per minute ). I believe for this home, this represents around 9 air changes per hour.

2.  Second test is with the door at the top of the stairs taped off. This takes the upstairs air leakage out of the equation. However, there is leakage from the recessed lights in the kitchen, bathroom, and hallway which means the downstairs is still connected, air leakage wise, to the upstairs. Second leakage test was 3,200 CFM.

3.  Third test was done after the ducts were taped off in preparation for the duct blaster. This should eliminate duct leakage from the overall house air leakage figure – this reduced the house leakage to 2,300 CFM.

By eliminating both the upstairs and the heating ducts from the air leakage, the home is at about 4.5 air changes per hour.

The Duct Blaster and Heating Duct Leakage

The duct blaster fan is placed over one of the return air grills in the living room and the rest of the supply and return registers are taped off. The fan is cranked up and air is forced into the ducts. In this case, air leaks out of the ducts as fast as the fan can put air in. The ducts are so leaky, no reading is possible.

More About This Home Energy Audit and Heating Ducts

A sign of things to come was visible while we were taping of the return air registers in the living room. The return air ducts were formed by attaching sheet metal to the bottom of the floor joists. By removing the register, you can see that the metal has become very rusty and has rusted through. I can look through the rusty hole and see the crawl space below. No wonder the duct leakage is so much.

There is decent head room in the crawl space. In the normal confusion of leaving the office, I have forgotten my coveralls, boots, masks, and head light. Oh well, the show must go on – at least I have a flashlight.

The heating ducts under the old part of the house.

1.  The return air ducts.

As I mentioned earlier, the return ducts are formed by attaching sheet metal to the bottom of a couple floor joist. In several places, I can see where time and rust has caused the sheet metal to fail leaving very noticeable holes. The largest holes are directly under the floor registers.

2.  The supply heating ducts.

The supply ducts are 6 inch round metal ducts wrapped in asbestos. They attach to a central metal plenum that is located directly under the furnace.

How to decide on the best energy saving measures.

As we begin to remove the tape from the registers and put away the blower door, my partner and I begin to discuss with the homeowner how can you conserve energy in this 111 year old home.

It is always a  discussion that centers on the several factors.

1.  What is the most cost-effective energy saving measure?

2.  How much money is available to spend on energy saving measures right now and how much might be available in the future?

3.  Which energy saving measures need to be done by a contractor and what can be a do-it-yourself project?

4.  Are any of the energy saving measure directly or indirectly connected to home safety.

5.  Are some energy saving measures more connected to home comfort than others?

What should be done to save energy as a result of this home energy audit?

The audit of this home has provided valuable information concerning what needs to be done with this home to save energy. Without the audit and the data provided by the blower door and the duct blaster, the acute failure of the heating duct system would not of been realized by the homeowner.

1.  Uncover return air supply registers:

Do not cover the two return air registers in the living room. This restricts the flow of air back to the furnace and causes the air flow to be out of balance. In affect, the furnace is starving for air which increases the energy needed to heat the home. No cost associated with removing the doggie bed from the top of the register.

2. Air seal heating supply and return plenum:

From underneath the home, open up the heating plenum that is under the furnace and air seal all connections and joints with duct mastic. Mastic, gloves and labor,  $65

3.  Install a new return air register and duct:

Increase the size of the supply register that is located next to the interior wall in the living room and make it a larger return air register. Connect this register to the return air plenum connected to the furnace.Now the return air register is located in the center of the home. Estimated cost $300

4. Install two new supply registers:

The two return air registers that are located under the windows need to be connected as supply registers. To keep from cutting new holes in the floor, have a sheet metal contractor build two new supply boots to be placed in the current floor cutouts. Connect these new boots to the supply plenum that is located at the furnace. Estimated cost $600

5.  Replace all supply ducts in the old part of the home.

Carefully remove and bag the asbestos covering that is around the old metal ducts. I believe the homeowner can do this himself, otherwise a licensed Asbestos Remediation Contractor will need to be used. Need to check your local jurisdiction concerning the procedures for removing asbestos.

Replace all old metal supply ducts with new duct material. Flex duct is good and so is appropriately air sealed metal ducts. If using round metal ducts, wrap with insulation according to local building codes. Estimated cost $800

6.  Insulate the attic.

Install a 2×2 furring strip to the exposed 2×4 roof rafters. This will increase the depth of the rafter space and allow for the installation of high density fiberglass R-21 insulation batts. Before installing the insulation, air seal the cavities.

If funds are available, this is an ideal application for using spray foam insulation.

Estimated cost with fiberglass, including 2×2 furring, $1,800. Estimated cost using spray foam, $4,000.

7.  Insulate the floor.

Remove the black visqueen from the bottom of the floor joists. Air seal the floor with insulating spray foam. Install high density R-25 fiberglass batts. Install an air barrier to the bottom of the floor joists like Typar or Tyvek house wrap.

Thanks for coming along on this home energy audit that is 111 years old. Please feel free to leave a comment or two concerning your thoughts on the success of this audit. Drop by Detect Energy again real soon, but I won’t leave the light on for you…

Monthly utility savings from those beautiful new vinyl or fiberglass windows you’re purchasing are only as good as their window installation contractor. It’s a bonus to homeowners that the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) exists. Not only do they independently test most manufacturer’s windows, but the window can then carry the NFRC label stating how well it performs in the climate where you live.

But the NFRC label is about the window itself. How do you know your contractor is up to date on installing your windows?

Professional training: In 1999 several entities including the U.S. Department of Energy and the Building and Thermal Envelope Council prompted the American Architectural Manufacturers Association to develop a window installation training program. Now there is a nationwide InstallationMasters (TM) Training and Certification program. Installers can take a variety of online classes or can attend 2-day in-person courses given around the nation.

Advantages of certified contractors: Installation of replacement windows can unearth problems with your window openings. Termites, carpenter ants, dry rot, mold, and openings that aren’t square are often-found surprises. Both experience and training are important for remedying these issues. Certified installers will also understand the importance of sealing and insulating the window opening, and techniques for doing so. Looking for a pre-screened, certified windows installer? Let us help.

When bidding your window job, ask to see certification of the actual window installation worker who will do your job, not just the company owner. You’re in the driver’s seat. Installer certification is your “seat belt.” Find a window installation contractor who takes pride in certification standards.

When you shop for residential replacement windows, a salesperson typically comes to your home. If you’re not familiar with in-home window sales presentations, knowing what to expect, what to ask and what to watch for can help you make the best purchasing decision. Use these ten tips to prepare before the salesperson arrives:

If you own the house with someone — anyone else who might share in the purchase and/or financing of your windows — make sure you are both present. Savvy salespeople know the most convenient excuse for not making a buying decision is, “I have to discuss this with my husband.” Reschedule.

Arrange for someone to keep young children occupied, preferably away from where you are meeting, so they won’t distract you or the salesperson. You don’t want to miss any information that’s crucial to such a big-ticket, buying decision.

Listen attentively. You can learn about all of the features of the windows, how they look and how you can expect them to perform.

Expect to see samples of the window. If a salesperson comes into your home without a sample, it raises a red flag about the product’s quality.

Don’t hesitate to ask the salesperson about redesigning some of the window openings. Combining several adjacent window openings into one larger one, or adding new window shapes, can dramatically improve your home’s appearance.

If you need to finance your purchase, be sure to ask about your options. Be cautious, however, and know the company you are dealing with. A few home improvement companies might be in business primarily to lend money at high interest rates.

Accompany salespeople when they go around your house measuring the windows, not just for peace of mind, but to make sure they don’t miss any windows.

Don’t be afraid to show your salesperson quotes you’ve received from other vendors. You might even get a better price if they’re anxious to close the sale.

If you found your salesperson through an ad for “low, low” per-window prices, be wary. Those ads are designed to generate sales leads. Windows cost several hundred dollars each, and individual options can be priced separately.

Remember that your salesperson has a life outside of their work. Don’t expect them to make appointments at very early or very late hours, or to answer calls after work hours unless they specifically extend that option to you.

In-home window sales presentations are an opportunity to learn in-depth about the windows you’re considering. If you follow these guidelines, meeting with your salesperson can go smoothly and provide all the information you need to make a qualified decision. Find a certified replacement windows expert near you today.

Jaymi does a great job with this article, but I think the title should include “Save energy Now“. It is true that more more people are working from home and as a result are using more electrical energy, the object then is to Save Energy Now. I work from home often and recommend Jaymi’s tips and ideas. I hope you do also.  comment by Don Ames

Think lists of how to save energy is so 2007?

Well, with more and more people working from home, we think it’s time to dust off a few trusty tricks for curbing electricity consumption without curbing productivity. Working from home has been shown to have its environmental benefits, from reducing road congestion to cutting down on office building energy consumption — but there’s a lot you can do to make it even more green and reduce your energy bill. Here are eight easy places to start.

1. Open The Curtains  and save energy now

There’s no need for wasting energy on desk lamps or overhead lights if you’re getting enough natural light. Choose the brightest room in the apartment or house in which to work, and keep the curtains open to let the light pour in. It can brighten both the room and possibly your productivity since natural light is known to boost one’s mood.

2. Unplug

Productivity is highest when you’re not distracted, and that goes for blinking lights, ringing phones, and blaring television sets. When working from home, unplug everything you’re not using right then for work, including printers, gadget chargers, extra computers or monitors and so on. You’ll cut down on vampire energy wasted on wall warts, energy sapped by electronics on standby, or electricity sucked up by electronics you aren’t really focused on.

3. Work From Cafes

Another way to save money on electricity and avoid getting cabin fever is to go work from a cafe or other location. Spending $5 on coffee and a bagel can get you a good two, maybe even three hours of plugging in from a pleasant location where you can take a mental break by people watching for five minutes every so often. You might not save a lot of money in the long run, but you’ll get food, drinks and atmosphere instead of just an electricity bill.

4. Work Smarter Hours, Not Longer Hours

Perhaps the most direct way to save electricity while working from home is to cut down on the number of hours you’re on the computer. By honing your work day and cutting down on time spent wasted on social media sites or surfing the web because you’re procrastinating, you can potentially free yourself from the computer earlier in the day. If you’re able to get your work completed in six hours instead of eight, you can hop off the computer and head outside, saving the amount of energy you would have gobbled up in that last hour or two.

5. Plug Into Smart Devices

Okay, say you don’t want to unplug everything you’re not using, and you’re not likely to cut back your working hours. The next best solution is to use a device to manage the flow of electricity to electronics, and cut the supply when not needed. TrickleStar, for example, has products that regulate energy going to particular devices so that you can use your computer but cut standby power going to your printer. You can use this for your work equipment as well as devices elsewhere in your home. You can also try out a power monitor to find out which devices are costing you the most and figure out usage patterns that can help you save.

6. Use Energy Efficient Equipment

Are you using monitors that suck up electricity like nobody’s business? Or maybe you’re using a browser on your laptop that’s known to suck up the electricity? You might want to make a trade-in on your gear or software. If you’re looking for new equipment with lower energy consumption, check out buy-back companies that sell used and refurbished equipment. It’s both cheaper and greener.

7. Set Up Your Computer for Energy Savings

Your computer has a ton of built-in settings for saving energy. By checking your settings and making a few tweaks you can save just a bit more on your electricity bill. If you set things up right, you might even be able to unplug your laptop forever!

8. Minimize Your Gadgets

Without sacrificing ergonomics, you can minimize how many electronics you’re using, from extra monitors to wireless keyboards. Think about what you absolutely need for your set-up, and give away or store those electronic devices you don’t really need to have plugged in. Gadget minimalists can save a ton of electricity without trying hard.

Bonus Tip: Sign Up for Renewable Energy

Okay so this won’t necessarily save you any electricity, but it will help cut your carbon footprint. Sign up for renewable energy from your utility to ensure that energy entering your home is from renewable sources as much as possible. This way what electricity you do use has the lowest environmental impact.

The building industry did not get serious about insulating homes till the early 1980′s. The homes in the cooler climates received the advantages before the southern homes. The question of How Much Insulation started in the north and spread south.

Attics were the first to receive insulation and then walls. It took a while for the insulation to get to the floor. During home energy audits, it’s not unusual for a home that was constructed in the 70′s to have insulation installed in the attic and the walls, but none underfloor.

Reasons why few people were concerned with how much insulation was enough.

• I am sure that home cost was always an issue, the less insulation installed the less expensive the home.
• Let’s not forget that in the seventies, energy was not as expensive. If your Home was a little cool, just crank up the furnace.
• People were not freezing to death in the manufactured homes that housed the workers of the North Dakota oil fields. People got cold, so organizations and Universities started to study the problem and find solutions.

If you meet an oil field worker from North Dakota, be sure to say thanks.

How Much Insulation continues to grow:

Construction of a home in 1979 had to be insulated to code. Insulation was blown in the attic to a depth of 6 inches. 2 x 4 inch walls received a nice insulation batt of R-11. The underfloor was given R-19.

Today, new home construction would see 2 x 6 inch walls insulated to R-21. R-49 in the attic and at least R-25 in the floor.

Only Code Committees know where the “R” level is going to stop. The nice thing is, now days the research continues so any R-value recommendations is usually backed up by stacks of data.

Home builders are trying to keep us comfortable and research is trying to keep us energy efficient.

“Guess What’s in the Picture”

Take a look at this screen cast. I took this picture the other day at a home energy audit. Hope you enjoy it and I hope it gives you some energy saving ideas.

Thanks for stopping by Detect Energy, come back soon, but I won’t leave the light on for you…

If you have trouble opening the screen cast above, try this youtube link  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdqp6PB1aF8

You are sitting in front of your big screen TV getting ready for the movie to start wondering why you are just not as comfortable at home as you would like. Doesn’t have anything to do with the old couch you’re sitting on or the loud voices from the other room, has more to do with a warm stuffy feeling up around the head or cold feet down along the floor – or the left over shock of having just open the monthly power bill. Here at home, you would like to have a little more of a sanctuary where you could settle into a Friday evening movie without being a victim of climate in your own home.

Being a little uncomfortable with the indoor elements during a Friday evening movie may not be the worst thing that will come along and irritate you this week. After all, some of the movies these days can really be sleepers. However, not being comfortable at home for the Sunday afternoon football game is a totally different matter. Look forward to the game all week, get ready to cheer your team on to victory and then you need a silly blanket wrapped around your legs to keep the chill from standing your leg hairs on end.

When it comes right down to it, the main thing that is contributing to the cold floor has little to do with the indoor air climate. What is causing the uncomfortable climate at home is the influence on your home of the outdoor climate. If it is minus 10 degrees outside and your home is not up-to-snuff, the outdoor climate is simply getting indoors far to easily.

Outdoor Climate at Home

The outdoor climate has the most influence on human comfort than any other common factor. The wind, temperature, solar radiation, relative humidity and precipitation effect the immediate comfort of people that are outside. Homes simply temper the outdoor elements to some degree, but the elements outdoors determine what needs to be done to maintain indoor comfort.

We expect more comfort in our homes today than in the days of log homes, dirt floors and wood fireplaces. Individual preferences vary some, but most people prefer an indoor air temperature between 68 and 72 degrees. About 60% of the energy we use at home is working to provide the heating and cooling to maintain those temperatures.

To be comfortable at home, our bodies need to be losing the same amount of heat to their surroundings as they are gaining by metabolism. Air temperature then is the primary factor determining comfort.

Commitment to Energy at Home

Take a look out the window, if there is snow on the ground we head for the thermostat and turn the heat up. If there are bluebirds cleaning themselves in the water feature we head for the thermostat and turn the air conditioning up. Either way, we are turning something up that uses energy to control our indoor comfort.

How often we consider the direct effect on our power bill as we approach the thermostat depends on two sets of genes. The first set of genes is known as our frontier genes. Frontier genes have been passed down to use by our forefathers and allow us to be more comfortable at home over a broad range of temperatures. The longer our forefathers lived in a log house the stronger these genes are.

The second set of genes is known as our green genes. These are genes that have developed in us from the life experiences we have had with everything from plastic water bottles in the ocean to polar bears looking for a new place to live. The strength of these two genes also determine how quick we are to raise or lower the setting on a thermostat.

Indoor Comfort at Home

I would rather learn how to help my home separate the outdoor climate from the indoor climate than to rely on a set of partially inherited genes or a blanket.

Steps to keeping the outdoor climate outdoors:

1.  The exterior shell of your home needs to be consistent and strong considering your climate. The roof, exterior walls, floor, windows, paint, and doors need to solid and capable of withstanding the elements.

2.  The exterior shell needs to be air sealed with solid building products, caulk, or foam insulation so the north wind does not blow through and the indoor conditioned air does not leak out.

3.  The exterior shell needs to be insulated. This includes the ceiling, walls, and floor with appropriate insulation that is properly installed. Considering your climate, it is difficult to think that you could actually install too much insulation. The more the merrier.

4.  Place the surface that you air sealed next to the cavity that you insulated. The two barriers, the air barrier and the thermal barrier, should be next to each other – side by side – touching.

Don’t let this next football season go by with a blanket across your legs or a cold damp towel around your neck. Don’t let your genes take a beating while you head for the thermostat and don’t let the outdoor climate determine the indoor climate.

After all, when your at home, you should be able to expect a little comfort.

Thanks for stopping by Detect Energy, come back soon, but I won’t leave the light on for you…