Cooperative Living July 2020 - 22

FixerUpper | Story courtesy of Family Features
Energy-Efficient Ideas
to Upgrade Your Home
Here's how to control energy bills
while making your house look great
uring a remodel, a certified
contractor can help you make
smart decisions when it comes
to selecting appliances, windows and
insulation for your projects.
Learn how you can reduce your
home's environmental impact and
energy reliance with these tips from
the experts at the National Association
of the Remodeling Industry:
HEATING AND
COOLING
Climate control is one
of the largest home energy
users. A programmable
thermostat is a simple starting point
and can save up to one-third of heating
and cooling costs. Cutting-edge models
can even learn your family's behaviors
and tweak use for maximum savings.
Additional ways to save energy
include sealing leaky ducts, cleaning
or changing air filters regularly,
and replacing your furnace or air
conditioner with an energy-efficient
model, particularly if your heating
and cooling systems are more than
15 years old.
INSULATION
Studies show that only
20% of homes built before
1980 were well-insulated.
20 | Cooperative Living | July 2020
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Depending on when your home was
built, adding insulation in the attic
and walls can be one of the fastest
and most cost-effective ways to reduce
energy waste.
Not only does better insulation
reduce energy loss and improve
comfort, it's an upgrade that generally
adds to the value of your home with
an estimated 95% return on your
investment.
WINDOWS
High-performance
windows not only lower
heating and cooling bills,
they also reduce heat gain
during warmer months and add a layer
of insulation when you need to keep
the heat inside. Triple-pane, low-e
insulated frame windows can save
33% of the heating cost for a typical
home in cooler climates, and in
hotter environments, double-pane,
low solar-gain windows can reduce
cooling costs by up to 32%.
LIGHTING
The average house
dedicates 5-10% of its
energy budget to lighting.
To cut your use, switch
to LED lights, turn off unneeded lights
and, where possible, use natural light.
Other measures, like relying on task
lights and installing motion detectors,
can help further limit your lightingrelated
energy use.
APPLIANCES
The refrigerator is a
major energy drain,
accounting for up to 15%
of the energy bill in some
homes, particularly models that are
15 years old or older. Design plays a
major role in a refrigerator's efficiency;
it needs adequate air flow for optimal
function. Be realistic about your needs
and only buy as big a unit as you
require. Be aware that icemakers and
dispensers not only add to the up-front
cost, they're also less efficient.
LANDSCAPING
Trees positioned
to reduce summer sun
and winter wind can
reduce a household's
energy use by 25% or more. In summer,
trees can lower air temperature as
much as 9 degrees through shading
and evapotranspiration. In winter, a
well-designed landscape can cut
heating bills by about one-third. ■
Find more tips for creating a more energyefficient
home at remodelingdoneright.com.
co-opliving.com
GRAPHIC COURTESY OF PIXABAY
http://www.remodelingdoneright.com http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living July 2020

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