Daily Home Renovation Tips

Editor’s Note: To view the 240+ different energy conservation tips for the home we have collected, simply access our Un-Official Guide To Home Energy Conservation.

Yesterday we started the New Year writing about how we have collected over 240 energy conservation tips for the home and how 180, or 74%, of these ideas cost absolutely nothing or next to nothing to do.

Today we look at the energy conservation activities with the greatest reach; that is, those home energy conservation ideas which impact all forms of non-renewable energy resources consumed in the home. We will look at the first six and tomorrow the second six on our list which impact all forms of non-renewable energy resources. And, each of these first six will cost you absolutely nothing to do (gee, where have I heard that before? ).

Notice that the first work for each of these tips is a verb, an action word. Taking no action is the absolute worse thing you can do when it comes to energy conservation.

1. TEACH GRAND CHILDREN AND CHILDREN ENERGY CONSERVATION  

Of course we have to start with our contest winning entry, right?

What a more powerful way to promote energy conservation than to teach one’s children and grand children.  ‘Practice what you preach’ and ‘Do as I do’ are much more powerful than ‘Do as I say not as I do’. Parents and Grand Parents are the primary authority figure in children’s lives (yes, until the rebellious teenage years ). Children tend to emulate and immitate actions of authority figures.

So, by not only performing energy conservation related activities around the home on a daily basis, in full view of ’the children’, and explaining to them what you are doing and why, they will quickly come to take those same actions themselves for their life time. This will save you money by reducing your home’s utilty bills bit by bit in the very short term and beyond.

And all it costs you is time. And, not much time at that. 

2. PERFORM HOME ENERGY AUDIT - SELF

An energy audit is simply a look-see at how your home can become more energy efficient. Run your fingers along the edge of your front and back door. Do you feel a draft? If so, you need to take action like replacing the weather stripping around the door frame. Check for light bulbs which are not ‘energy efficient’ and then replace them.  Are there any electric appliances turn on that are not being used? Then turn them off.

You get the idea. Self energy audits are easy to do and will help you identify areas in your home which where you are wasting energy and paying higher utility bills than necessary.

There are many Internet resources you can access for guides to performing an energy audit for your home by yourself; here are a few:

College of New Jersey

Center for Sustainable Energy California

U.S. Department of Energy 

3. VISIT ENERGY CONSERVATION WEB SITES

The more you know…  then the more you know …  that there is so much more to know … you know?

If you are reading this then you have access to the internet. There are a great many web sights managed by both non-profit as well as for-profit organizations with a plethora of information that you can use to learn more about and take action steps in your home.

Look over there on the right just a bit below here at our Energy Conservation Sites area of our blog roll and you will see many different links to a multitude of web sites each devoted to helping you and I reduce our consumption of non-renewable resources. And the best news is that all of these sites are free to access.

4. WATCH ENERGY CONSERVATION TV SHOWS

Another energy conservation tip for the home which costs nothing to do yet can teach you about many, many different ways to conserve energy in your home are various television shows on home renovation, energy conservation and the environment.

You know the different shows, right? Many of them are on cable TV channels at all hours of the day and night. Shows like Extreme Makeover: Home Edition or Holmes on Homes focus on home renovations yet show different home building products and / or techniques which conserve energy. These shows can be very entertaining and educational at the same time on topics you can actually use.

5. TRACK ENVIRONMENTAL RECORDS OF POLITICIANS

This one is actually our 3rd place winner of our recent home energy conservation contest. Politicians actions impacts all of us. During elections they say one thing but frequently do another.

If we believe that energy efficient  products cost more than energy inefficient products, why not put pressure on your local Federal or State or Provincial elected representative to enact more financial support for environmental activities and purchases of home owners. What if governments could provide sufficient support to make it financial viable for home owners to pay for new solar water heating, solar air heating or solar PV panels? Such investment would help create numerous jobs at a time when our economy sorely needs more jobs.

6. FOCUS ON SAVING MONEY 

When money is tight, it’s amazing how much more in focus saving money becomes. When the focus of saving money turns to electric, heat and water utility bills, the best way to reduce these expenses and save money is to take actions resulting in consuming less non-renewable resources.

Look at the list within our Un-Official Guide to Home Energy Conservation and you will see over 100 different ideas on how to reduce your electric, heat and water utility bills to save you money that cost you nothing.

What are you waiting for? Go check out that list now.

Tomorrow, we discuss the remaining home energy conservation tips which can reduce all different types of non-renewable resources we consume in our home.

To continue to the second part reviewing the suggestions on actions you can take which can reduce the consumption of non-renewable energy resources of any type throughout your home, simply select this link to Part 2.