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 in Part 1 we reviewed the first 6 of the home energy conservation ideas which have the widest impact on a home’s consumption of non-renewable energy resources. Today we complete this review by discussing the remaining 6 of the 12 ideas in our list that cost you nothing or almost nothing to do in your quest to reduce your home’s energy consumption which will reduce your home’s electric, heat and water utility bills.

7. USE LESS

When you drive you car less, what happens? That right, you spend less money to fill up your car’s gas tank. And, you consume less of a non-renewable natural resource … gasoline (oil).

It is the same thing when it comes to reducing the consumption of non-renewable energy resources in your home. When you use less, you consume less and save money.

Look at some of the tips within the Energy Conservation page of our web site. Using table lamps vs recessed ceiling lights consumes less electricity (i.e. uses less). Using task lighting vs recessed ceiling lights … same thing. Turning the lights off at night when watching TV … same thing again.

Turning down your thermostat in the winter when you away, at night when you are warm and snugly under the covers and in general consumes less and costs you less in utility bills.

Turning up the thermostat in the summer causes your home’s air conditioner to run less often, consuming less electricity which again saves you money.

8. MONITOR UTILITY BILLS FOR CONSERVATION PROGRESS

A much, much wiser man than I once said ‘What gets measured gets done.’ Tom Peters I believe.

Well, it’s true.

When you go on a diet (and who hasn’t, right? ) don’t you measure yourself daily, writing down your weight, so you can go back over your progress. If you are loosing weight you feel good about your efforts and more motivated to continue; yet, when you are not loosing the weight you feel you should (under a medically supervised weight loss program of course), you adjust your actions.

It’s the same thing with energy conservation in the home. Actually look at your utility bills when they arrive. Look at the charts that they all have showing consumption of electricity, or home heating oil or natural gas. Compare your consumption between last year at this time to this year.

Are you making progress? Are you doing all of those suggestions that cost nothing sufficiently frequently to make a difference?

9. DOWNSIZE TO LOWER ENERGY CONSUMPTION

We did. We used to live in a 3,500 square foot two story home with an unfinished basement and about 18 months ago moved into a 1,700 square foot bungalow with a finished basement. Our electrical expenses have gone down with less rooms to leave the lights on, especially in the summer with less home to keep cool by the air conditioner (as well as using the exterior solar shades on our south facing windows that we did not even know about when we were in the prior house).

Our heating bills are way down as we only need to heat one main floor vs two.

Yes, there are obviously other factors for moving to a smaller home and not everyone’s personal situation can allow for that as well as the timing of the real estate market.

However, if all things are indicating that you can downsize and you are OK with some adjustment that may occur with your reduced floor space, why not?

10. ATTEND ENERGY CONSERVATION FAIRS

It was at a local energy conservation fair in the town where we live that we were first introduced to solar air heaters. Nine months later we now have one installed on the south facing wall of our walkout basement.

You never know what you will learn and who you will meet at these events. Typically there are vendors there with their latest and greatest products. It does not mean you have to buy. It will, however, keep you current on energy conservation products that are available so when you have the need you will be a better informed consumer.

You can also win energy conservation prizes. It was at the same local energy conservation fair where we won an internal solar blind which can help warm the area around the window when the sun is out.

Again, you never know what you will see and learn and who you will meet at your local energy conservation fairs. And, they typically cost nothing or a few dollars to attend.

11. USE ENERGY CONSERVATION TIPS

All this learning and increased awareness and tracking of your progress towards reducing energy consumption in your home will not accomplish anything unless you actually take action to use the ideas and tips you have learned.

If you want into a wall, you know that you will (usually ) be stopped and cannot proceed. If you continue to walk into the same wall you will be continually stops. If you want to go past the wall, you have to do something different like walking around the wall.

It’s the same thing with energy conservation in the home. If you continue to do what you have always done, then you will get the same results. If you continue to leave lights on all over the house in rooms with no one present, if you keep the temperature at the same setting when you are vs when you are not in the home, you will get the same results.

Take action. It all starts with you.

12. ARRANGE A PROFESSIONAL HOME ENERGY AUDIT

Certain government lead energy conservation programs which financially incent home owners to take action to reduce amount of non-renewable energy resources consumed in their home require an energy audit by an accredited professional.

The ecoENERGY Residential Retrofit program of the Canadian Federal government is one such program. You can read about our experiences participating in this program through our ecoENERGY page, including the report we received.

And, even if you are not participating in such a program, you still should consider having a professional perform an energy audit on your home before you start any significant home renovation. Why? First, you might be surprised what you learn about your home. Second, you may learn that there is a major energy wasting situation occurring that needs your attention and possibly reprioritize which home renovation projects you undertake first.

There you have it. Twelve energy conservation related ideas for the home owner to consider which can impact all areas of the home and all types of energy resources. Most cost nothing to do yet can help you reduce your utlity bills by reducing the amount of electricity and home heating resources consumed.

If you have any other such ideas, please write us by email or leave a comment to this article and we will add your suggestion to our ever growing list.

To continue to the next article in our Home Energy Conservation series simply select this link to the no cost ways to reduce heating costs for homes in the winter.