GoGreen Tips
GREEN TIP #1: Winterizing Basics - Simple steps that can make a big difference both to help your budget and help the earth (and your area win the competition)
By resetting a programmable thermostat from 72 degrees to 65 degrees for eight hours a day you can cut your heating bill by up to 10 percent. Try it: while no one is home or while everyone is tucked in bed.
Simple Steps
- During the heating season, keep the draperies and shades on your south facing windows open during the day to allow the sunlight to enter your home and closed at night to reduce the chill you may feel from cold windows.
- Set your thermostat as low as is comfortable when home.
- Replace furnace filters regularly.
Bigger Steps
- Weatherize your home—caulk and weatherstrip any doors and windows that leak air.
- Check the insulation in your attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors, and crawl spaces to see if it meets the levels recommended for our area.
- Perform energy audits, self assessment or hire a professional to learn more refer to Green Tip #2 for performing an energy audit yourself or and Green Tip #3 for hiring an energy audit professional.
Source: http://www.energy.gov/winter.htm
GREEN TIP #2: Assistance for a Home Self Audit using the ENERGY STAR ADVISOR
* With a few short clicks, have personalized tips for energy savings in your home by using the online ENERGY STAR ADVISOR.
A typical household spends about $1,900 a year on energy bills and contributes twice the amount of greenhouse gases to the environment as an average car. ENERGY STAR, the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, can guide you in making your home more energy efficient, reducing high energy bills, improving comfort, and protecting the environment—whether you do it yourself or hire a qualified professional.
By entering your ZIP code and some basic information about the types of fuel used to heat and cool your home, the ENERGY STAR Home Advisor can provide you with recommended home improvement projects to increase energy efficiency and comfort in the area where you live.
To get started, enter some basic information about your home below. Link to your enter your household info:
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=home_energy_advisor.showGetInput
GREEN TIP #3: About Professional Energy Audits
Here is the basic info to consider regarding hiring a professional to perform an energy audit. .
The energy audit includes: analysis includes a blower door test to measure and track air leaks, an infrared inspection to pinpoint air leaks and moisture problems, and a furnace carbon monoxide test. The audit also includes a DVD scan of the infrared results and $25 worth of weatherization materials (CenterPoint only).
Appointments can be made for daytime, evenings or weekends. The test takes 90 minutes to three hours.
The price might be reduced or eliminated for income-qualified families. The $100 price might be reduced or eliminated for income-qualified families. Still, the $100 price is a bargain. Independent contractors also perform the blower door/infrared tests, but they charge $250 or more. A scaled down version of the audit can be performed for $25.
To sign up for an energy audit, contact CenterPoint at 612-321-5011 or 1-800-234 -5800 ext. 5011 or www.center pointenergy.com or Xcel Energy at 1-800-895-4999. (Xcel natural gas customers are eligible for the infrared audit, not electric-only customers.)
