We spend a lot of time, money and resources in our homes. Focusing on reducing home energy usage (waste) not only reduces carbon emissions, but also saves money and will often make you more comfortable on both cold and hot days. Here are some items to focus on around the house.
1. Change all lightbulbs to Compact Flourescents (CFL) or try the newer LED bulbs, which can be dimmed. CFLs have come a long way and show light in warmer colors. They use 20% of the energy of a regular bulb and generate a lot less waste heat. LEDs have a similar energy profile and have the benefit of working with a dimmer switch. Changing all of the lightbulbs in your house to one of these newer technologies is the equivalent of installing solar panels on your roof for considerably less cost and work.
2. Weatherize your windows and doors to prevent air leakage. Airflow through window and door frame lets heat (or cold) air into/out of the house, increasing energy bills.
3. If you live in a typical SF house (built with balloon framing), your house breathes (air flows through walls, flows, attic/roof). Seal all outlets, switches, wall mounts, etc. Air leaks through these items into (out of) the walls and makes its way outdoors. Money flies out the window with your heat.
4. Got a mail slot in your front door? Air leaks there, too. Consider a mail drop somewhere outside the door and seal up the in door slot.
5. Shorter showers save water and energy. Less energy to heat the water as less is used. There are expensive devices you can buy to install on your shower head that will remind you to stop after 3, 4 or 5 minutes. Or, you can buy one of those small plastic sand egg-timers that go for 2 or 3 minutes and put in the shower/soapdish. Just flip it over when you step in and jump out when it's done.
6. Turn off your heater in the summer. It rarely gets so cold in the summertime that a sweater won't do. Turn off you heater so that it never comes on. You'll remember to turn it on the fall.
7. Window curtains can keep heat out in the summer and keep heat in in the winter. Down during the day in the summer, down during the night in the winter.
8. Make turning off lights a game, always check the lights before leaving the house.
9. Circumvent vampire devices. Those devices that are always on, if only even in the background drain electricity waiting for a remote to wake them up or to provide a quick start when the power button is pressed. Put all electronic devices on a master switch (power strip) and turn off the switch. Of course, if you own a DVR (digital video recorder), you'll need to leave that one plugged in. Alternatively, put the power strip on a timer.
10. Unplug cellphone and battery chargers when not in use. Many of these devices comsume power even when not charging. Why waste money and energy to do nothing?
11. Hibernate or turn off your computer. Why leave your home computer on 22 hours per day and use it for 2? Even a work computer which gets used 10 hours per day should be powered off or hibernated for the other 14 hours.
12. Clean your refrigerator coils a couple of times a year. They run more efficiently without all of that dust.
13. Clean your heater and/or airconditioner filter. The conditioned air will be cleaner and less energy will be used to change its temperature.
Advanced Options (and more expensive)
14. With a well sealed house, you'll now save money, but it can get a bit hot in the summer. A small, wall fan can be installed which can move all of the air in your house in about an hour. In the early evening, open some windows, turn on the fan, and the house is considerably cooler.
15. Install solar panels, generate your own electricity and offset costs from the grid.
16. A tankless water heater located near your bathrooms reduces energy usage (a tank of hot water need not be maintained) and eliminates water waste (no need to run hot water waiting for it to reach the bathroom).
17. Blow insulation into your walls to improve heat/cold retention.
18. Change toilets to low flow/dual flush options (this isn't so much energy savings as water savings, but since we're at it...).
19. Change heaters and boilers to newer, more efficient versions.
