Practical Ideas for Home Improvement

Investing wisely in home energy management has never been more important. If you did not experience a black out this summer or endure triple-digit utility rate increases, you were lucky. Looking ahead into an unpredictable future, one thing is certain: Investing in energy-saving products for your home is wise. The variety of available energy-efficiency products has never been greater.

Some of the better-selling products at home centers in 2001 to reduce energy costs include Honeywell programmable thermostats, Hunter Douglas ceiling fans, General Electric and Philips compact fluorescent bulbs (or CPLs), Palomoa tankless water heaters, and Gila sun control window film.

According to Ron Jarvis, spokesman for The Home Depot, "Unit sales of a broad selection of insulation products, energy-efficient lighting and solar-reducing window treatments have strongly outpaced sales during the same period a year ago." Dozens of other energy-saving products can be found in the aisles of national home centers like The Home Depot and Lowe's. Like any major project, it's best to have a plan before purchasing new products.

Carefully examine your whole house. Imagine it is a boat and each room is a compartment. You want to keep your energy inside and keep the summer heat and winter cold outside. Start identifying the major energy leaks at the walls, windows, and attic. The goal should be to improve the insulation of the home to keep summer heat outside and winter heating inside.

Make a list of what puts the major "loads" on your utility bill, both summer and winter. In case you don't know what to look for, start with several popular "do-it-yourself" websites, which list many energy-saving projects and products, including evaluations of their effectiveness. Your local utility company may offer low-cost energy audits by trained personnel who will walk through your home with you.

Remember to evaluate the year-round energy savings formula. Some products that reduce summer cooling costs may not improve your winter heating expenses. And some winter products may not have any summer value. Consider the total annual energy use before purchasing active or passive conservation products. Active energy conservation products generally save energy by using less of it than older models of a similar appliance. For example, a new heat pump would be much more efficient than the thirty-year old air conditioner it replaces. Passive energy products do not use energy themselves, but reduce the energy use of an existing product or system. By example, heat reflecting window film improves the energy efficiency of existing windows or storm panes. Whether active or passive, the true value of an energy-saving product is measured by how well it saves you money and improves your comfort.

For both summer and winter energy savings, start with windows, walls and major appliances. In a perfect world, every home would have the newest-generation of energy-efficiency insulated windows, the highest R-value of wall and ceiling insulation, and the best heat pump, tankless water heater and cold-water washing machine. Together, replacing all these products could reduce an average household utility bill more than 25 percent. 

Examples of low-cost, passive energy-saving products include insulation jackets and timers for hot water heaters, compact florescent bulbs, programmable thermostats, storm panes, additional attic and wall insulation, caulking and weather stripping, and sun control window films. According to The Home Depot's Jarvis, sales of window films are as much as 25 percent ahead of last year.

"That's not surprising," says John Pinkerton, marketing manager for Gila Films. "The Gila Heat Control Insulating Platinum film reflects 70 percent of summer heat, retains 55 percent of radiant heat in winter, reduces up to 99 percent of UV rays, applies easily and costs less than a dollar per square foot. Based on energy use tabulations for 12 major American cities, homeowners who put this film on their single-pane windows could save 25 percent or more on summer utility bills, and even more if they live in the Sunbelt. With an average life of 10 years, the immediate payback of the film is usually less than a year, but the savings over the life of the product can be thousands of dollars."

Courtesy of ARA Content, www.ARAcontent.com, e-mail: info@ARAcontent.com