Determine Your Home Energy Use
Perform a home energy audit to determine how energy use is distributed in your home. Keep these tips in mind when auditing your home:

	Check the level of insulation in your exterior and basement walls, ceilings, attic, floors, and crawl spaces.
	Look for holes and cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets.
	Keep an eye out for open fireplace dampers.
	Check that appliances and heating and cooling systems are properly maintained.
	Study lighting needs and use patterns; look for opportunities to use natural lighting.

http://www.whe.org/fyh/1energysavingtips.htm

For more home energy use information, visit http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers/energyuse.html

Check Home Insulation and Weatherization
Insulation - Investing in an energy-efficient insulating system will help keep your home comfortable and reduce your heating and cooling needs up to 30%. A building's insulation ought to form an uninterrupted boundary that defines the heated area.³ The following are insulation tips:

	Consider external factors such as climate, building design, and budget when selecting insulation R-value.
	Use higher density insulation for cathedral ceilings and exterior walls.
	For doors, insulated metal or fiberglass are the best choice for energy performance.4
	Install attic vents to provide moisture control and reduce summer cooling bills.
	Be wise when installing insulation around recessed light fixtures, a major source of heat loss.
	Always follow the proper instructions when installing insulation.

Weatherization - By closing all seams, cracks, and openings to the outside of your home, you can save 10% on your energy bill. Here are some weatherization tips:

	First determine if you have any air leaks in your home.	http://doityourself.com/doors/more.htm
	Caulk and weatherstrip leaks (in doors, windows, plumbing, ducting, etc.).
	Add storm windows over single-pane windows, or replace the single-pane with double-pane windows.
	When the fireplace is not in use, keep the flue damper tightly closed.
	Look for dirty spots in your insulation to determine more air leaks.

For more home energy use information, visit http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers/insulation.html or click here to visit the AACOG's Housing and Weatherization department page.

Heating and Cooling Tips
Heating and cooling represents the highest energy drain for your home, and accounts for about 44% of the energy use in U.S. homes.⁵ However, you can save money simply by maintaining and upgrading your equipment, especially if other energy efficiency actions are in place (such as weatherizing your home).

	Keep your thermostat as low as possible in cold weather, and as high as possible in hot weather.	Source: Alliant Energy http://www.powerhousetv.com
	Clean and/or replace furnace filters once a month (or as needed).
	In the process of converting most fuel into useful heat for the home, modern heating systems can achieve efficiencies as high as 97%.6
	Clean warm-air registers, baseboard heaters, and radiators as needed, and place heat-resistant radiator reflectors between exterior walls and the radiators.
	Use fans wisely. Turn fans off when they've done their job.
	Work with the sun, not against. During the heating season, keep shades covering south-facing windows open during the day to bring the sun in, and closed during the night to reduce chill. Perform the opposite during the cooling season.
	Close an unoccupied room that is isolated from the rest of your home, and turn down the thermostat or turn off the heating for that room or zone.
	Select energy-efficient heating and cooling equipment.
	Look for ENERGY STAR® and EnergyGuide labels when purchasing energy-efficient products.

For more home energy use information, visit http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers/heatcool.html

Making Your Water Heater Most Efficient
While water heating is the third largest home energy expense, there are five ways to reduce bills: (1) use less hot water, (2) turn down the water heater thermostat, (3) insulate your water heater, (4) buy a new, more efficient water heater, or (5) install a timer on your electric water heater. Here are some water heating tips:

	Repair leaky faucets promptly to avoid wasting gallons of water.	http://www.energyright.com
	Insulate your hot-water storage tank and pipes, but be careful to not cover vital/sensitive parts, such as the thermostat.
	Install nonaerating, low-flow faucets and showerheads.
	Buy a new energy-efficient water heater.
	It's best to start shopping for a new water heater when yours is more than 7 years old.
	Lower the thermostat on your water heater.
	For electric water heaters, install a Thermostat Timer.
	Drain a quart of water from your water tank every three months to remove sediment that impedes heat transfer and ultimately lowers your water heater's efficiency.
	If you heat with electricity and live in a sunny climate, consider using a solar water heater.
	Take more showers than baths.
	Consider the installation of a drain water waste heat recovery system.
	Look for the FTC EnergyGuide Label.

For more home energy use information, visit http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers/waterheat.html

Energy Tips for Windows
Despite many beautifying and winter heating advantages, windows can account for 10% to 25% of your heating bill because they allow heat loss. Aside from replacing your windows with energy-efficient windows, here are some window tips for cold- and warm-climate areas.

Cold-Climate Window Tips
	Repair and weatherize your current storm windows, if necessary.
	Install tight-fitting, insulating window shades on windows that feel drafty after weatherizing.
	Close your curtains and shades at night; keep them open during the day.
	Keep south side windows clean to maximize solar gain.
Warm-Climate Window Tips
	Install white window shades to reflect heat away from the house.
	Close curtains on south- and west-facing windows during the day.
	Install awnings on south- and west-facing windows.
	Apply sun-control or other reflective films on south-facing windows to reduce solar gain.

Did you know?
"Double-pane windows with low-e coating can reduce heating bills by 34 percent in cold climates compared to uncoated, single-pane windows. In hot climates, spectrally selective low-e windows can cut cooling costs by 38 percent."⁷

For more home energy use information, visit http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers/windows.html

How to Best Landscape Your Home
Carefully positioned trees can save up to 25% of a typical household's energy used for heating and cooling.

	Deciduous trees placed around the house provide protection from the sun in the summer and permit sunlight in the winter to reach and warm your home.
	Vines provide shading and cooling.
	Evergreen trees and shrubs planted on the north and west sides of your home deflect winter winds, while those planted on the south and west sides of your home deflect summer winds.

For more home energy use information, visit http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers/landscaping.html

Learn How to Use Lighting Wisely
Lighting efficiency is one of the fastest ways to decrease energy bills. In fact, replacing 25% of lights in high-use areas with fluorescents can save about 50% of your lighting energy bill.

Indoor Lighting Tips
	Turn off the lights in any room you're not using.
	Use task lighting to focus the light where you need it.
	Three-way lamps make it easier to keep lighting levels low when you do not need brighter lighting.
	For the workroom, garage, and laundry areas, use 4-foot fluorescent fixtures with reflective backing and electronic ballasts.
	Use 4-watt mini-fluorescent or electro-luminescent night lights.
	Use Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs) in all the portable table and floor lamps in your home.
	Buy dedicated compact fluorescent fixtures with built-in ballasts that use pin-based replacement bulbs.
	For spot lighting, consider CFLs with reflectors.
	Use light-colored, loose-weave curtains on windows to allow daylight to brighten the room.
	Replace torchiere fixtures using halogen lamps with fluorescent torchieres.
Comparison of the heat generated by a torchiere with a halogen lamp and one with a compact fluorescent lamp. http://oikos.com/library/lighting/torchieres/
	Look for the ENERGY STAR® label when purchasing products.
Outdoor Lighting Tips
	Use outdoor lights with a photocell unit or a timer so that they will turn off during the day.
	Turn off decorative outdoor gas lamps.
	Exterior lighting is one of the best places to use CFLs because of their long life.

For more home energy use information, visit http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers/lighting.html

Make Your Appliances Really Work for You
Appliances account for about 20% of home energy consumption, with refrigerators and washers and dryers topping the energy guzzler list. Know the facts before making your purchase because sometimes a cheap purchase price will result in higher operating costs.

Dishwasher Tips
	Since dishwasher water heating uses the most energy, check the manufacturer's recommendations on water temperature.
	Instead of rinsing, scrape off large food pieces.
	Make sure your dishwasher is full, but not overloaded.
	Don't use the "rinse hold" on your machine for just a few soiled dishes.
	Let your dishes air dry.
	Look for the ENERGY STAR® label when purchasing a dishwasher.
Refrigerator/Freezer Tips
	Look for a refrigerator with an automatic moisture control.
	Don't keep your refrigerator or freezer too cold.
	Regularly defrost manual-defrost refrigerators and freezers.
	Make sure your refrigerator door seals are airtight.
	Cover liquids and wrap foods stored in the refrigerator.
	Move your refrigerator out from the wall and vacuum its condenser coils once a year unless you have a no-clean condenser model.
Laundry Tips
	When possible, wash clothes in cold water using cold-water detergents.
	Wash and dry full loads.
	Dry towels and heavier cottons in a separate load from lighter-weight clothes.
	Don't over-dry your clothes.
	Clean the lint filter in the dryer after every load to improve air circulation.
	Use the cool-down cycle to allow the clothes to finish drying with the residual heat in the dryer.
	Inspect your dryer vent to ensure it is not blocked in order to save energy and prevent a fire.
	Look for the ENERGY STAR® and EnergyGuide labels.

For more home energy use information, visit http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/energy_savers/appliances.html

For an energy checklist, view the Habitat for Humanity Energy-Efficient Construction checklist at http://www.eere.energy.gov/buildings/partner_hfhpostr.html.