The Ultimate Guide to Energy Efficiency at Home

ANATOMY OF AN ENERGY-EFFICIENT НOME MHomes.com The environment: it's everyone's responsibility, but sometimes it can be hard to think of ways to really help it. Well, instead of looking for one big thing you can do to help the environment, why not focus on a bunch of little things? With just a few adjustments and additions, you can make your home much more energy-efficient. Over time, your actions will have a truly green effect on the environment. (And the lower energy bills will leave a little extra green in your wallet too.) Energy Star Refrigerator: A fridge with an Energy Star rating runs 9% to 10% more efficiently than a standard model and can save you up to $300 over its lifetime. KITCHEN Low-Flow Sink Heads: Low-flow sink heads use 32% less water than normal ones and can save SAVE $300 you up to $92 a year on your water bill. SAVE $92 SAVE $32 Energy Star Dishwasher: An Energy Star-certified dishwasher will save 10,000 gallons of water over its lifespan, cutting $32 a year from your water bill. LIVING ROOM Weather Stripping on Programmable Thermostat: A programmable thermostat will adjust the temperature in your house for you and can save you 10% annually on your heating bill. Some of the best ones on the market include the Nest, the Ecobee 3 and SAVE Windows: 10-15% Weather-stripping your windows will keep heat from getting out and lower your heating bills 10% to 15% a year. SAVE the Honeywell Lyric. 10% SAVE $200 EACH Energy Star TV and Blu-Ray Player: Energy Star-rated electronics run 25% more efficiently than normal ones and can save you $200 per item over the lifespan of the product. BATHROOM Low-Flow Showerheads: A low-flow showerhead can save up to 6,500 gallons of water a year and trim 43% off your hot water bill. SAVE 43 SAVE 40 Low-Flow Toilet: Low-flow toilets use one gallon of water per flush as opposed to a normal toilet's five gallons per flush. They can also save you up to 40% on your water bill. BEDROOM SAVE LED Bulbs in Light Fixtures: LED $100s bulbs last eight times longer than incandescents and use less than a quarter of the electricity. Ceiling Fans: A ceiling fan only uses 2% of the energy an air conditioner does and could save you hundreds on your bill annually. SAVE 75 Energy-Efficient Bedding: A down comforter will keep you warmer on cold nights, meaning you don't have to turn the heat way up. Plus it's cozy! HOME OFFICE Energy Star Laptop: Energy Star-rated laptops run 25% more efficiently than normal ones and can save you $35 annually (if you leave your laptop running all the time, which you probably shouldn't). SAVE $35 SAVE 3° Power Strip: Plugging all your electronics into a power strip and switching it off at the end of the day will save you a few cents a year. Hey, every penny counts. BASEMENT Tankless Water Heater: A tankless water heater uses 30% less energy than a normal one and can save you up to $100 a year on your water bill. SAVE $100 SAVE 22 Energy-Efficient Furnace: An energy-efficient furnace uses one-third the electricity of a regular furnace and can save you 22% on your bills. GARAGE Electric Vehicle Charging Station: There are lots of awesome energy-efficient cars on the market right now, like the Toyota Prius, the Nissan Leaf and the Honda Fit. Installing a charging station will cost you about $500, but it will be worth it in the long run. Driving an electric car won't just cut down on carbon dioxide, it can also save you an average of $5,000 in gas money over five years of ownership. SAVE $5,000 Solar Panels: Solar panels could cut your electricity bill by a whopping 50% to 60% a month. Insulation: Wall insulation keeps heat in and can save Shade Trees: Shade trees you $100 to $600 annually on your bills. on the west side of your house will keep it cooler on hot days. Plus, every tree you plant offsets your carbon footprint a little bit more. Each year, it will consume 48 pounds of carbon dioxide and give off enough oxygen to meet your needs for two years. SAVE 50-60 SAVE $100- $600 ATTIC HHE %3D SAVE 8% OUTSIDE Energy Star Air Conditioner: Energy Star-certified air conditioners use 8% less energy than conventional models and can save you thousands over the lifespan of the product. www.homes.com/real-estate/energy-efficient-home/ MHomes.com