Recommended cost effective ways to become more energy efficient?

Here's a link to the consumer info page put up by the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy.

Some things that have worked for me. I have reduced my electrical usage from over $300 a month to $75.

Insulate- Another layer of insulation is extremely cost effective. Use of radiant barriers in the attic and garage are excellent as well. Consider using window tint to rject UV and radiant heat. Some tint also doubles as a security barrier with 24 hour guarantees against forced intrusion through the window. I used that type.

Seal- Doors, windows, can lights, electrical outlets and central heat and air vents(seal between the drywall and the object that is protruding through the drywall)

Equip- Change lighting from current bulbs to LED and CFL mix. (LED can use as little as 1.5 watts, CFL use 14 watts, normal bulbs 45 to 100   watts) Change your electronics usage to less passive consumption. A coffee maker with caraf and wind up alarm clocks for example. Items that would normally be left plugged in (TV, DVD player, microwave, stereo etc) can be put on surge protectors with master on/off switches. Buy battery powered items to use in the event of complete power outages, wind up LED lanterns and rechargeable batteries for flashlights, headlamps etc. Consider on demand systems for water heating, use true inflationary data for cost benefit analysis, not only current costs for LPG or Nat Gas. Use an attic fan during high temperature months, have a thermostat control on it.

Modify- Your behavior. Get in the habit of turning off the master power switches for items that you are not using, like the TV. For rechargeable items, only charge them during off peak hours. We have a robot vacuum cleaner that runs during peak electrical pricing hours and recharges after 9pm. Lighting is decreased by using headlamps for individual activities. I get ready for work at 4 am so I use a red lens headlamp to prevent disturbing my wife while she sleeps, instead of turing on a light. The headlamp batteries are rechargeable from a small solar battery charger. I wear a uniform for my job so the possibility of choosing mismatched clothing under red light is decreased. We open the windows in the house and use one fan to blow in cool air in during the evenings. In the morning, if the day is going to be hot, we close the windows and shades and run the air conditioner to get the house extra cool before swicthing everything off before noon. Leave bathwater in if it is cold out, as the hot water will slowly release its heat into the house, as opposed to sending the warmth down the drain.

My .02.

My HVAC friend highly recommended doing the radiant barriar with my home. Since its new construction (5 years old), I have high attic space. I just put in attic fans. Did you installed radiant barrier yourself?

thanks for other imput.

Jager,

Great list!  Very doable, too.

Nate

Yes, I purchased the radiant barrier insulation on line and bought my own staple gun, latex gloves and utility knife. I recommend using lots of talcum powder before going into areas insulated with fiberglass, or when installing fiberglass insulation on your own. The talcum powder blocks your pores and prevents the glass from making you itch. A nice paper filter mask prevents inhaling the fibers as well.

The radiant barrier insulation works best when there is a space between it and the exterior wall or roof, so it might make sense to let it hang from the rafters, draped between studs in some places.

Thanks Nate....maybe I should have put "My $225 worth..."

Good thread. Powder is an excellent word of advice, as is the insulation and CFs! Our new home we did with 6" walls, wish I had know about earth rammed homes which use 24" walls. My next project is building a water tank, stuffing a copper coil in it and pumping fluid into the attic in the summer and back into the coil, this will preheat the hot water we use and cool the attic. In the winter we'll build a solar panel for it as the attic is cold. We might use a loop in the wood stove.

Hot water heating is typically 1/3rd of the utility.

Thanks Jager; great tips on all aspects.

Within rising propane costs, Im not sure what I can do there rather than make my home air tight to save propane for winter months. I have some leaks around my furnce that my HVAC friend just sealed and made air tight.

I like the double layer of insulation, low $$ and easy to add. I've also considered spray insulation down the road, but like the radiant barrier better to possibly start with.

Good thinking Davos... I have been considering the wood stove pre- heater idea. Have you seen any plans for this type of modification? I had not thought of using the attic heat also as a pre heater. I was considering a solar water heater using the hillside adjacent to my home. Green house window panes over a framed 6'x30' box with black pvc pipe and black painted interior.

Bcc- As for the propane costs, the on demand water heater would reduce the costs, and if you can find one, eliminate the need for electrical start up. A wood burning stove is a great way to reduce costs, if it is efficient enough. If you live in an area without sufficient forest for firewood, you might want to consider another alternative. Either way a wall sized solar heat exchanger would be an improvement that might be worth looking into as well.

If you go with spray in insulation, do not use the radiant barrier until after. Once the barrier is covered, either by insulation or dust, its effects are greatly minimized.

Jager: from your experience, in terms of $$ costs vs.savings, would you recommend the radiant barrier with current insulation (add double layers in certain sections)   OR   redo everything with spray ?  My thought for now is radiant since it appears affordable and can save anywhere from 20 to 30% on bills.

I think I started my own fixes with the radiant barrier first. I am not sure what the cost benefits would be if you compared radiant with another standard layer of insulation, side by side.

One of the best bangs for the buck was sealing the interior. For the cost of a tube of silicone and two cans of expandable foam spray plus a few strips of rubberized door seals I cut my heating down to five sticks of firewood per day, at about 37 deg. F average outdoor temp. I don't have a way of quantifying the A/C savings since this year is so much cooler than the last few years.

I would start with a budget if I was going to do it all over again. For $45 you can seal the cracks, For $150 you can replace your alarm clocks and coffee pot and install surge protectors on other electronics, For $250 you can replace your light bulbs with LEDs, For $400 you can purchase radiant barrier insulation, for $5,000 you can install a wood burning stove, for $15,000 you can buy a small battery based solar system that will provide just enough juice after you have made your improvements.

I almost forgot, my first step was to have solar survey and usage assessment. I realized after I got the report that I could spend $7,000 on upgrades that would save me $50K on solar generating costs, and that wasn't taking normal power savings into consideration.

Doing it all over again,( just to be redundant), I would do the cheapest thing first, give myself a budget of maybe $500 a month, plus the realized savings from my utility bills.

I hope this helps. Best of luck!