How Your Home Can Cost You Less
Improve Your Home’s Energy Efficiency with ENERGY STAR Making your home more energy efficient with ENERGY STAR can help to reduce high energy bills, improve comfort and help to protect the environment. Improving energy efficiency is also an important first step for homeowners interested in green remodeling. ENERGY STAR can guide you in making your home more efficient — whether you do-it-yourself or hire a qualified professional.
Common Home Problems and Solutions Is your home cold, drafty, or uncomfortable? Do you have high energy bills? Ice dams? Peeling paint? Excessive dust? Addressing these types of home problems can make your home more comfortable, and at the same time improve its energy efficiency — saving you money on utility bills and helping to protect the environment too.
High Energy Bills High utility bills in summer and winter can often be traced to air leaks in your home's envelope, inefficient windows or inefficient or incorrectly installed heating and cooling equipment, or poorly sealed and insulated ducts.
Mold, Mildew or Musty Odors Water leaks or high humidity can lead to mold and mildew. This can cause wood rot, structural damage, peeling paint, and a variety of health problems. Often, high humidity in homes with central air conditioners can be traced to improperly sized or installed air conditioners.
Damp Basement A damp basement is commonly caused by moisture migrating through the foundation. As this moisture evaporates, it increases indoor humidity and can promote the growth of mold — resulting in an uncomfortable house.
Cold Floors in Winter Some types of floor coverings (such as wood, stone, tile, or concrete) will naturally feel cold on bare feet. However, insufficient insulation or air infiltration can also cause cold floors.
Drafty Rooms Cold air coming into or going out of your house, especially through leaks hidden in the attic and basement, can cause rooms to feel drafty and uncomfortable.
Dust Increased dust could be a sign that it is time to change your air filter or that your ductwork is not well sealed.
Moisture on Windows Inefficient windows or high indoor moisture levels from air leaks can result in condensation, frost, or pools of water on windows and sills.
Ice Dams Warm air inside your home leaks into the attic and will warm the underside of the roof causing snow and ice to melt and refreeze as it runs off your roof — forming icicles and ice dams.
Peeling Paint Peeling or cracking paint on your home's exterior may be a sign of a humidity problem or improper paint application.
Hot or Cold Rooms Significant differences in temperature from one room to another could be caused by several factors, including inadequate insulation, air leakage, poor duct performance, and improperly installed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system.
Dry Indoor Air in Winter Air leaks in your home allow warm humid air to escape and draw in drier colder air.
Source: Typical House Memo, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 2009 and Typical house_2009_Reference.xls spreadsheet. Average price of electricity is 11.3 cents per kilo-watt hour. Average price of natural gas is $13.29 per million Btu.
* "Other" represents an array of household products, including stoves, ovens, microwaves, and small appliances like coffee makers and dehumidifiers.
