Week 20 - WHAT'S "ENERGY STAR"?

We have all seen the Energy Star logo on appliances, but how many of us know what it means and why we should look for it on the products we buy?

According to energystar.gov, “Energy star is a government program that offers businesses and consumers energy-efficient solutions, making it easy to save money while protecting the environment for future generations. Energy efficient choices can save families about a third on their energy bill with similar savings of greenhouse gas emissions, without sacrificing features, style or comfort. ENERGY STAR helps you make the energy efficient choice.”

There are three areas in which you can make Energy Star work for you.

1. When purchasing household products such as appliances.
2. When purchasing a new home.
3. When renovating your home.

Household Products

Household products with the Energy Star label have to meet strict energy efficiency guidelines set by both the EPA and US Department of Energy.

One day while browsing through the appliance department of a home improvement store, I noticed the Energy Star appliances were more expensive. However, when I compared their annual energy usage/cost with the non Energy Star appliances, the savings were significant. You may pay more up front, but I feel confident you will make up for it over the life of the appliance.

New Homes

According to energystar.gov,

“these homes are at least 15% more energy efficient than homes built to the 2004 International Residential Code (IRC), and include additional energy-saving features that typically make them 20–30% more efficient than standard homes“.

Some of the features an Energy Star home may have are:

• Effective insulation.
• High performance windows.
• Tight construction and ducts.
• Efficient heating and cooling.
• Efficient products like appliances, lighting etc.
• They must pass third party inspection.

The benefits of owning an Energy Star home are:

• Peace of Mind - By just looking for the energy star label, you know the home is energy efficient.
• Lower Ownership Cost - Energy Star qualified homes use less energy which results in a $200 to $400 annual savings.
• Better Performance - An energy-efficient home helps ensure consistent temperatures, improved indoor air quality, and greater durability.
• Smart Investment - Energy Star homes is a trend that will continue to grow as consumers become more savvy. Such homes will likely increase in value and be desirable on the market.
• Environmental Protection - 16 percent of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions are generated from the energy used in houses. “Energy used in our homes often comes from the burning of fossil fuels at power plants, which contributes to smog, acid rain, and global warming. Simply put, the less energy we use in our homes, the less air pollution we generate”.

Home Improvements

You can reduce the amount of energy your home uses by making improvements that will not only reduce your energy bills, but make your home more comfortable.

The first thing you need to do is get a whole house assessment. You can do this at energystar.gov (if you have your last 12 utility bills), your power provider’s website, or lowes.com. They will ask you some questions, make an assessment and then provide you with some ideas on how you can improve your home’s energy efficiency.

There are a few basic things everyone can do to improve their home’s energy efficiency.

1. Seal leaks which let in drafts, or allow heat to escape.
2. Use weather stripping around windows and doors.
3. Insulate.
4. Choose energy efficient windows when old ones need to be replaced.
5. Have you heating and cooling system serviced regularly.
6. Change your air filters.
7. Install a programmable thermostat.
8. Seal your heating and cooling ducts.

Additionally, there are some tax credits you may qualify for if you purchase high efficiency products like windows or heating/cooling systems. The credits do not amount to a ton of cash, but they are something extra on top of what you will save with the improvements you make.

Even if you don’t give a wit about the environment, it’s silly not to take a look at what you can do to make your home more energy efficient for the mere fact it will save you money. As a matter of fact, in light of the ever increasing cost of electric power, gas and oil, it can save you a lot of money! So maybe you don't want to "live" green, but come on, who doesn't want to save green?!