With summer around the corner, now is time to make sure you’re doing everything you can to make energy improvements efficiently and economically. HouseLogic sat down with an expert on energy efficiency and I’m happy to pass the tips on to you.
--Cynthia

The following is courtesy of National Association of Realtors’ HouseLogic.

The following is a Q&A with Suzanne Shelton, president and CEO of Shelton Group, a marketing agency specializing in sustainability and energy efficiency. Shelton Group’s annual Energy Pulse research report tracks consumer attitudes toward energy-related topics.

HouseLogic: So our energy bills are going up?

Suzanne Shelton: Yes, for many of us, even though we may think our energy use is going down.

HL: How come?

SS:Energy is the only product we buy on a daily basis where we have no idea how much we pay for it. It would be different if we had to feed dollars into a machine to make the power run in our homes.

The way we use energy now is the equivalent of walking into a convenience store every day and filling our pockets with candy and walking out. Then the bill comes at the end of the month and we’re saying, “There’s no way I ate that much candy!”

This is an inherent problem with the way we use energy, or it will be, at least, until we live like the Jetsonsand have nifty energy dashboards in our homes.

HL: Why are we using more energy now — what are the main culprits? 

SS: Several things. We simply have more stuff plugged in now than we did five or 10 years ago — Xboxes, electronics chargers, iPads — and some of those things are energy hogs.

For example, plasma TVs use as much energy as a refrigerator. They’re getting more efficient now, but if you had the old square CRT and replaced it with a flat-screen plasma, you’re instantly paying the utility much more than you did before.

People are buying an Energy Star refrigerator, but then putting the old one in the garage as a beer fridge. For example, a friend of mine was in the process of selling her house. She wasn’t living there and she had the HVAC turned off, but she had an old refrigerator inside, plus a freezer plugged in on the back porch. Her utility bill came in at $50 a month and she was furious. “I’m never there!” she said. “The lights are off, the heat’s off, how can this be right?”

I said, “Are your appliances plugged in?” And so she unplugged the freezer and her refrigerator inside. It cut her bill in half.

HL: Do we also think that if we’re saving energy in one way, we can use more of something else?

SS: Yes. People tell us in focus groups, “I bought these CFLs so now I can leave the lights on and not pay more. I bought a high-efficiency washer and dryer because I want to do more laundry without paying more. I ate the salad, so I can have the chocolate cake.”

Psychologists call it “moral licensing,” but we at Shelton Group call it the “Snackwells Effect,” as in, they’re low-fat, so I can eat all of them.

HL: What’s the reason for this disconnect?

SS: Most of us have no idea how our homes really work, so we don’t know how to make the biggest impact. That’s why consumers run out and replace their windows first, when that should probably be fifth or sixth on the list of energy-efficient improvements to make, and they totally ignore effective activities like caulking and sealing that cost far less. 

HL: I’m surprised people replace their windows first.

SS: The aesthetic draw of new windows is really strong; we love to be around pretty things. You can also talk yourself into it because you think it’ll improve your resale value. But more than that, if you put your hand up to a window, even an energy-efficient window, you can feel that it’s hot or cold, so people just assume that’s where the biggest problem is.

But for the average home owner, new windows aren’t the best use of your home improvement dollar in terms of saving money on your energy bills. Everyone’s situation is different, but other projects usually cost far less and offer a faster return on your investment.

HL note: Consider this: If you spend $12,000 on windows and save 7% to 15% on your energy bill, according to Department of Energy data, when you could have spent around $1,000 for new insulation, caulking, and sealing and saved 20% on your energy bill, you made the wrong choice if your only reason for undertaking the project was reducing energy costs.

HouseLogic: Tell us what we should be doing differently to make our homes more energy efficient.

Suzanne Shelton: First, I want to mention that it matters how many energy-efficient things you do. Half of the population say they’ve done two to three things to make their homes more energy efficient — replaced incandescent light bulbs with CFLs, bought an Energy Star appliance, added insulation— but most people report that their bills have gone up.

HL: So more projects equal more results?

SS: Right. Once you get up to the level of making four or five energy-efficiency home improvements, you generally start seeing savings on your utility bill.

Depending on the activities you choose and the point you’re starting out at, you can probably expect a four- or five-year time frame for return of your investment. Which means now is a great time to do it. How many of us are stuck in our homes now because of the market?

HL: The economy is weighing on everyone. If a home owner has just $1,000 to spend on energy-efficient home improvements, what would you recommend he or she do first? 

SS: 5 things:

1.Caulk and seal all penetrations into the home. I’ll tell you, I had a home energy audit done three years ago, and even though I do this for a living, I was astonished. When the guy walked me down into my basement and showed me all the penetrations from plumbing lines and electricity wires, I couldn’t believe all the gaping holes in my house. Buy a few cans of Great Stuff and take a weekend to go around and seal everything, filling around windows, too. It takes time and it’s a pain, but it works.

2. Hire an HVAC contractor to take a hard look at all your ductwork — are there any ducts leaking that need to be re-sealed? — and give you an HVAC tune-up. You might spend a couple hundred bucks, but you can save significantly depending on how old or out of shape your HVAC system is. 

3. Replace all your lightingwith CFLsor LEDs. Most people tell us they’ve replaced all their incandescents, but it just isn’t true. The DOE says that only about 13% of sockets are filled with CFLs right now.

4. Program your thermostat. Most people who buy programmable thermostats don’t program them. If we actually programmed them not to heat the furniture while we’re away, that would be smart.

5. Reduce the temperature on your water heater. The Department of Energy recommends 120 degrees. If you have a tank water heater, it keeps a certain amount of water hot and ready to go all day, so lowering the temperature reduces the energy you use to heat the water.

If, after you’ve done all those relatively low-cost things, you want to make a little bit more of an investment, consider adding insulationto your house.

No one wants to do these things because they’re not sexy, and they’re kind of a pain, and windows seem more appealing. But I’d do all these activities before I replaced my windows.

HL: If you could spearhead an ad campaign to motivate home owners to make more energy-efficient improvements, what would it say? 

SS: You have to do five things to see the savings you want. That’s actually something we’re working on right now, so stay tuned.

Read more: http://www.houselogic.com/blog/whats-really-green/how-to-be-energy-efficient-at-home/#ixzz2RXy0Owiy

 
Have questions about the best improvements for selling your home? Give me a call at 713.829.3052

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