8. USE NATURAL LIGHT
(Thanks again to James Hall, New Hampshire Chapter)

It’s a fact that we’re putting more and more lights in our homes. Make the rule in your house “one person, one light”; that is, keep a light on only in the area where each person is, and turn off all other lights. Compact fluorescent lamps use one-third the energy of a traditional incandescent bulb, and high-quality LED room lighting will be available and affordable in a few years. But a no-energy daylight solution is to use natural light options such as “light tubes” in dark rooms. These light tunnels gather sunlight via a clear, dome-shaped, weather-tight skylight on the roof. The light travels through a highly reflective, flexible tube that effectively transfers the light down, across, and around corners to send light as far as your basement. Brands such as Solatube or Sun Tunnel are available commercially for between $200 and $300 plus installation.

FIND MORE
Check out Paul's video tips on how to reduce your carbon footprint.

9. LOOK IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR
(This one’s mostly from me)

New appliances can help you save energy, but it’s important to know what to expect before you buy. Just because your refrigerator is 10 years old doesn’t mean it’s cost-effective to get a new one. Before investing in a new fridge, find out how much energy your current one uses by checking it with a meter such as the Kill-A-Watt or Watts-Up. Then compare with the energy use of a new, efficient model to determine energy savings.

When you decide to buy a new appliance, look first for the ENERGY STAR label, then compare energy use within the size range and category you’re shopping for by looking at the yellow Energy Guide tag on the appliance. It pays to spend a bit more up front and buy the more efficient appliance to reduce the “second price tag” that is energy use.

You can maximize the efficiency of appliances with proper control. Put a thermometer in your refrigerator and keep the temperature between 36 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep the freezer between 0 and 5 degrees. Plan ahead and defrost frozen items in your fridge (thanks again to Allen Hoffman for this tip). Allow food to cool before putting it in the refrigerator, and cover it to avoid moisture evaporation, which adds to the energy load of the fridge. Keep your fridge and freezer full, even if they are full of water jugs to help “hold the cold”; the water or food in the space will maintain the cold better than air, which can easily be displaced by warm air when you open the door.

10. COLLECT THE SUN'S HEAT
(Thanks to Mark Ravinski, friend of the Connecticut Chapter)

Once your house can efficiently hold the heat, take proper advantage of solar heat gain in winter months. Let the sun in on the south side of your house with the correct window type and size. Once the sun is inside, give the heat a place to store itself in the form of thermal mass. This can be anything from a concrete or tile floor to heavy furniture, bricks, or even water jugs. The heat will be released as the house cools. Windows can be expensive to replace or have cut into an existing south-facing wall. If you decide to do this, be sure to have the windows properly sized and the glass type specified by an energy or design professional. It’s important to use the correct solar heat gain and insulating values, and proper installation will allow the window to perform as expected. Energy performance will vary with the specifics of your home and site, as well as the windows you choose.

Paul Scheckel lives with his wife and son in a solar-powered house in Vermont. He is an energy efficiency specialist who has visited thousands of homes as an energy auditor, and author of The Home Energy Diet (New Society Publishers).

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