Cutting Costs in a Fuel-Scarce World

page 3 of 4 | PREV 1 | 2 | 3 | 4  NEXT 

To avoid volatile organic compounds (VOCs) evaporating from traditional caulks, choose USGBC-recommended low- and no-VOC caulks, such as:
Quick Shield VOC-Free Sealant (www.geocelusa.com)
low-VOC Polyseamseal caulks (www.osisealants.com)

Having sealed your house, make sure it's well insulated. Insulating your ceiling up to an R-Value of 38 (meaning a medium level of heat loss reduction) can reduce heating costs 5 to 25 percent, saving approximately $180 annually for a family of four. Cotton insulation from recycled denim scrap will also have no impact on your indoor air quality, unlike the formaldehyde concerns from fiberglass insulation (see "New Green Building Materials" and products at www.bondedlogic.com and www.innotherm.com). To determine what R-Value is appropriate for your home insulation, see the Department of Energy's zip code calculator at www.ornl.gov.

Installing an Energy Star-rated programmable thermostat can save you up to $100 a year.

Installing high efficiency Energy Star windows can reduce heating and cooling costs by 15 percent.

Save More With New Appliances

When you replace your clothes washer, choose an Energy Star qualified clothes washer, which uses up 55 percent less water and 50 percent less energy per load, saving up to $110 every year. LG Electronics' WM2677HSM is 125 percent more energy-efficient than Federal standards and has the highest water efficiency of any model listed by Energy Star ($1,299 to $1,349, www.us.lge.com, 800-243-0000). The Whirlpool LHW0050, however,is a whopping 168 percent more energy efficient than Federal standards for only $799 (whirlpool.com).

Energy Star refrigerators use about 20 percent less energy than conventional models. Sun Frosts's R-19 Refrigerator and RF-12 Top Freezer both ranked over 50 percent more energy efficient than Federal standards (start at $1,800, sunfrost.com, 707-822-9095).

Because they recycle water, dishwashers can use less water than handwashing, but for best energy savings be sure to turn off the dry cycle at the end and use the water conservation mode. Energy Star-rated Asko D3531XLFI is 159 percent more energy efficient than Federal standards and uses than 5 gallons per wash ($1,500, askousa.com).

Time To Remodel?