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Get a Home Energy Audit
This should be your first step in understanding where your energy costs and emissions come from. Greg Fasullo, CEO of Elevation, a residential clean technology company, says home energy audits can cost as little as $100 while revealing areas where you’re wasting the most energy and money.
Home energy auditors check for air leakage, determine your insulation levels and inspect your fireplaces, lights and smoke detectors. They’ll even analyze your electrical bills. Best of all, Fasullo says the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) covers 30% of the cost of the audit (up to $150), making this step a no-brainer.
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Install a Smart Thermostat
Heating and cooling our homes accounts for more than half of our total energy usage, so it’s a logical place to target for reductions. Step 1 should be installing a smart thermostat.
“Maintaining a more consistent home temperature, particularly during summer months, can drastically reduce your utility costs and keep your AC running at its best,” Fasullo says.
Automating your heating and cooling system makes your life easier, too; no more remembering to turn the thermostat down when you leave the house or go to bed.
“Smart thermostats can be programmed with eco-friendly settings that keep a home’s heating and cooling set point at a comfortable and efficient temp, and adjust for daytime or nighttime hours automatically,” Fasullo says.
But don’t stop at thermostats. “Adopting smarter, automated appliances across the board can help reduce inefficiencies and take the guesswork out of optimizing energy use,” Fasullo says.
P.S. While we’re on the subject, take a look inside Family Handyman’s Sustainable Studio.
