Interested in saving money on utility bills and helping the Earth in the process?
You may want to try out the Home Energy Saver website from the Department of Energy.
The Home Energy Saver™ (HES) is designed to recommend energy-saving upgrades to one’s home based on geographical location and average energy costs. HES also estimates the home’s carbon footprint and shows how much it can be reduced.
The upgrades recommended by HES offer other benefits as well such as better comfort (warmer in winter, cooler in summer), fewer drafts, lower maintenance costs—all of which improve life and increase the home’s value.
HES generates a list of energy-saving upgrade recommendations for the user’s consideration.
If interested, click on the picture above for a link to the website and enter your zip code to receive estimates for average efficient homes in your local area.
The more information you provide on the specifics of your home in the DESCRIBE tab, the more customized the results will be with itemized energy-saving upgrade recommendations. For example, by entering the number and age of the major appliances, you can estimate their energy consumption based on historic sales-weighted efficiency data. A very detailed module is also included to estimate energy consumption for lighting and dozens of miscellaneous gas and electric appliances, with default values based on data compiled by energy researchers.
You can find the results on the COMPARE tab where you will have the opportunity to compare the current energy efficiency of your home with the suggested package of energy saving upgrades.
The UPGRADES tab provide a tailored list of recommendations.
In addition to providing recommended upgrades, the Home Energy Saver’s module tab will connect you to an expanding array of “how-to” information resources across the Internet.
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