Blog: ABET

Credit: Brenna Malmberg If you are living in Maryland right now, there has never been a better time to improve the efficiency of your home. Why? Because in 2008, Maryland General Assembly passed the EmPOWER Maryland Energy Efficiency Act.

Photo courtesy of Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net All day, buzzing electronics surround me. My computer bounces with emails while my phone charges for its next call. As the weather changes, I adjust light fixtures and the thermostat to regulate the temperature.

Every day my morning starts the same. I jiggle my mouse and wait for my screen to flicker to my Photo Credit: Brenna Malmberg folder-filled desktop. The inside hums; the lights steadily increase their glow. Each electronic indicator brings me closer to the workday but also costs me more energy.

Radon Testing: When my family and I got our first home radon test done two years ago, I was shocked to have learned that our house was contaminated.

“Traditional fireplaces draw in as much as 300 cubic feet per minute of heated room air for Pellet Stove FireplacePhoto credit: ritingon combustion, then send it straight up the chimney.

Attic photo by Ruhrfisch. Think of your house like your body for a moment. Do you walk outside naked in the winter time? Of course not! Or at least most of us don't do that. Think of your basement, attic, and crawlspaces like the extremities of your body.

Fireplace photo by Ryan Mahle. Are you feeling chilly? Me too. It might be the flue! Did you know that 14% of home energy is lost through the fireplace ? If you have a fireplace, there is a trapdoor that opens up your chimney, or flue, to let smoke and noxious gases safely out of your home.

HVAC Duct photo by Pinqui. HVAC Ducts account for 15% of home energy loss. Seal the ducts ! It's not funny how much conditioned air you may be losing in the duct system in your house. Once you've addressed the Floors, Walls, and Ceilings of your home for weaknesses, move on to your HVAC Ducts.

Insulation photo by Matthew G. Bisanz.Walls, Ceilings, and Floors account for 31% of home energy loss. Walls, Ceilings, and Floors account for 31% of home energy loss.

People have various motivations for wanting to conserve energy. Some people want to do their Photo courtesy of franky242 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net part in keeping the planet healthy. Others want to have more comfortable living spaces. Some people are following the trend.