Blog: energy efficiency

Photo credit Stuart Miles/ FreeDigitalPhotos.net In an effort to reduce our energy consumption and increase the amount of energy we receive from alternative, sustainable sources, all levels of government in the United States have launched a variety of energy tax credits.

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.

While you are waiting in the terminal with your flip-flops on, you suddenly remember you didn’t change the thermostat. Now while you are on vacation, your home will be heating and cooling itself as if the whole family is there to enjoy it.

Credit: Brenna Malmberg Take a minute and look at all the electronic devices around you as you read this blog on your computer or tablet. You probably have a keyboard, mouse, speakers, a printer and probably a charger or two lying around.

“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.

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.