Blog: Energy

Teaching Sunday School on Earth Day On the Sunday before Earth Day, I was part of a small group of parishioners in my church who visited Sunday school classes and talked about Earth Day with the kids.

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.

Having your home audited means giving it a checkup.   A professional auditor can perform a variety Image courtesy of nirots / FreeDigitalPhotos.net of tests on your home to determine how efficiently it is using energy – and where it may be losing you money.

Shower Meme Saving in the shower: If you’re anything like me, long, hot showers are an important way I relax at the end of the day.  I can’t help but turn the water heat up so high it is almost unbearable, and let it relax my muscles.

One of the most common energy efficiency improvements that America’s Best Energy Team Photo courtesy of John Kasawa / http://www.freedigitalphotos.net suggests to homeowners is to insulate the water heater and hot water pipes.

True False Most of us are on the lookout for easy ways we can save energy in our homes.  Save the planet, save a buck – what is there to lose?  But you can’t believe everything you hear! Even some of the tips your mom gave you can be misguided…..but don’t tell her.