Upgrade Your Home

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Your Family, Your Future

The average home can cut its electricity bills by 50 percent.

Our site has many tips to help you save energy, but if your time is limited, this page will show you the best of the best habits, tips and upgrades.

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This step-by-step guide will show you the best ways to improve home comfort and save money on your energy bills. You'll also find information on financial assistance as well as videos, links and more.

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Steps 1 2 3 4

#1Today: Efficient Habits and Planning an Audit

ENERGY STAR VideoWatch Video on
Home Audits »

  • Learn the best energy saving habits and start using them right away.
    • Reduce air conditioning costs by using fans, keeping windows and doors shut and closing shades during the day.
    • During the summer, a 5°F higher setting on your air conditioning thermostat will save about 10% on cooling costs.
    • Turn off lights and electronics when you leave the room. Every time.
  • Make a schedule and set aside time for either a do-it yourself home energy audit, or a professional audit.
  • Related: Watch Energy Star's home savings video.

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#2This Week: Easy Fixes, Big Savings

Programmable ThermostatWatch Video on Programmable Thermostats »

  • Replace incandescent bulbs with CFLs. This can start saving you 75% off your lighting bill right away.
  • Buy a programmable thermostat and install it to save up to $160 per year. Watch Video »
  • Turn down the temperature of your water heater to the warm setting (120° F).
  • Install faucet aerators and low-flow showerheads to cut water heating costs by 50% and save up to $300 per year.
  • Caulk, seal, and weatherstrip around doors and windows to stop drafts and reduce heating and cooling bills.
  • Plug your electronics into a power strip. When appliances are not in use, turn off the strip to cut stand-by power usage.
  • Assess the status of your home's heating and cooling system:

#3This Month: The Audit, Basic Upgrades

Blower DoorWatch Video on Professional Audits »

"If you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it." - Lord Byron


#4This Year and Beyond: Efficient Appliances and Bigger Home Improvements

  • Now that you have had your audit, add insulation to your walls and attic where appropriate.
  • If your heating or cooling system is old, look for a new, efficient system. Explore your options with our product guides.
  • Efficient appliances: When buying new appliances such as a refrigerator or clothes washer, always buy ENERGY STAR qualified.
  • If you live in a hot, sunny climate, consider installing a cool roof to cut cooling costs.
  • Perform regular maintenance on your heating, cooling and ventilation systems and look for NATE certified technicians to assist you. You can search for a technician in your area with this zip code finder.
  • Consider landscaping for efficiency by planting trees and shrubs in strategic locations.
  • Pass it on! Let your friends in on the savings and together we can take on global warming, and help create a better future for our communities and our planet.
    • Tell 5 friends: Make a conscious effort to talk about efficiency with at least 5 people.
    • Sign up for the e-Newswire and keep up-to-speed on the latest efficiency news.

Financing

Smart financing means you can start saving energy right away with no additional monthly cost.

Home Equity Loans

Generally, you can deduct the interest from this loan from your taxes. There are two types of home equity loans.

  1. Fixed-Rate Loans: Fixed-rate loans provide a single, lump-sum payment to the borrower, repaid over a set period of time at a fixed interest rate. The payment and interest rate remain the same over the lifetime of the loan.
  2. Home-Equity Line of Credit: A home-equity line of credit (HELOC) is a variable-rate loan that works a lot like a credit card and sometimes comes with one. Borrowers are pre-approved for a spending limit and can withdraw money when they need it via a credit card or special check. Monthly payments vary based on the amount of money borrowed and the current interest rate. Like fixed-rate loans, the HELOC has a set term. When the end of the term is reached, the outstanding loan amount must be repaid in full.

Lendors: ENERGY STAR - California Lendors and Green Energy Loans

Advice For Renters

Talk to your landlord about upgrading your home to a more energy-efficient one. You can agree to an increase in rent equivalent to the amount that you save each month on your energy bill, which will allow your landlord to pay off the upgrade quickly while increasing the comfort level and value of the property. There are several third-party financiers that can help your landlord finance such an upgrade and some will even finance solar and wind.

Additional Resources

  1. Home Improvement with Energy Star
  2. Call the California Building Performance Contractors Association to schedule an audit: 888-352-2722 (in Northern California) or 888-357-1777 (in Southern California).
  3. Find green contractors, builders, and building supply distributors with the Green Contractor Guide.
  4. More energy-saving tips

"If we use resources productively and take to heart the lessons learned from coping with the energy crisis, we face a future confronted only, as Pogo once said, by insurmountable opportunities. The many crises facing us should be seen, then, not as threats, but as chances to remake the future so it serves all beings." - L. Hunter Lovins and Amory B. Lovins, Utne Reader, November-December, 1989.