thirty steps to thirty percent1. Set your thermostat to 78°
2. Change your filters monthly
3. Build Green
4. Update your HVAC system Today’s HVAC systems are much more energy efficient than older models. For many people, the energy savings offsets the cost of the upgrade. Gary Parr recommends Carrier two-stage cooling systems because of their high
5. Audit your home’s energy use
6. Install a programmable thermostat
7. Ventilate the attic
8. Add a radiant barrier
9. Seal the attic
10. Boost insulation in the attic It's step 2 of the Energy Complete system. Boost your insulation levels to R38 or more to keep attic air out of your living space. If you can see the joists in your attic, you don't have enough insulation! Call Durable Energy Consultants at 888-235-8931. Ask them to take thermal imaging pictures of your attic space. You'll see where your wasted energy is going.
11. Use ceiling fans year round
12. Go Geothermal
13. Replace your windows
14. Install a 5-2-1 Compressor Saver
15. Remodel your home
16. Give your HVAC system a tune up
17. Install a tankless water heater
18. Seal energy leaks
19. Fix water leaks
20. Use Low flow shower heads and toilets
21. Lower the water heater temperature
22. Turn off and unplug electronics
23. Buy Energy Star appliances Appliances account for about 20% of household energy use according to the Alliance to Save Energy. Consider the cost of electricity to run the appliance when it’s time to replace or upgrade. Look for the Energy Star Label. Energy Star appliances incorporate technologies that use 10 – 50% less energy and water than standard models. Even if the appliance has a few useful years left, replacing it with a top efficiency model is usually a good investment. A home fully equipped with Energy Star products will use about 30% less energy than a typical house.
24. Check the refrigerator
25. Adjust your dishwasher settings
26. Adjust washer and dryer settings
27. Replace incandescent light bulbs
Lighting makes up about 7 percent of a typical home’s energy use. Cut costs by replacing your incandescent light bulbs. Compact
28. Add insulation to exterior walls
29. Seal your ducts
30. Install solar panels
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thirty steps to thirty percent |
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You can do it! You can cut your costs by 30% or more by taking some proven steps on the path to energy savings. Gary Parr and Dennis Celsor have studied expert recommendations and applied the best practices in real-world situations. The thirty steps have been proven time and again to reduce energy consumption and utility costs. They applied many of the thirty steps to the Energy Savings Makeover home in Houston, Texas and achieved a reduction of 53% in utility costs. Remember, it’s not just one step. It’s a combination of many steps working together that will make a difference in your energy bills. Imagine the impact on the planet if every American reduced their energy consumption by 30%! Use these steps as a guideline and get started today!
Your HVAC system should keep you cool and comfortable at 78 degrees in the summer. You can save from 3% to as much as 9% of cooling costs for every degree you turn your thermostat up. Raising the temperature from 73° to 78° would save you 15% or more! If your AC won’t keep you cool at 78 degrees, you may have some problems with your system. Call your AC contractor from Davis Air Conditioning for some advice.
A dirty air filter can cause a 10% decrease in air flow making the HVAC system work harder and use more electricity. Gary Parr recommends filters with a MERV 8 rating or higher made by Glasfloss, the world’s oldest and most respected filter manufacturer. These filters are only sold at AC distribution centers so ask your AC contractor for them.
The best way to pay the lowest possible energy costs is to build green in the first place. Durable Residential Builders of Houston builds solid sustainable homes designed to operate at a fraction of the cost of traditional wood-frame homes. Call for an appointment to see the Drummond House, Houston’s second LEED Certified Platinum home, built by Durable Residential Builders. 713-344-0463. The Drummond house, built with concrete walls, impact resistant windows and a metal roof received the “Fortified” rating from the IBHS.
SEER ratings and high EER ratings. Carrier invented air conditioning and has been perfecting it for over 100 years. Call your AC contractor from Davis Air Conditioning for an air conditioning audit. 877-339-8124. License # TACLA000205C. 
The average family will save $180.00 per year when they use a programmable thermostat. Gary Parr recommends the new Emerson Blue Easy Reader thermostat. It’s easy to operate and easy to read the large one-inch characters. Set the temperature 5° higher when you’re not home and start saving money! Call your HVAC contractor from Davis AC for pricing and installation information.
Installation of solar attic fans minimize the amount of heat entering the home through the attic and reduce the attic temperature. The Attic Breeze solar attic fan is an environmentally friendly and economical solution to the sun’s heat penetrating the home. Plus, you don’t use additional electricity to do it! A cooler attic means a more efficient HVAC system and less heat infiltrating the living space. Nick Walker at 
Attic temperatures reach 150 degrees in the summer. A radiant barrier will block the sun's heat from entering the attic keeping it much cooler and saving you money. Foil radiant barriers qualify for federal tax credits and can be installed on the rafters or over the top of attic insulation. Call Nick Walker with 
Finally, a practical way to seal the attic and stop the conditioned air from escaping. And, keep outside air from infiltrating the home. It's the Energy Complete system from Owens Corning installed by 
Ceiling fans make people feel cooler and more comfortable at a higher thermostat setting. During the summer, fans should rotate counter-clockwise to produce a cooling breeze. Switch to a clockwise rotation in the winter to send the warm air back down to the living space. Since ceiling fans cost less to operate that an HVAC system, they can help cut heating and cooling costs by as much as 10 percent. Remember, ceiling fans cool people, not rooms. Turn them off when you’re not in the room.
Replace your inefficient air source air conditioner with a geothermal system from 
The new energy-efficiency standard is the low-E cubed 366 glass from 
The 5-2-1 Compressor Saverworks like a surge protector for your HVAC system. It provides a slight boost every time the HVAC system starts which is when it uses the most electricity. It lowers the electricity used and extends the life of the compressor. It’s recommended by Gary Parr and approved by manufacturers. Find out more at 
Use materials and strategies with a payback in energy savings. Brent Farrell with Recraft Construction Services specializes in Green remodeling. He says it rarely costs more to use green materials and the payback is quicker than most people think. Recraft projects result in lower energy costs, water conservation and better indoor air quality. Call 281-804-5698. 
Keeping your AC and heating equipment clean, lubricated and properly adjusted will reduce energy use saving up to 25% of heating and cooling costs. Call 
About 15% of typical home energy is used to heat water. Tankless water heaters provide a continuous supply of hot water on half as much energy as traditional tanks. The burners heat water only when it is being used instead of keeping gallons of hot water on “stand by.” Tankless water heaters usually save about $50 a month in energy costs.
Air leakage accounts for up to 30% of heating and cooling bills. It pays to seal up gaps with caulking and weatherstripping. Seal holes or cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches and electrical outlets that can leak air into or out of your home. Move a lit stick of incense along walls and windows. When you see smoke waiver, you have air coming in.
Hire a good plumber to fix your leaky faucets. One faulty faucet wastes 3 gallons of water every day according to the U.S. Geological Survey. AAA Plumbers are efficiency experts and can find and repair leaks in even the most difficult areas and keep leaks from returning. In Texas, water leaks can contribute to mold growth and other problems. A faucet that leaks one drop per second wastes 20 kilowatts per month and 60 gallons of water per week. Call AAA Plumbers at 713-462-4753.
While AAA Plumbers is fixing leaks, have them replace your shower heads and toilets. Flow rates of less than two gallons per minute are recommended in showers and can cut hot water use by 50%. More than 30% of the indoor residential water use is flushed down the toilet. Today’s low-flow toilets use less than a gallon of water per flush and work great. A low-flow toilet can save 4,000 gallons of water per year.
If you have a traditional tank water heater, some simple adjustments can save real money since heating water accounts for 15% of energy use in a typical home. Turn the thermostat down to 120°. Most water heaters are set at 140° but the temperature difference could reduce your water heating costs by 5% and some 25 kilowatt hours of electricity. Add an insulation blanket for additional savings.
The latest studies show that all the glowing red dots and flashing digital clocks you never notice are spending your money while you sleep. Average homes will spend $50 to $70 dollars every year on appliances that leak energy when turned off. Standby energy use averaged 67 watts per household, more than burning a 60 watt bulb day and night all year long. The solution is simply unplugging appliances when not in use. Computer printers and cable boxes are two of the biggest energy wasters. Experts recommend plugging similar appliances into power strips that are easy to turn off when not in use.
Refrigerators use more energy than any other kitchen appliance. Save money by making sure it’s as efficient as it could be. Make sure the door seals are airtight. Close the door on a dollar bill. If it slides out easily, adjust the latch or replace the seal. Set the refrigerator temperature to 37 to 40°. Set the freezer to 5°. Cover liquids and wrap foods. Uncovered foods release moisture and make the compressor work harder. Vacuum the coils ever 3 months to eliminate dirt buildup that reduces efficiency.
Save up to one-third of the energy used by the dishwasher by making a few key adjustments. Use the “no heat” dry option setting. Avoid the “rise hold” feature. It uses 2 to 5 gallons of hot water every time. Skip pre-rinsing dishes. Consumer Reports’ tests have found that it is unnecessary and consumers can save up to 6,500 gallons of water per year. Finally, keep the drains and filters clean so that the dishwasher can operate as efficiently as possible.
Water heating consumes 90% of the energy it takes to operate a clothes washer. Wash clothes in warm or cold water and rinse in cold water. Most modern detergents are designed to operate in cold water. Use the automatic dryer sensor control feature. It will shut off the dryer when the clothes are dry. Clean the lint filter after every use. If you use dryer sheets, use a toothbrush to clean the film left on the filter that reduces air flow. Dry your clothes in consecutive loads as most of the energy is used to bring the dryer up to the desired temperature. A clogged dryer exhaust lengthens the drying time and costs you money so keep it clear.
fluorescent lights use two thirds less energy. CFL’s provide more light, produce less heat and last 10 times longer than typical incandescent lights. That can save $50 or more per bulb during the life of the bulb.
Older homes, especially those built before 1975, don't have enough insulation in the exterior walls. They fall short of Department of Energy recommendations. Adding foam insulation in exterior walls has shown to reduce energy costs by as much as 50%. Added insulation makes homes quieter and serves as an additional fire retardent. Call 
Most HVAC systems lose 30% or more of their efficiency through leaky ducts! Ask your Davis AC technician to test the duct system and seal ducts tight with Hardcast sealants. That’s the brand that pros like Gary Parr use and recommend. Then, every time your HVAC system is serviced, make sure the contractor inspects the ducts for leakage. The American Solar Energy Society says sealing ducts can save the average home up to $140.00 each year. The Energy Savings Makeover home will save much more! Plus, you’ll see less dust around the house.
Lower your electric bills or eliminate them entirely by using the power of the sun to generate electricity for your home. Generous federal tax rebates help defray the upfront costs and you make up the investment in savings on your energy bill. Fully automated solar electric systems have no moving parts and require almost no maintenance. They integrate seamlessly with existing electrical and mechanical systems.