Posted by Kromey at 1:26pm Jun 6 '12So, it looks like I'll be a homeowner in a little more than a month! The house we're buying is already 5-star rated (that might be a local thing; it's a rating of energy efficiency, and while it's out of 5 possible stars the highest rating is actually "5-star-plus"), but there's always room for improvement!
I'm looking for some simple home improvement projects I can do to reduce energy and utility costs. For example:
* Replacing thermostats with programmable digital ones so that we can automatically lower the temp while we're gone or asleep.
* Adding a blanket to the hot water heater, and pipe insulation to the pipes coming out of it and the furnace.
* Convert toilets to dual-flow/low-flow.
Anyone have any more ideas? While the goal is simple, preferably cheap do-it-yourself projects, good ideas for larger projects are also welcome! Keep in mind the climate I'm in -- 80-90F/26-32C in the summer, -40F/-40C in the winter.
And if it's relevant to your suggestions, heat is from natural gas, and the oven and stove are electric.
I'm looking for some simple home improvement projects I can do to reduce energy and utility costs. For example:
* Replacing thermostats with programmable digital ones so that we can automatically lower the temp while we're gone or asleep.
* Adding a blanket to the hot water heater, and pipe insulation to the pipes coming out of it and the furnace.
* Convert toilets to dual-flow/low-flow.
Anyone have any more ideas? While the goal is simple, preferably cheap do-it-yourself projects, good ideas for larger projects are also welcome! Keep in mind the climate I'm in -- 80-90F/26-32C in the summer, -40F/-40C in the winter.
And if it's relevant to your suggestions, heat is from natural gas, and the oven and stove are electric.
Energy-saving home improvement projects - Kromey