Category: Renewables

Come visit us at the 2011 Home Energy Expo on March 19 at the River Valley Technical Center in Springfield, VT. The Expo will feature many different vendors (including us!) and educational displays, as well as several workshops on home weatherization, renewable energy systems, how to pay for energy systems/upgrades, making the right investments in lighting, heating, and appliances, etc. Look us up when you get there!

If you are considering installing a renewable energy system in 2011, may I suggest that you reserve your state incentive money now? Based on last year, the incentive money will be gone before the year is over. If you wait until later in the year, you may not get any state incentive money. Let us know if we can help!

9. Tweak your refrigerator – turning the temperature up a few degrees in your fridge or freezer will save power; upgrading to a more efficient model will also help. Do you really need 21 cubic feet for a family of three or four? And cooling food before you put it in the fridge will also save power as it won’t have to work as hard.
10. Plan your time and space so that more of you are sharing the lights or other uses of energy. If the whole family sits in one room to read or play games, then the lights are only on in that one area. And you will get to enjoy the time you spend with each other.

7. Turn down your thermostat – reducing the temperature in your house by a few degrees can save a significant amount of energy, whether it be a fossil fuel, wood, or electricity that warms your house. It cracks me up when people complain about being cold at 70 degrees in the winter, and being hot at 65 degrees in the summer.
8. Use power strips for all your transformers and instant-on appliances. Those “bricks” that convert line current to direct current for computers, printers, cell phone chargers, etc., use electricity even when they are not powering any devices. And appliances that come on instantly, like your TV, also use power when they are off. Using a power strip that you can switch off when you are not using the device will help reduce your electric usage.

5. Install a solar electric or hot water system – using the sun to make electricity or hot water can be a great way to save energy. If you have the right conditions, you can make all of your hot water and most of your electricity by installing a correctly-designed solar electric or hot water system. We have all felt the heat of the sun, even on the coldest winter day; we can use that heat to make hot water. And we can use the sun to make electricity, even when we are not home to use it. And with the federal and state incentives, it makes even more sense now than ever.
6. Don’t let the water run – a lot of us let the water run when we are brushing our teeth or shaving, or when washing dishes. It takes energy to move the water into the house, as well as heat it, so using only what we need will save energy.

3. Swap out your incandescent bulbs for compact fluorescent or LED bulbs – in most cases, using a compact fluorescent light (CFL) instead of an incandescent can save you 50 percent on your electric bill. A typical incandescent uses 60 watts, while a CFL that puts out a similar amount of light consumes only 13 watts. Using light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs can save even more, as a bulb in this class would use only about 5 watts. Of course, you cannot always use CFLs or LEDs where you have incandescents, but use them wherever you can to save energy.
4. Seal your windows and doors – making sure you eliminate drafts can cut down on your heating bill, whether you use oil, gas, propane, wood, or electricity for heating. Plus, you will feel more comfortable when you don’t have that cold draft on your neck

1. Turn off lights – you would be surprised at how much energy is used by lights left on that are not being used, lights on in a room that no one is occupying. One or two lights left on can consume a considerable amount of energy, costing you money.
2. Turn down your water heater temperature – this makes a lot of sense if you have an electric hot water heater, but you can also save money by turning down the temperature of your oil, gas, or propane heater. Reducing the temperature of your tank from 140 degrees to 120 degrees can save a considerable amount of energy.