Madico U
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Another month has come and gone and that means another electric bill is due. A good majority of us are guilty of just scrolling our eyes down to the bottom of the statement, only looking at the total amount due. We write out the check and then go on to open another bill. But how many times have you actually analyzed your electric bill and assessed your energy use for the month? Do you know which rooms of your home use the most energy or the time of day your energy consumption is at its peak? To help you answer those questions, most electric companies offer an in-home energy audit to help you save energy.
Energy Audit
Home energy audits can be performed by your electric company or by a professional energy auditor. During your home checkup, the auditor will inspect your attic’s insulation, furnace and duct work, as well as look for any leaks. A blower door test and infrared camera might also be used to establish any areas where the home has an unintentional air passageway. After the audit, the auditor will be able to determine where your house could be more efficient and what can be corrected to help you save energy and money.
Energy Plan
After the energy audit, you will be more aware of where the majority of your energy consumption is going and how to make any necessary changes to be more efficient. These proposed changes are simply recommendations made by the auditor, and are not required. However, by making the suggested efficiency upgrades, you could save 5 to 30 percent on your monthly energy bill.
DIY Energy Assessment
If your energy company does not offer an energy auditing service or you do not want to pay for a professional, you can perform an energy assessment on your own. You can check for air leaks caused by gaps around windows, doors, lighting fixtures, and electrical outlets, in addition to inspecting the insulation in your attic. A home energy assessment is just the beginning of your energy savings journey, and whether performed by a professional or done by yourself, it can help you be more conscious of where the majority of your energy is being consumed.
Become Energy Efficient
So the next time you get your electric bill, take a look at your total energy consumption for the month. Consider contacting your electric company to see if an energy audit service is offered, and to identify how efficiently or inefficiently your home’s energy is being used.
A home’s orientation is important for those shopping for a home or piece of land to purchase. At this point, it’s easy to consider the direction the house faces. You still have the option to either keep shopping or have a home custom built.
The concept of positioning your home toward the sun to save on heating and cooling costs is called passive solar energy. Depending on where the sun is in relation to your home’s windows, it may help heat up your living space while keeping unused areas cool. The catch: there’s a lot to consider when setting up your home for effective passive solar energy.
Your energy bills are mostly impacted by the cost of heating and cooling your home. By carefully positioning the direction your home faces, as well as enhancing certain features, you can take full advantage of free solar energy. Not only does your home become more cost-efficient, but you may also create a better view, increase curb appeal and raise the resale value of your home.
A zero net energy building must produce as much or more energy than it needs to maintain. This entails a renewable energy system and various energy efficiency measures that will offset the home’s annual energy consumption.
Taking small steps and implementing a few energy-saving tactics at a time is perhaps a smart way to go about it, especially if you’re working with an older home. 
The Fishers started with insulating the attic and then quickly moved on to their windows. Living in a hurricane-risk state, these Floridians opted for Energy Star certified double-paned windows. Of course, they didn’t stop there. To make their windows more efficient, they 
Installing solar panels may be the most complicated energy-saving tactic, but it also has the largest payoff. If you’re ready to take on the project, there are a few terms to learn before you get started:
The top two factors to think about before diving deeper into solar power are 1) the climate in which you live, and 2) whether or not you have open and direct access to sunlight during the peak hours of the day (10 a.m. – 2 p.m.).
Ideally, you’d power your entire home with solar-sourced energy. However, easing into it with smaller projects can still offer big benefits. From the simplest installation to the most complex, here’s where you can use solar panels around your home:
There are several types of air conditioners, with the most common being room cooling systems and central AC units. 
To ensure that your air conditioning unit is working as efficiently and effectively as possible, routinely change your air filters. The air filter is a component in cooling systems that needs to be changed frequently. Hair, pet fur, dust, dirt, leaves, and any other debris can leave you with a dirty and clogged filter. How frequently you change your air filter depends on several factors including pets and allergies. Typically filters can be changed every other month; however with pets and/or allergies, your 
An annual air conditioning technician will check to make sure everything within the unit is running properly. 
Draining and cleaning your water heater every six months will make the system run more efficiently. It also avoids the chance of the bottom of your water heater rusting from sedimentation buildup. Debris can clog pipes and pollute your clean water, disrupting the water flow and costing you more money.
Between showering, washing your hands, and running the dishwasher or washing machine, you use a large portion of hot water, driving up your water heating bills every year. According to Home Water Works, dishwashers use up to 
Lowering the temperature of your water heater to 120⁰ Fahrenheit can reduce costs dramatically. You can cut energy costs by as much as 
If you have an older water heater, chances are it is not insulated. Having an insulated water heater will reduce its standby heat loss by as much as 45% and can save you anywhere from 
Approximately 
First, let’s take a closer look at what passive home design really involves. The core of a passive home design is solar energy. In the case of structures that are built from the ground up, the design of the structure is inherently and intentionally planned to reduce the heating and cooling loads that the building must carry, and then meet those needs either in whole or in part with energy derived from solar panels. Homes can also often be remodeled to take advantage of passive energy benefits, starting with a 
Essentially, passive home design works because the home or building collects heat as the sun shines through the south-facing windows and retains it in building materials that store heat, known to designers as thermal mass. The materials that serve as a passive home’s thermal mass often include common building materials such as concrete, brick, stone, and tile, but can also include more unusual materials such as water. This heat is then distributed to different areas via different methods, including conduction, convection, and radiation.
It’s important to understand the fundamental principles behind passive home design before embarking on a project. 
Another interesting passive home project is nestled in the San Juan Mountains in southeastern Colorado, where the so-called 
Passive energy buildings offer their occupants tremendous short-term and long-term benefits, not only in cost but also in comfort. Passive homes in general cost five to 10 percent more to build than traditional homes, but the long-term savings in energy costs more than offsets that investment. It’s worth keeping in mind that federal, state, or community tax credits or other tangible benefits may apply to your passive home project.