Did you know that the average U.S. household spends close to $1300 per year on utility bills? By considering energy efficiency when you purchase your home, you could save up to 50% on your energy costs!

Looking For Energy Efficiency
Buying a home is an exciting process! There are so many things to look for. Adding energy efficiency to your checklist can make a big impact on your expenses and help reduce environmental impacts.

The table below shows a breakdown of the average energy usage in homes. Your energy usage will vary based on the type and size of home you choose and your usage habits.

Some energy improvements are easy to make when you move in to your new home, while others are expensive to fix after the home is built. Below are some of the areas to think about when looking at homes.

Heating And Cooling
The type and quality of a home's heating system can greatly affect comfort and expense. Here are some of the heating systems you might encounter:

Forced Hot Water (FHW): Hot water is pumped through radiators (usually around the baseboards) to heat the home. Preferred because it is efficient, easy to "zone" so that you only send heat where you need it, and can also supply domestic hot water. Usually fueled by oil or natural gas. Efficiency varies greatly depending on the size, age, and quality of the system.

Forced Hot Air (FHA): Air is heated and blown into the house through air ducts. FHA systems tend to dry out the air, are generally not zoned, and require separate hot water heaters. However, FHA systems cost less up-front than FHW and can make it easier to integrate central A/C or air filtration. Usually fueled by oil or natural gas. Efficiency varies greatly depending on the size, age, and quality of the system.

Direct Vent Kerosene (Monitor): A "direct vent" wall unit that heats air using kerosene. Monitor heaters are warm and efficient, but can be harder to control than central heat. The heaters must be well-placed to evenly heat the home.

Direct Vent Natural Gas (Rinnai): Similar to Monitor heaters, direct vent natural gas heaters are very efficient but may not offer even heating of the home depending on their placement.

Electric: Usually baseboard units with thermostats, and generally quite expensive to run. However, a good application for electric heat is a bathroom, where it quickly provides heat for a short period of time.

Water Heating
Homes in Maine generally heat their water with one of these three systems:

Electric: Electric hot water heaters consist of an insulated tank with heating elements, and are generally the most expensive to run.

Natural Gas: Natural gas water heaters contain a burner that runs directly off natural gas, and are generally inexpensive to run. Many natural gas hot water heaters are leased from the utility company, rather than owned.

Off Heating System: Homes with FHW heat almost always get their hot water from the heating system via a heat exchanger. This is almost always less expensive to run than electric.

Insulation
A well-insulated home not only saves energy but offers increased comfort. Insulation is identified and labeled by R-value, where R stands for Resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power.

This chart provides the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) recommended levels of insulation for homes heated with gas, fuel oil or heat pump.

A professional building inspector can tell you how much insulation is in a home, and just as importantly, whether the insulation was properly installed.

Weatherization
Weatherization refers to the caulking, sealing, and weatherstripping that keeps air from leaking in and out of your home. The chart below shows how air escapes from homes.

Windows
According to the US Department of Energy, energy loss from windows accounts for 10% to 25% of home heating bills. In the excitement of buying a home, this long-term investment can be easy to overlook. Keep your eyes out for newer, double pane windows. Also, storm windows can reduce heat loss by 25% to 50%.

Landscaping
Carefully positioned trees can save up to 25% of a typical household’s heating and cooling costs. Department of Energy computer models show that just three trees, properly placed around a home, could save between $100 and $250 a year in annual energy costs. Who would have thought?

Deciduous trees, which lose their leaves in the fall, are effective because they block the summer sun but allow winter sunlight to warm your home. Also, look for evergreens planted on the north and west sides to block winter winds.

Lighting
One of the fastest (and easiest!) ways to decrease your energy bills is by improving lighting efficiency.

Indoors, fluorescent lights have come a long way from the flickery white ones 20 years ago. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLS) can be used to replace regular light bulbs and are not only much more efficient than incandescent bulbs, but last up to 10 times as long.
Outside, there are a variety of options to light up your yard. Look for lights controlled by light sensors or motion detectors so that they don’t get left on when they’re not needed.

Appliances
Taking a close look at those appliances can really pay off. Most of the time, appliances will no longer have the yellow EnergyGuide labels which allow you to easily compare. However, you can estimate the energy efficiency based on the age, size, and quality.
Generally, newer models are more efficient, and of course have the advantage of a greater remaining lifespan. However, you may be able to negotiate a better deal on a home with dated appliances, and save money in the long run by replacing them with new, energy efficient models. When shopping for new appliances, look for the EPA’s Energy Star Label.

More Information
U.S. Department of Energy Consumer Information
http://www.eere.energy.gov/consumerinfo/

North American Insulation Manufacturers Association
http://www.simplyinsulate.com/

Home Energy Saver
http://hes.lbl.gov/

The information contained herein, although deemed accurate, is not guaranteed for accuracy or completeness. Consumers are encouraged to conduct independent verification and/or research for additional information that may be available.