Energy efficiency can help lower home energy costs through simple energy conservation behaviors and affordable upgrades such as programmable thermostats, advanced power strips, LED lighting, efficient windows/doors/skylights. A home energy assessment (or audit) is the first step toward optimizing your homes energy efficiency.
Reduced Utility Bills
Utility costs, particularly those related to electricity usage, can consume a substantial chunk of household budgets. By taking some simple steps to conserve energy and make savings easier on you and the environment, such as using a dishwasher instead of handwashing items saves energy, money and water while using a programmable thermostat can keep the house at an ideal temperature while you’re away but more economically when you return.
Energy efficiency provides significant economic advantages to individuals, businesses and communities. It reduces individual energy bills while simultaneously creating jobs and helping stabilize electricity prices and volatility. Environmental benefits from increased efficiency include lowering greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, air and water pollution and decreasing our ecological footprint; energy savings factor into utilities’ decisions about investing in new resources or operating existing infrastructure – further decreasing cost burdens that disproportionately impact low-income households.
Increased Home Value
Energy efficient upgrades provide added value that can increase a home’s selling price, according to studies. Studies indicate that homes certified with Energy Star, LEED or Green Point ratings sell for 9 percent more in comparable areas compared with non-certified properties.
Homeowners can save energy and increase home value by updating their insulation, heating and cooling systems, windows and doors as well as adding solar panels or dual heat pumps that serve both heating and cooling functions.
Energy-efficient upgrades such as smart thermostats, attic air sealing and solar-ready electrical panels not only save on operating costs but also signal to potential buyers that your home is environmentally conscious. Re-grouting tile or replacing obsolete light fixtures are other projects which improve curb appeal while saving energy; all cost-effective weekend projects which provide a high return even in the short term.
Reduced Environmental Impact
Energy efficiency helps lower greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and other pollutants, increase water use efficiency, and may reduce the need to invest in new electricity generation facilities or transmission lines; helping stabilize prices and volatility.
Energy efficiency measures often have low upfront costs and short payback periods of less than one year, making them an excellent way for local governments to take advantage of existing state and federal energy incentive programs, like ENERGY STAR, to promote energy savings in both building operations as well as community operations.
Homes and businesses using ENERGY STAR-certified CFL bulbs save enough electricity each year to power 3 million homes, when combined with other energy-saving measures like using solar or electric vehicles or decreasing car usage, energy efficiency can significantly lower GHGs (greenhouse gases). GHGs contribute directly to climate change; as such it’s vital that steps be taken in support of environmental sustainability; switching to hybrid or electric vehicle can have up to 78 times greater an impact than composting one incandescent light bulb.
Increased Health
Energy efficiency not only reduces financial burdens but can also promote health and wellness. According to research by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, saving energy can lower exposure to pollutants such as air pollution, mold growth and pest infestation in homes as well as higher temperatures that aggravate asthma symptoms.
At health care facilities, energy audits can also serve as an invaluable way of mitigating their climate impact, which accounts for 4.4% of global greenhouse gas emissions. By closely analyzing energy use patterns in health care facilities and identifying possible areas where savings could be achieved and then acting upon them accordingly.
Investment in energy efficiency can provide local economies with a boost, including jobs that cannot be outsourced or automated and sustainable transportation options. In Medellin, Colombia for instance, an innovative cable car system has improved access to low-income neighborhoods while creating doubled employment opportunities; additionally a study conducted after residents received energy efficiency improvements reported an enhanced quality of life.