Save Energy in Your Kitchen
Find Out Where YOUR Home is Losing Energy.
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From your fridge to your stove to your kitchen sink and beyond, use these kitchen energy saving tips to lower your energy bills.
Is Your Fridge Energy Efficient?
- If your fridge was made before 1993, it uses 2 times as much energy as a new ENERGY STAR fridge. You can save up to $65 per year by replacing your old fridge with a new ENERGY STAR qualified model.
- Do you have an old fridge in your garage or basement? It can be costing you $90 or more each year to operate. Save energy and money by recycling your old refrigerator.
- Find out how much your old fridge is costing you.
How to Use Your Stove/Range More Efficiently
- You can save around $36 per year simply by using the right sized pot or pan for the burner (on an electric range; $18 for gas). Using a 6-inch pot on an 8-inch burner wastes over 40% of the heat.
- Cover pots and pans when cooking on the stove. You'll cook more efficiently, faster and more evenly, while saving money and keeping your kitchen cooler.
- If you have a gas range, keep the burners clean for maximum energy efficiency. The flame should be blue, indicating good combustion. If the flame is yellow, the gas may not be burning efficiently and your range may need servicing.
- A range hood helps to remove cooking odors and control moisture. ENERGY STAR qualified models are much quieter than standard ventilation fans and use 65% less energy (for models with lighting), which saves you $120 in energy costs over its service life.
- Cook or re-heat small portions in the microwave or toaster-oven instead of the stove, and use up to 80% less energy compared to a conventional oven. This generates less heat, so you'll also save on air conditioning costs in the summer.
The Cost of Leaky Faucets
Does your kitchen faucet leak? One drip per second can waste as much as 1,661 gallons of water per year! If your faucet is dripping hot water, it's costing you up to $35 per year in electricity or natural gas costs. Do your part for the environment and save some money while you're at it. Fix your leaky faucets today!
Save with ENERGY STAR Light Fixtures
Kitchen lights are used more than many lights in the home, making them a great target for saving energy. Replace incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) which use 75% less energy, produce 70% less heat and last up to 10 times longer than standard bulbs. If you want to save even more, choose LED lights. They use 75% less energy, produce no heat and last 25 times longer than incandescents. Consider replacing your current fixtures with ENERGY STAR lighting, which provides bright, warm light and energy savings in addition CFLs or LEDs. ENERGY STAR qualified fixtures are available in a wide variety of styles for the kitchen, such as cabinet-mounted, recessed can and ceiling-mounted models. No matter which lights you use, remember to turn them off when leaving the room.
Useful Energy Efficient Solutions:
- Attic Attic Ventilation, Duct Sealing, Chimney Sealing
- Basement Retire your old refrigerator!, Dehumidifier, Water Heater
- Bathroom Vanity Lights, Light Switch, Vent Fan
- Bedroom Bed-Side Lamp, Light Switch, Room Air Conditioner
- Dining Room Light Fixture, Light Switch, Programmable Thermostat
- Heating and Cooling Systems Table Lamp, Light Switch ...
- Home Office Desk Lamp, Ducts, Electrical Outlets, Power Strip
- Living Room Table Lamp, Ceiling Fan with Lighting, Light Switch
- Outside House A/C Unit, Porch Light, Thermal Boundary
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Energy Efficient Windows
Replace or Renovate?,
We were unaware of what was involved in an energy audit and your audior took the time to explain everything. We were impressed with the report which told us the areas in which we need to take action on. He never pressured us to use any particular contractors, he just suggested that we go to the HomeEnergyTeam web site to select contractors of our own choice. He did an excellent job and we HIGHLY recommend the Home Energy Team. We already have recommended them to several of our neighbors. Again, EXCELLENT JOB!
Cynthia SimpsonThe Home Energy Team auditor was very knowledgeable. I was VERY HAPPY with him. He promptly E-mailed my energy audit report to me and I will consider all of his recommendations.
Tom McGeeWe found out that our house really has no energy problems. We are happy to know that we
Leslie StewartI was very satisfied with your energy auditor. He was very qualified and spent a great deal of time with me. The energy audit was very informative.
P.B.The energy auditor was very good and helpful. He keeps in touch with me to answer any of my questions.
D.G.I was very satisfied with my energy audit. The auditor gave me some tips on attic insulation that were very helpful.
R.G.I was very satisfied with my energy audit. Thank you!
R.S.Very good service! I am going to replace the windows as the auditor had suggested.
D.W.I was very happy with the energy audit. THANKS!
A. M.My energy audit was very helpful. Joe Dempsey, your auditor, identified some structural problems that I was not aware of and explained to me why I need more insulation.
J. F.The auditor was EXCELLENT! He spent ALOT of time with me. I am going to take 3 to 4 of his suggestions and correct these small items to save on my energy bills.
M. B.The auditor did a GREAT JOB! He knew a lot about older homes, which we have. The report was very comprehensive. Thank you!
Vicki Nez/atYour energy auditor was very nice and helpful. He answered all of our questions. We will recommend Home Energy Team to our friends and neighbors.
Katherine McCaffreyThe auditor did a TERRIFIC JOB! The report was FANTASTIC! I will make all the repairs he suggested. I will definitely recommend him to everyone I know that could benefit from a home energy audit.
Steve Sleigh, Chevy ChaseThe energy auditor was very professional and I am very satisfied with both the energy audit and the report I received. I will be referring the Home Energy Team.
Tim ClaryI was very satisfied with the auditor. He was great and gave me some very valuable information. I will refer him to people I know who may need a home energy audit.
Willie GanttYour home energy audit proved to be very informative and helpful. I was not aware of the updraft created inside our walls because of the balloon framing construction. You said that that can cause heat to be pulled out of the house with the draft going up inside the walls and should be re-mediated. You also said that the attic insulation was insufficient and that fiberglass batts can leave spaces for around the edges causing heat loss and that it should have blown in insulation on top of what was there to seal the whole attic and increase the r factor. After going over your findings and telling me how you would fix the problems you told me how I could do it myself with stuff from the Home Center and for a quarter of the cost. Well, I did. I went into the basement and filled the bottom of the wall joist with unfaced insulation where they set on the sill plate. I then cut one inch foam board the size for each space and set it in and the sealed the edges of that with expanding foam as well as the sill plate to the foundation. I also sealed the sill plate to the foundation where the joist ran along it, as well as the top of those joist where it made contact with the subflooring. Next I went to the home center and rented their blown insulation machine and got ten bales of the insulation. I filled the attic on top of the batt insulation with about six inches giving another r-19 factor on top of the r-19 that was there. You said that the blown in would also help seal the heat loss around the edges of the batt. The work in the basement cost $144.00 and the work in the attic cost $328.00. After the 30% federal energy tax credit it will end up costing me about $330.00, which you said I should recover in savings in the first year. Thank You for all your advice and expertise. You made me aware of things I should consider and did.
Tommy Thompson
