The U.S. Department of Energy paid my salary for 18 months. Now I am asking them how to make my home less inefficient. I googled "energy audit diy" and came to their page entitled, "Energy Savers: Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audits." They suggest a laundry list of things to look for around the house relevant to heat loss (air leaks and insulation), inefficient heating or cooling equipment, and lighting, followed by easy, some expensive, upgrades a home-owner can make. What is missing from their list?
My short list of what the DOE forgot:
1. non-utility appliances: computer, cell-phone charger, radio, TV, DVD player, VHS player, toaster, food processor, mixer, refrigerator, washing machine, clothes dryer, dishwasher, phone ... (maybe the DOE figures people don't want to hear that they should consider "lifestyle appliances" in their calculations).
2. how much non-utility appliances, heating/cooling, and lighting are used on a daily basis within the home ... (message from DOE is that maybe you can still leave the lights on in the other room, as long as they are compact florescent lamps).
3. the buildings I frequent outside of my home. Do I support the mega-store that leaves all its lights on for "security" overnight? Do I use the mall to do my power walk because I am not up to braving "the weather"? Do I go to the gym and use electronic equipment to burn calories? (message from DOE: start at home, thats what HGTV told us was right.)
This is not my house. It is an example given by HGTV.com of "cottage"-style.
ReplyDeleteWow, thank god.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I thought that was your house as well! Shoulda just let us think it was!
ReplyDeleteI am definitely inviting you all to my house soon ... so you can realize how amusing it is that I chose this picture.
ReplyDeleteThat house just didn't fit you......in a good way....
ReplyDeleteI was thinking something similar the other day. I had to go to stop and shop and get orange juice to bring to my friend's Easter dinner for mimosa. I went to the stop and shop by my house in JP. I walked by the refrigerator section and its freezing. such a waste of energy, they are cooling the aisles! At the harvest co-op by my house the milk and oj are kept in coolers with doors covering them. So now I wonder what is more efficient, blowing cool air all the time, or when you open and close the door all the time to get your milk out? It made me not want to shop at the stop and shop because they were being wasteful with their energy.
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