An Energy Savings Pop Quiz | Santee Cooper blog

These days, it?s wise for us to put more emphasis on saving money, whether at the grocery story, the gas pump or reducing our energy use at home.

And what?s the best way to realize cost-effective energy savings at home? Here?s a little multiple-choice quiz. Would it be:

• (a) Installing more energy efficient windows?
• (b) Putting more insulation in your attic?
• (c) Replacing dark-colored roof shingles with lighter ones?
• (d) Fixing leaky ducts and sealing up air leaks?

According to the deputy assistant secretary for energy efficiency at the U.S. Department of Energy, the answer is: (drum roll please?) (d), fixing leaky ducts and sealing up air leaks.

Surprised? If so, you?re not alone. In a recent survey by a leading consumer magazine, 34 percent of respondents incorrectly chose (a), installing more energy efficient windows. Perhaps that shows the power of heavy advertising, which often touts the savings that can be gained by double-glazed windows with low-E (low-emissivity) coatings. But research shows that it could take up to two decades for a homeowner to realize the monetary benefit from this investment. If your home has lots of windows, this can get pricey in a hurry.

According to DOE, plugging those air leaks in windows, walls and ductwork could reduce a homeowner?s power costs by $400 a year. So what material or materials are we precisely talking about here? These items include: foam board, caulk, sealant that expands and that old standby, weather-stripping for windows, doors, and last but not least, electrical outlets. You may be the home handyman for such a project but if not, consult a pro. The materials aren?t that costly, but as you probably already know, labor is.

So what?s the second best approach? DOE says its (b) putting more insulation in your attic. If you lay down 11 inches of fiberglass insulation or 8 inches of cellulose insulation, a homeowner could save up to $200 a year. Even if you?re not the domestic engineer you?d like to be, laying insulation is easy enough for just about everyone. If you do it, be careful up in the attic and it?s always good to have a helper make those home improvement projects go quicker and smoother.

Visit our Reduce The Use website for more energy-savings ideas or to contact an Energy Advisor for more information.

Willard Strong joined Corporate Communications in 1989 after a four-year stint as a features reporter at The Post and Courier. A 1981 graduate of USC?s School of Journalism and Mass Communications, the Kingstree native has served as news director at three radio stations, was editor of the weekly newspaper in Moncks Corner and is chairman of the Berkeley County Museum and Heritage Center Board of Directors. A boating enthusiast, he enjoys Gamecock football, lake life on Lake Marion?s Wyboo Creek and keeping his five guitars in tune.

Source: http://www.santeecooperblog.com/2012/09/10/an-energy-savings-pop-quiz/

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