Tips: Your Home's Energy Use

How We Use Energy in Our Homes

A home energy assessment (sometimes referred to as an energy audit) will show what parts of your house use the most energy and suggest the best ways to cut energy costs. You can conduct a simple home energy assessment by doing it yourself (DIY) or, for a more detailed assessment, contact your local utility or an energy auditor. Also, you can learn more about home energy audits and find free tools and calculators on energysavers.gov, the Residential Services Network or the Building Performance Institute.

DIY Energy Assessment Tips

• Check the insulation in your attic, exterior and basement walls, ceilings, floors, and crawl spaces. To determine the insulation R-values in different parts of your home, visit the Air Leaks and Insulation section.
• Check for air leaks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, and electrical outlets.
• Check for open fireplace dampers.
• Make sure your appliances and heating and cooling systems are properly maintained. Check your owner's manuals for the recommended maintenance.
• Study your family's lighting needs and look for ways to use controls—like sensors, dimmers, or timers—to reduce lighting use.

What are some good tips for deciding what to plant in an aparment garden?

If you have some room to garden, you'll need to think about what types of plants you want to have and how much time you are willing to spend on the area. Here are some gardening tips for your apartment yard:

• Flowers. If you choose to go with flowers, have a plan. Are you looking for pretty ones to cut and put in a vase or would you prefer they decorate the yard area? What colors do you like? Do you prefer to tend to them a lot or just let them bloom and fill the air with fragrance? Knowing these things ahead of time will help you do a little research. Either take a look on the Internet or ask at the garden center, but keep your criteria in mind.
• Vegetables. It can be fun to grow vegetables in a garden and then use them in your food. Choose a few favorites that would do well in your soil/sun conditions and make sure you know how to deter any pests that may spoil your goodies. Again, a bit of advance research will set you on the right course.
• Decorative plants. Grasses and other decorative plants can be a great addition to any yard. Many require little maintenance, so they can be a super choice for those who like to garden but don't have much time.