by Greg Winkler

Created on: January 10, 2009

No investment a homeowner makes will pay off more handsomely than investing in conservation. The money spent on conservation measures pay for themselves within a few years, and continue returning savings to the homeowner for years. Following are the key ways in which a homeowner can make his or her house more efficient:

Insulation

Adequate insulation is the most critical factor in saving energy in your home. Insulation is measured by R-value, a measure of the thermal resistance to heat flow through the material. The higher the R-value, the greater the effectiveness of the insulation material. For most of the country (all except the extreme South), you should strive to obtain the following insulation R-values in your home: Crawl space or floor: R-19; Exterior Walls: R-11; Ceilings or Attics: R-38.

Ventilation

An unventilated attic can result in air temperatures as high as 150 degrees F. This heat makes the living areas below the attic hotter, no matter how much insulation you have installed in the attic, and consequently runs up your air-conditioning bill. The most effective attic ventilation is known as continuous ridge and soffit venting. In this system, a small, continuous vent is installed along the entire ridge of the roof. This type of vent can be installed by a professional roofer on any roof by cutting an opening in the wood sheathing at the ridge and tacking the vent in place. Continuous Soffit (also known as eave) venting should be installed to balance the area of ridge or gable venting.

Air Infiltration

Infiltration through gaps around doors and windows, around trim, and other areas of your home consumes as much as 40% of your energy bill. To solve these problems, you need to keep your home well caulked, and make sure the weather-stripping at doors and windows is in good shape.

Heating & Cooling

Heating and cooling your home eats up more energy than any other function. You probably know that keeping the thermostat set to about 68 degrees F. in the winter and 78 degrees F. in the summer will keep you reasonably comfortable without putting a huge dent in your utility budget. Here are a few other tips to save money you may not have thought about:

*In the winter, use a humidifier to make the most used spaces feel warmer at lower temperatures. You can also install a humidifier in the supply duct of your furnace to provide constant humidification for the entire house whenever the furnace is running.

*If you have an attic access hatch or pull-down stair, insulate

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