The following information is provided courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy. It provides tips on maximizing heating and cooling efficiency within the home. More information can be obtained at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/heating_cooling.html.

Heating and Cooling Tips

U.S. Department of Energy

Heating and cooling your home uses more energy and drains more energy dollars than any other system in your home. Typically, 45% of your utility bill goes for heating and cooling. What’s more, heating and cooling systems in the United States together emit 150 million tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere each year, adding to global climate change. They also generate about 12% of the nation’s sulfur dioxide and 4% of the nitrogen oxides, the chief ingredients in acid rain.

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Maximizing the energy efficiency of our homes, is one step that each of us can take in helping to offset staggering energy costs as the heating season approaches. Planning ahead, and acting now, may provide for some at least, a hedge against winter energy prices.

The following article is taken from the U.S. Department of Energy (U.S. D.O.E.) website - http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/home_energy.html - and provides tips for evaluating and improving our energy usage.

Energy Efficiency in Your Home

U.S Department of Energy

The first step to taking a wholehouse energy efficiency approach is to find out which parts of your house use the most energy. A home energy audit will pinpoint those areas and suggest the most effective measures for cutting your energy costs. You can conduct a simple home energy audit yourself, you can contact your local utility, or you can call an independent energy auditor for a more comprehensive examination. For more information about home energy audits, including free tools and calculators, visit the Consumer’s Guide  or the Residential Energy Services Network consumer page (RESNET).

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