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An energy efficient home is a home where the wastage is least. Whether a home is new or has been in use for several years wastage is a distinctly an area needing attention first and foremost. In these times of economic chaos, if you neglect conservation of energy, it tantamount to a crime against your self as well as the society at large.

Do you have to spend a lot to launch an energy conservation plan for your home?

The SEI’s HES scheme lists the following maximum cost values for improvements for an average Irish home which they are willing to reimburse even, if you implement them according to their guide lines.

• Roof – Roof Insulation – Euro 250
• Wall – Cavity wall insulation -Euro 400
• Wall – Internal wall dry lining -Euro 2,500
• Wall- External wall insulation -Euro 4,000
• Heating Controls- High efficiency boiler with

Heat control upgrade -Euro 700

• Heating controls upgrade- – Euro 500
• BER assessment- before and after -Euro 200

It is clear these have to be addressed primarily if you are desirous of an energy efficient home that has a good carbon foot print.

There are other aspects which need to be considered other than the above.

For example home electricity usage accounts for more than a quarter of your energy bills. A large portion of this goes for lighting. A standard incandescent lamp (filament lamp) wastes about 70% of the energy it consumes as heat energy. Usage of CFL and LED lamps would reduce this dramatically.

Your outdated home electrical appliances are another major cause for energy wastage. More attention you pay for EU energy labeling scheme for appliances will pay dividends sooner than you think. Naturally the higher rated appliances (for ex. A++) will cost more than the lower rated ones. But the savings on energy should offset this sooner when put in operation.

In an analysis of home energy efficiency there is one factor which is not readily evident and fails to surface even in most statistics. The human factor (which is your attitude) may perhaps waste energy more than you would think possible. Negligence may be a direct result of your attitude to the whole issue of minimizing wastage. Imagine keeping a high wattage lamp switched on for several hours when you are not in. Excessive or unwarranted temperature settings in your boilers, radiators, air conditioners, dish washers, washing machines, TVs, refrigerators all indicate a callous disregard for the welfare of ones self as well as others. What about the maintenance of appliances and your home it self which you tend to neglect easily?

Unfortunately this is a factor which cannot be measured by any existing meter.

For energy efficient home the mind set of occupants is of equal importance as all the other measurable physical factors.

John Mahoney is a freelance author who writes about various technology
realated subjects. For more information about John visit his website
www.techstore.ie.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/what-are-energy-efficient-homes-990694.html

Energy is lost from a household through static as well as dynamic processes. Both human neglect and ignorance too are possible contributors. Educating the end users why it is necessary to use energy more efficiently, how each individual can contribute towards this goal, when and where it can be implemented are some factors to be addressed for efficient energy usage.

Identify your energy thieves!

Energy is wasted only where it is used.

• Primarily your buildings construction and envelope is responsible for a good amount of energy lost without even your realizing it.
• Secondarily the usage of various equipment and utensils that need electrical energy and fossil fuels for their operation.

Can these be managed?

You generally worry over about energy efficiency only when you realize your earnings are wasted away through your energy bills. The fact is, energy lost through the building’s constructional features could (or should) have been handled at the design stage itself easily. Now if it is too late for that there are other ways to improve the situation where a retrofit (including the lighting system and heating system) may be your answer.

On the other hand the various appliances, equipment and utensils that consumes energy if of any vintage definitely waste energy. Come to think of it, ten years ago energy conservation was only of academic interest to many. This is how you may be wasting your home energy through equipment and appliances;

• Age -deterioration of the system components causing fuel or energy wastage
• Out dated designs- where newer energy saving technology is not incorporated.
• Inconsiderate usage- for example using TVs and Audio Equipment for long periods even when no one is enjoying it.

Keep in mind your home appliances and lights including the refrigerator (but excluding the space and water heating system) consume 23 %-35% of the total energy consumed irrespective whether the building shell is very good as far as energy conservation is concerned.

Ensuring minimum energy loss through Building Shell

This brings out another important factor. Your home energy is spending mainly on Space and water heating. As percentage it is about 65 % to 77% of the total consumption. Here lies the catch. Even a smaller portion of this huge chunk will amount to a substantial amount. The building shell energy loss is therefore THE place that will need more attention to start your home energy management.

Ensuring minimum energy loss through Equipment and appliances

In reality this is the easiest to manage being a matter of your state of mind. How ever much your appliances efficient are what really matter is how you use it. The right mind set is what is ultimately going to bring in good results .It is a good idea to audit how you use appliances and optimize the usage.

Another matter the audit should cover is whether the settings of your appliances (for example the refrigerator, deep freezer, the flame of cookers, illumination levels etc), are right for your needs.

A matter that cannot be over emphasized in this scenario is the importance of maintenance. If for example your refrigerator’s defrost system is malfunctioning, or your CFL lamps are covered in dust or the cooker burners are caked in carbon and so on what conservation can you expect? There are many others like that which only your right mind set (most will not cost you a penny to implement) is necessary to bring about a significant improvement. <

John Mahoney is a freelance author who writes about various technology
realated subjects. For more information about John visit his website
www.techstore.ie.

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/home-improvement-articles/using-energy-more-efficiently-for-cost-cutting-990700.html