SAVING ENERGY f you are a homeowner who wants to save energy and money without sacrificing comfort this booklet is for you. It is not a "how-to" book, but a "how much" guide to energy conservation investments. For your climate and the type of energy used to heat and cool your house, this booklet tells what combination of energy conservation improvements to invest in to get the largest, long run net savings in your heating and cooling bills. Of course, there are many ways to save energy in your house. You can save energy by dialing down thermostats in winter and setting them higher in the summer, turning off lights, shutting drapes, closing off unused rooms, and tuning up your furnace every few years. But there are other effective ways to save energy and money on your monthly fuel billsand still keep your house at comfortable temperatures. By investing in the energy conservation improvements described in this booklet, you can permanently reduce the amount of energy used to heat and cool your house. These improvements include the installation of insulation in the attic and walls, under floors, and around ducts in unheated areas; storm windows and doors; and weather stripping and caulking. These energy conservation improvements are wise investments if you can be sure they'll save you enough money on heating and cooling bills to pay for themselves. If you think that doing too much or too little can be a waste of your money, you're right! That's why the National Bureau of Standards, in cooperation with the Federal Energy Administration, has published this guide-to help you balance your energy budget and get the most for your money. You may be surprised to learn how much insulation you should install. In some parts of the country, when higher priced fuels are used, R-38 insulation (about 12 inches of mineral fiber batts) in the attic is recommended to give the best results. Even in milder climates, R-30 insulation (about 10 inches) may be economically justified if you use oil or electric heating at current high prices. You may be just as surprised to learn that investing in energy conservation improvements now can earn you greater dividends than putting your money in the bank! By using the guidelines in this booklet, you will be doing your part to help conserve our country's energy resources-which will help assure the continued availability of energy to heat and cool your house. But most important to you right now, by reducing your monthly fuel bills, you will be saving money. 62-963 - 76-42 MINN Energy conservation improvements not only increase your family's comfort, but also cut down on unwanted, outside noise. FIGURING YOUR ENERGY CONSERVATION BUDGET To find the "best combination" of energy conservation measures for your climate and fuel prices, use the tables on the following pages. This best combination gives you the largest, long run net savings on your heating and cooling costs for your investment. By comparing this best combination with what already exists in your house, you can figure out how much more needs to be added to bring your house up to the recommended levels. The recommended improvements apply to most houses to the extent they can be installed without structurally modifying the house. Recommended improvements are based on sample costs given in Table 7. If your costs are substantially different, see page 9. Follow the steps outlined below and fill in the information for your house on Worksheet A. We have filled in the information for a typical house located in Indianapolis, Indiana. 1 Locate your city on the Heating Zone Map below. (Our house is located in Heating Zone III.) 8 3 Our house currently uses fuel oil at a cost of 34g a gallon to heat. It uses electricity at 4g a kilowatt hour to cool. Obtain your unit heating and cooling costs from the utility companies as follows: Tell your company how many therms (for gas) or kilowatt hours (for electricity) you use in a typical winter month and summer month (if you have air conditioning). The number of therms or kilowatt hours is on your monthly fuel bill. Ask for the cost of the last therm or kilowatt hour used, including all taxes, surcharges, and fuel adjustments. For oil heating, the unit fuel cost is simply your average cost per gallon plus taxes, surcharges, and fuel adjustments. 4 Locate your Heating Index from Table 1 by finding the number at the intersection of your Heating Zone row and heating fuel cost column (to the nearest cost shown). (Our house has a Heating Index of 20.) If your house is air conditioned, or you plan to add air conditioning, find your Cooling Indexes from steps 5 and 6. If your house is not air conditioned and it is not planned, your Cooling Indexes are zero. *Cost of last unit used (for heating and cooling purposes) including all taxes, surcharges, and fuel adjustments. 7 Find the sum of your Heating Index and Cooling Index for Attics. (Our sum is 25.) 8 Find the sum of your Heating Index and Cooling Index for Walls. (Our sum is 22.) |