Mommy Goes Green

I admit I’m becoming a bit of a green geek.  I’m giddy when I get our electric bill.  I rip it open to see how much less energy we used this month over the same time period last year and the cost savings aren’t too shabby either.  Over the last 6 months, we’ve saved $200.  If nothing else – do it for the cost savings!

There are tons of ways you can save energy and we have incorporated some of them over the last two years, most of which I can’t even remember because they’ve become a part of our daily life.  A great way to get started on saving energy is to have a home energy audit.

According to the U.S. Dept of Energy, a home energy audit is the first step to assess how much energy your home consumes and to evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more energy efficient. An audit will show you problems that may, when corrected, save you significant amounts of money over time. During the audit, you can pinpoint where your house is losing energy. Audits also determine the efficiency of your home’s heating and cooling systems. An audit may also show you ways to conserve hot water and electricity. You can perform a simple energy audit yourself, or have a professional energy auditor carry out a more thorough audit.

First, look into a professional energy audit as it may be free or low cost.  Call your local energy company to see if they perform audits or can recommend a company that does. For example, in the Portland, Oregon Metropolitan Area, the Energy Trust of Oregon, will perform a free one hour home energy review for homes built in 1995 or older ( newer homes are typically more energy efficient). 

In southern California, Sears has a division called The Blue Climate Crew that will do an energy audit and credit you back the cost when you purchase products from Sears – great idea particularly if you are considering purchasing a new appliance.

Here’s a list of agencies, by state, that perform home energy audits, in conjunction with Energy Star.

If you can’t find a reasonably priced option, do a simple energy audit yourself by following the Dept of Energy’s guide or Energy Star’s online “Home Energy Yardstick“.  For more energy saving ideas and those we use in our home, check out the MGG ‘Beginner’s Guide to Saving Energy’.