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Energy-Wise Homes

Since 60 percent of the energy used in Montgomery County’s homes comes from coal, oil, and other fossil fuels, home energy use is a significant contribution to global warming. Reducing energy use in the home decreases your impact on the environment and saves you money. 

This web page offers tips to reduce your energy use all around the home.  Watch a video of a local homeowner who has saved hundreds of dollars through energy-reduction measures.  Or, watch video clips embedded throughout this page.  

Get a Home Energy Audit

A home energy audit identifies specific home improvements you can make to reduce energy costs and improve the comfort and health of your home.  DEP’s Home Energy Audit web page provides more information on home energy audits and how to find an energy auditor.

Quick Tip! Find a certified Home Energy Auditor through the Maryland Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program.

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Choose Energy-Efficient Lighting

Compact Fluorescent and Light Emitting Diode Lights                                                             Lighting accounts for about 20% of a home’s electricity use.  Choose energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs) to reduce energy use.  CFLs pay for themselves in less than a year and last 10 times longer than regular light bulbs so they are great for commonly-used lamps and hard-to-reach locations.  Learn more on DEP's CFL Web page.  

Consider light emitting diode (LED) lights for additional energy savings.  LEDs use less energy than CFLs and last even longer, but are best suited for track lighting, garden lights, and a few other applications.  Ask your home improvement store or lighting professional if LED lighting is right for you.

Quick Tip! Replace your most-frequently used lights with a CFL.   

 See how a local resident saved money with energy-efficient lighting. Watch video! 

               Read the video transcript

Try Solar Lights
Are you interested in solar photovoltaics, but are not yet ready to install solar panels on your home?  Try using solar-powered garden, pathway, and security lights.  These lights are easy to install and don’t draw electric power.  Their operational costs are free!  Small solar panels generate electricity for the lights during the day and store the electricity for use at night.  Solar security lights are also great for power outages. 

Quick Tip!  Outdoor solar lighting products are available in home improvement stores. 

 Check out this homeowner’s reliable outdoor solar lighting system. (Bonus material: Save by cutting phantom power drains.) Watch video! 

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                 Read the video transcript

Save on Heating and Cooling

Seal Your Home
Seal the holes and gaps around the foundation, windows, doors, and attic of your home to stop conditioned air from leaking out, and outside air from leaking in. Often the combined effect of these leaks equals that of leaving a window open all day. Stopping air leaks makes your home more comfortable, and decreases the demand on your heating and cooling system to reduce your energy demand and save you money. 

Quick Tip!  Rope caulk from a home improvement store seals gaps around window frames during the winter.  Rope caulk is easy to install and easy to remove. 

Seal Your Fireplace
Consider using an inflatable bag to seal your chimney when the fireplace is not in use.  Special inflatable bags fit beneath the chimney’s damper and are inflated to fill the space.  Be sure to deflate and remove the bag before starting a fire, and to let the chimney cool completely before re-installing the bag. 

Install a Programmable Thermostat
You wouldn’t leave your TV on when no one is home to watch it, would you?  So why would you keep your heating or cooling system running at its ideal temperature when you are not home?  Install a programmable thermostat to automatically regulate the temperature in your home.  In the winter, decrease the temperature setting while you are away or asleep.  In the summer, increase the temperature setting while you are away.  These actions can save you 2 percent on energy costs for each degree changed.                                                                                                             

Quick Tip!  Install a programmable thermostat yourself.  It’s easy!   Watch an instructional video from This Old House. 

Use Fans to Reduce Heating and Cooling Needs
Used properly, a ceiling fan can help you decrease the demand on your home’s heating or cooling system.  In the winter, set the fan at a low speed in the clockwise direction to force warm air at the ceiling down towards the floor.  This will make the room warmer so you can lower your thermostat a few degrees and reduce heating costs.  In the summer, switch the rotation to the counter-clockwise direction to circulate air around the room creating a cooling effect.  This allows you to increase your thermostat settings a few degrees with little or no loss in comfort.  

Quick Tip!  To reduce use of your energy-guzzling air conditioner consider a whole house fan.  These fans are installed in the center of a home and draw in cool, night air.  Learn more about whole house fans at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Web site. 

 Take a guided tour through a local energy saver’s home to see these heating and cooling solutions in action.  Watch video! 

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              Read the video transcript

Eliminate Phantom Loads

Use Power Strips and Turn Them Off.                                                                               Electronics, devices with digital clocks, and cell phone or other battery chargers draw electricity when plugged in even when they are not actually in use.  These devices consume small amounts of electricity known as phantom loads.  Plug your electronics (TV, DVD player, stereo, and office equipment) into a power strip and switch it off to cut electricity flow to all of these devices. 

Quick Tip!  TV set-top boxes and cable/DSL modems get daily updates via your provider.  Keep these electronics directly plugged into the wall so the signals you receive for the TV and Internet are not interrupted. 

 See how a local homeowner reduced his phantom power drains. Watch video!          

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           Read the video transcript

Use Energy-Efficient Appliances

Appliances and electronics are responsible for nearly 20 percent of a home's energy bill.  Energy-efficient appliances reduce energy costs.  ENERGY STAR makes finding energy-efficient appliances and consumer electronics easy.  The ENERGY STAR Web site will also give you tips on how to operate appliances with maximum energy savings.

 See how much one local homeowner saved by switching to an ENERGY STAR-qualified refrigerator.  Watch video!  
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                                Read the video transcript

Save on Hot Water

Insulate Your Water Heater and Reduce the Temperature                                                             Heating water accounts for about 13 percent of a home's utility bill, making it an easy way to save money.  Reduce heat loss as water is stored in the heater and flows through pipes to your faucet by insulating your water heater and pipes.  Learn how to insulate your water heater and pipes on the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Heater Web site.  
 

Quick Tip!  Save money and protect yourself from burns by setting your water heater at 120 degrees Fahrenheit.  Every 10 degree temperature reduction can save 3 to 5 percent on water heating costs.   

 Snoop in a neighbor’s basement to see how to insulate the hot water heater and the pipes.  Watch video! 

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                                     Read the video transcript

Tell Us About Your Energy Savings!

Have you tried any of these energy-saving measures at home, or do you have a tip you'd like to share?  Tell us!  Email us at AskDEP.  Please include your name and address in the email.   

Energy-Efficiency and Renewable Energy Incentives

Several incentives are available for home energy-efficiency and renewable energy projects.  Visit the Energy-Efficiency and Renewable Energy Incentives Web page for more information. 

Quick Tip!  To get the best bang for your buck, be sure to make your home is as energy-efficient as possible before considering a renewable energy project.  The money you save on lower energy bills can be used to finance a renewable energy project. 

Energy Fact Sheets 

The fact sheets below provide information to help you save energy, use clean renewable energy sources, and protect the environment.  Read these fact sheets on-line, download and print them for distribution at local events, or share with your friends, neighbors, and community organizations.

Energy Efficient Landscaping - Summer Edition   (PDF, 121KB)
Properly positioning trees around your home to reduce the amount of sunlight striking rooftops, walls, and windows can lower cooling costs by up to 25 percent.

Energy Efficient Landscaping - Winter Edition   (PDF, 146KB)
Long-term and attractive landscaping solutions can reduce high heating costs by deflecting cold winds and drafts, while providing indoor comfort and increasing property values.

Energy Efficient Washers and Dryers   (PDF, 193KB)
A typical household spends about 150 dollars every year on energy for laundry.  This fact sheet offers tips on doing laundry with both reduced costs and environmental impacts.

Solar Hot Water   (PDF, 100KB)

Solar energy is a clean, renewable source of light, heat, and electricity.  This energy can be harnessed to heat water for your home.  Grants available through the Maryland Energy Administration and federal tax incentives make installing a solar hot water heater an easy decision for homeowners and businesses. 

Solar Power   (PDF, 100KB)
Solar energy can be used to generate electricity for your home or business.  The Maryland Energy Administration Solar Grant Program and federal tax incentives make solar energy more affordable and a wise investment for everyone.

Summer Cooling Tips   (PDF, 279KB)
Energy costs often spike in the summer due to the additional electricity needed to run air conditioners.  This fact sheet offers a few simple steps to save energy while cooling your home to save you money and help protect the environment.

Winter Heating Tips   (PDF, 1,112KB) 
Use these energy saving tips to stay warm while keeping your heating costs down. 

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