Energy Efficient Lighting

As one of the easiest areas to save energy and money, conserving lighting energy is literally an on/off proposition. From energy saving tips to special light bulbs and lamps, there are a wide variety of recommendations to make your home more energy efficient.

-Switching to Energy Efficient Lighting
Lighting comprises about 11% of your home’s energy bill. We recommend changing your old incandescent bulbs to ENERGY STAR certified Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL) and/or Light-Emitting Diodes (LED). When selecting your ENERGY STAR bulbs, you’ll choose from brightness, color shade and dimmable options, similar to incandescent bulbs.

CFL bulbs work best for open fixtures that allow airflow, such as table and floor lamps, hanging lamps, wall sconces and outdoor fixtures. They provide the greatest savings when used in fixtures turned on for more than 15 minutes at a time.

By making this switch, you’ll experience the following benefits:

-Use about 75% less energy. While producing the same amount of light, each bulb saves you about $6 per year in electricity costs, or more than $40 over the lifetime of the bulb. Plus, each bulb pays for itself in about six months. Use ENERGY STAR bulbs with light fixtures you leave on the longest.
-Produce 75% less heat. Less heat makes ENERGY STAR CFL or LED bulbs safer to operate and reduces the amount of energy needed to cool your home in the summer.
-Last 6 to 25 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Nice for those hard-to-reach fixtures!

These are simple tips that anyone can do. But it's only a start of making your home more energy efficient. Contact Home Solutions Depot for a full home energy audit.

www.homesolutionsdepot.com | (386) 310-1719 | (407) 801-4037 | plus.google.com/115671114080347514298

A Few Tips To Reduce Appliance Energy Consumption

Responsible for about 21% of a typical home’s energy usage, appliances consume more energy than you think. Learn how ENERGY STAR certified appliances use up to 50% less energy than standard models without losing any features or functionality.

Refrigerators
On average, refrigerators make up about 8% of your home’s energy usage. ENERGY STAR certified refrigerators use about 15% less energy than non-certified models. When looking for a new model, consider a top-mounted freezer (uses about 10% to 25% less energy), a smaller refrigerator (ideally 16-20 cubic feet) and no ice maker and dispenser.

To save more energy:
- Set your refrigerator between 35° and 38°F.
- Set your freezer between 0° and 5°F.
- Position your refrigerator in a cool location away from heat sources, such as an oven, furnace register or direct sunlight.
- Make sure you provide a few inches of open space behind the refrigerator for air to circulate.

Clothes Washers
Water heating consumes about 90% of the energy used when washing clothes. ENERGY STAR certified clothes washers remove more water in the spin cycle, reducing the amount of time you need to run the dryer.

To save more energy:
- Consider a front-loading washer. They use nearly 40% less water and 50% less energy than top-loading machines.
- Change your washer settings from hot to warm. You’ll cut your energy use by 50%.
- Switch to the cold water setting to save even more.

When you're ready to change your house into an energy efficient home, contact Home Solutions Depot.

www.homesolutionsdepot.com | (386) 310-1719 | (407) 801-4037 | plus.google.com/115671114080347514298

What To Consider When Buying A Home

Have you ever thought about how much more home you could buy if you didn’t have to spend as much on energy bills? For instance, if you could reduce your monthly energy bill by $100, you could more comfortably afford a larger mortgage—whether that means a larger home or something in a better neighborhood.

Understand how much your new home energy will cost you 
Ask that your home’s seller present you with a year’s worth of energy bills. This will give you a good estimate of how much you’ll pay in the future. Of course, keep in mind that energy rates will probably increase, not decrease.

Understand how efficient the home you are considering is
Get an assessment of various energy features, such as insulation, lighting, appliances, heating and cooling. These and other things affect the efficiency of the house.

Develop a plan to reduce energy bills
Understanding what the inefficiencies are and then how to rectify them. Many people like to begin with the largest inefficiency first. Another way to prioritize is by choosing the inefficiency that costs the least to implement. Little changes add up. Also learn about rebates that may be available to assist with energy efficiency improvements.

Understand how the home will perform during hot and cold seasons
For instance, does the house get extremely hot during hot weather, and does it not stay warm enough in cold weather? An efficient home should maintain a good temperature throughout the house and throughout the seasons.

All of these issues can be addressed with a Home Energy Audit that can be performed during the home buying process, just like a home inspection. A home energy auditor will inspect your home, report back to you on how efficient the home is, and also make recommendations.

When you’re armed with information, you’ll be in a better position to end up with the house that’s best for you. Whether you're about to buy a home, or are already a home owner, a Home Energy Audit from Home Solutions Depot can help to lower your energy costs.

www.homesolutionsdepot.com | (386) 310-1719 | (407) 801-4037