ON THE MOVE WITH ENERGY EFFICIENCY

hether you are on the move in your car or making a move to a new home, energy efficiency can significantly reduce yourIllustration of family moving into a house operating costs. 

Looking to rent or buy a new home? If you have previously experienced costly repairs to achieve savings and comfort, you may know the value of a quality, energy-efficient home. Beyond earlier points in this booklet, how might you know if a home is built to the highest efficiency standards?

Power$mart Tips

Look for new homes with the Energy Star label -- now in 47 states. They are certified to use at least 30 percent less energy than required by the national Model Energy Code and typically feature high-performance windows, advanced insulation and sealing, and high-efficiency appliances and heating/cooling systems. (Energy Star homes site: www.epa.gov/appdstar/homes)
Obtain a home energy rating to determine a home’s relative energy efficiency prior to pur-chasing to see what upgrades would have the greatest payoff. The cost can sometimes be financed as part of an energy-efficient mortgage.
Increase your borrowing power and lower your overall home ownership cost with an energy-efficient mortgage (EEM). Lower monthly utility bills enable you to qualify for a higher mortgage for an efficient home or to borrow additional money to improve your home’s efficiency. (Obtain home energy rating and EEM information from your local utility, state energy office, lender, or <www.ase.org>) 

Energy Consciousness Tips

Consider landscaping around the home. Planting evergreen trees on the north side and deciduous (leafy) trees on the south side of a home can block winter winds and summer sun. 

You can rest assured that energy-efficient homes, products, and cars will do the work of cutting your utility and gasoline bills, increasing your comfort, and decreasing pollution day after day, year after year. They pay off now and in the future.
Power$mart and Energy Consciousness Car Tips 
  • If you are in the market for a new car, think high gas mileage to save hundreds of dollars in fuel bills over the life of the car and reduce pollution and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • If car buyers bought the most efficient cars in each class, they could reduce the nation’s CO2 emissions by some 14 million tons and save 1.47 billion gallons of gasoline annually, greatly reducing U.S. growing reliance on foreign oil.
  • Improve your existing or new car’s fuel economy 9 percent (about 2 mpg) to save 43 gallons, $53 dollars, and 820 pounds of CO2 emissions annually by taking three easy steps: (1) get a tune-up to improve fuel economy 6-9 percent, (2) drive a little slower -- for each mph you drive less than 65, you save about 2 percent, and (3) properly inflate the tires so that you don’t lose 1-2 percent in fuel economy for each pound of under-inflation.