  Shop light conversion: $36

This results in a grand total investment of $1,262. 

Our utility bills have been paid through the end of 2009 and our total annual savings has climbed to $912.18

Progress: as of end of  2009 vs 2007

• Electricity – 67.7%
• Natural Gas – 80.5%
• Water – 83.0%
• Utility Costs – 75.3%
• Savings 2008 – $  200.15
• Savings 2009 – $  912.18
• Total Savings – $1112.33

What this means is that we are about half way to cutting our utility costs by 50% and we have already recovered 88% of what we have invested so far.  Furthermore, we have only invested about 15% of what we will save over five years once we cut our utility costs by 50%.   Our plan for 2010 is to invest another $900 or so, and increase our savings to $1,150 or more for the year.

So far some of the projects that we are considering are:

• Insulate the Crawlspace – $100   Actual Cost
• Insulate the Living Room – $450  Estimate
• Install a Dual Flush Conversion Kit – $55  Estimate
• Complete Weatherizing Walls and Windows – $45  Estimate
• Two DIY Rain Barrels with Soaker Hoses – $80  Estimate

Stay tuned, more updates coming soon!

Dan Bossenbroek

Heating System:

• Type:  Furnace, Boiler, Baseboard, Stove, Heat Pump (Ground or Air Source), Solar: ___________________, Other ____________
• Efficiency:  _______%
• Size: ____________
• Fuel Type:  Natural Gas, Propane, Fuel Oil, Electricity, Wood, Pellet, Coal, Solar, Other _____________

Cooling System:

• Type:  Condenser, Window Unit, Heat Pump (Ground or Air Source), Whole House Fan, Window Fans, Passive Thermal, Other ____________
• Efficiency:  _______%
• Size: ____________
• Fuel Type:  Natural Gas, Propane, Electricity, Other _____________

Distribution System:

• Type: Ducts, Pipes, Radiators, Steam, Hot Water, In Floor Radiant, Other ________________
• Insulation Type:  None, Sealed, Radiant, Fiberglass, Other ______________

Hot Water Heater:

• Type:  Tank, Tank-less, Solar, Other ________________
• Efficiency:  _______%
• Size: ____________
• Fuel Type:  Natural Gas, Propane, Fuel Oil, Electricity, Heat Pump, Sun, Other _____________
• Pipe Insulation Type:  None, Sealed, Foam, Radiant, Fiberglass, Other ______________

Thermostat:

• Type:  Standard, Programmable (5 day/2 day, 5/1/1 day, or 7 day), Other ________________
• Settings:

Now you have completed the first five steps for your Home Energy Audit and you are well on your way to understanding where all of that energy that you pay for is used.  The goal of the audit is to find the most cost effective ways to save energy and water.  The end goal is to implement energy and water saving strategies and install energy conservation products and save hundreds if not thousands of dollars, every year.

Dan Bossenbroek

	_
Dual Flush Toilet Kit	American Standard 4035.216.020 FloWise Dual Flush 12″ Toilet Tank, White	Kohler K-3654-0 Persuade two-piece elongated toilet with Dual Flush Technology, less seat, White	Kohler K-3564-0 Saile elongated one-piece toilet with dual flush technology and Saile Quiet-Close toilet seat with Quick-Release functionality, White

Cut your water usage down to 1.6 and 0.8 gallons per flush with a conversion kit or a new toilet.  A family of four will save as much as 18,000 gallons of water and $170.00 annually over a 3.5-gallon toilet.

I’ve decided to turn the clock back to 2007 for the official start of our Net 50 Energy Challenge since that is when we began to

implement energy saving strategies on our house.  So here is the scoop: our family of four moved to a 2200 square foot, two story brick and aluminum sided house with a partial basement and no garage in the winter of 2005.  In 2007 we used 14,227 KW of electricity, 1,145 CCF of natural gas and 106 CCF of water.  Through the end of July this year we have used 65.6% as much electricity, 77.3% as much natural gas, and 89.1% as much water as we did through July of 2007.  So already we are averaging about a 26% reduction in utility costs.

To date, these are the water and energy saving products we have used:

• Installed radiant barrier/insulation in the attic:  $400.
• Added R-19 insulation to a portion of the attic:  $100.
• Replaced almost all light bulbs with CFL’s (the rest we don’t use much and we’ll replace when they burn out):  $56.
• Weather stripping and door sweeps installed on all exterior doors and screen/storm doors:  $25.
• The entire front yard (except for the tree lawn) has been changed into a garden of drought tolerant plants:  $400. (I’m only counting 50% of this since it is one of our hobbies as well.)
• Use clear plastic film window insulation on all windows throughout the winter, and on east and wet windows throughout the year:  $24.
• Insulated some ductwork and sealed all ducts in basement:  $35.
• Employ most of the Green Free Fifteen, I haven’t been able to break my night owl tendencies:  $0 – The operative word is FREE.
• Installed a low flow showerhead:  $20.
• Upgraded our computer, Windows Vista, with a flat screen monitor:  $0 – Needed to upgrade anyway.
• Built a trellis for a wisteria vine that acts as a sun shade through the summer:  $0 – Used branches from a tree that fell in our back yard.
• And numerous water saving activities: $0 – again changes in habits that don’t cost anything.

This results in a grand total investment of $1,060. 

The Goal:  To reduce our annual consumption to 7,113 KW of grid fed electricity, 577 CCF of natural gas and 53 CCF of potable water.

The Cost:  Our total utility cost for 2007 was $3,278.  So, once we cut our utility bills in half, we will save $1,640 a year, at 2007 utility rates.  Therefore if we invest $8,200 in energy and water saving products and strategies, we will recover our investment in five years, and if we invest $11,480 it will take seven years.  However, since our utility rates have gone up about 15% over the past two years our savings will continue to grow and grow.

Next Step:  To walk you through an energy audit of my house, hoping that you will follow along and do a similar energy audit on your house.

Dan Bossenbroek

1.     Buy an energy star front loading washing machine.

Energy Star Washing Machine

2.     Install a water saving toilet.

3.     Skip taking a shower once in a while.

4.     Wear your clothes more than once between washes.

5.     Use a watering timer when watering your lawn and garden.

6.     Use a moisture meter to make sure you need to water.

7.     Install an instant hot water heater – hot water will be at the tap sooner.

8.     Insulate your hot water pipes.

9.     Install aerators on all of your faucets.

10.   Use a toilet tank water saver.

11.   Turn off the water when you brush your teeth.

12.   Skip shaving once in a while.

13.   Install a waterless urinal.

14.   Replace your thirsty lawn with indigenous, drought resistant plants.

15.   Capture the first gallon of cold water that comes out of your shower and use it to brush your teeth or water your plants.

Drought Resistant Plants

16.    Install a composting toilet.

17.    Switch to low flow showerheads.

18.    Fix a leaky faucet or toilet.

19.    Buy a membership at the pool instead of your own pool.

20.    Put the scraps from your plates in to a worm bin instead of down the disposal.

21.    Stop rinsing off your dishes before you put them in your new dishwasher, they usually don’t need this.

22.    Drop that tissue in the trash, not the toilet and save a flush.

23.    Clean up the dishes immediately after you use them so the leftovers don’t dry on and stick like glue.

24.    Take shorter showers – keep them to five minutes or less.

25.    Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap until the water gets cold.

26.    Fill up your dishwasher before you run it.

27.    Keep potted plants indoors instead of cur flowers.

28.    Install a drip irrigation system in your gardens.  Connect it to rain barrels.

29.    Water your lawn and garden on the morning – less evaporation.

30.    Patronize a carwash that recycles the water it uses.

31.    Make sure that your sprinkler system (or sprinkler) is not watering the sidewalk or street.

32.    Install a dual flush toilet.

33.    Switch to an energy star dishwasher.

34.    Install covers on pools and spas to help prevent evaporation.

35.    Only do full loads of laundry.

36.    Plant a tree or more to shade your lawn and/or your garden.

37.    Replace water hungry plants for indigenous, drought resistant plants.

38.    Install a greywater (used water from showers and sinks) system and use the water to flush your toilets.

39.    Install a dual flush conversion kit.

40.    Use captured rainwater to fill water features.

41.    Raise your lawn mower setting.  Longer grass retains water better.

42.    Don’t run the water when you wash dishes, fill up one sink to wash and another to rinse.

43.    Avoid planting in the summer when watering requirements are higher,

44.    Think about saving water and you will,

45.    Wash produce in a bowl of water or a partially filled sink instead of continuously running the water.

46.    Turn the water off while you shave.

47.    Two uses per flush.

48.    When you take a shower turn off the water while you lather and wash.

49.    Switch to an electric shaver.

50.    Sweep your driveway, patio and deck instead of washing them off with the hose.

51.    Don’t send the water from your downspouts out into the street but direct it towards your shrubs and gardens.

52.    Use a small plate instead of a large one whenever possible, to cut down on dishwasher loads.

53.    Collect the water from your dehumidifier and water your plants with it.

54.    Check to see that your toilet flappers are working properly.

55.    Two young kids in the same tub = ten gallons of water saved.

56.    Take a shower once a month, whether you need one or not.

57.    Get your kids involved and teach them to turn the water off when they are done washing their hands (for instance).

58.    Stop watering your lawn and garden before the soil becomes saturated.

59.    Use a rain gauge to make sure that you don’t over water your lawn or garden.

60.    Buy a rain barrel and use the water to water your plants.

61.    Adjust your water softener so that it regenerates only as often as necessary.

62.    Use a spray gun nozzle when you wash your car.

63.    Weed your lawn and garden frequently to keep them from stealing water from your plants.

64.    Add compost or other organic matter to your garden soil so that it will retain water better.

65.    Fix or replace a leaky hose bib.

66.    Take the dirty mop water outside and water some plants with it.

67.    Avoid planting in containers as they tend to require more water.

68.    Use hand sanitizer instead of washing your hands sometimes.

69.    Set a sprinkler in the area of lawn that needs water the most when your kids want to cool off.

70.    Steam your vegetables when you cook and give the leftover water to a thirsty plant.

71.    Use one glass all day for your drinking water and it will take longer to fill up your dishwasher.

72.    Capture the water that you washed the produce with to water your houseplants.

73.    Let food thaw in the refrigerator instead of using running water.

74.    Let your lawn “go wild.”   You won’t need to water it at all, but your neighbors might not be too happy with you.

75.    Pour the melted ice in your cup on a houseplant.

76.    Shave your head or cut your hair short – you will spend a lot less time washing your hair.

77.    Park your car in the grass before you wash it.

78.    Use collected rainwater to flush your toilets.

79.    Plug the tub before you turn on the water and just add more hot water as it fills up.

80.    Try to use only one plate or bowl per person for each meal, this will lead to fewer dishwasher loads.

81.    Check for leaks in your pool.

82.    Take tandem showers: as soon as one person is done the next hops in.

83.    Avoid using too much fertilizer.  Fertilizer promotes plant growth and this will also increase your watering needs.

84.    Give your dog a bath in the water your kids just bathed in.

85.    Plant a rain garden and direct some of your downspouts there.

86.    Mulch your gardens with organic mulch, it will help keep the soil moist.

87.    Jump in the shower before the water gets warm and enjoy a refreshing start to your day.

88.    Partially fill the sink with water when rinsing the dishes instead of letting the water continuously run.

89.    Mulch your gardens with recycled rubber mulch, it will allow all of the water to reach your plants and also 

Recycled Mulch

help to keep the soil from drying out.

90.    Serve food in the pots that you cooked the food in and it will take longer to fill the dishwasher.

91.    Use a soaker hose instead of a sprinkler.

92.    When you refill the pet’s water bowl, give the old water to your plants.

93.    Grow your own vegetables, organically so all they need is a quick rinse.

94.    Water your lawn or garden with the water from your fish tank when it is time to clean it.

95.    Convert a portion of your lawn into a patio or deck – they never need to be watered.

96.    Don’t allow water to run down slopes and hill when you water them.  Water for a few short periods with a few minutes between each.

97.    Use organic fertilizers to promote slow healthy growth.

98.    Measure how much you water your lawn or garden with a rain gauge or empty can to prevent over watering.

99.    Water your lawn once every three weeks or less and let your lawn go dormant during the summer.

100. Put a bucket in the shower with you and use the captured water to flush the toilet.

101. Share water saving tips with your family and friends.

Have fun and start saving!

Dan Bossenbroek

1. Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFL’s): Replace any incandescent bulb in your house that you use ½ hour or more per day immediately. These will pay for themselves in a year or less, that’s at least a 100% return on your investment. Replace the remaining incandescent bulbs as they burn out. Two words of caution: many CFL’s don’t work too well in cold or wet locations, and CFL’s contain mercury, so dispose of the burned out ones properly.

2. Weatherize Your House: Plug all the cracks in the exterior walls of your house, they can be found around doors & windows, pipes & wires that poke through the wall, and between different siding materials. Also seal all of the outlets, switches and light fixtures that are in any exterior walls or ceilings below an attic. There are a multitude of products that can be used to accomplish this: weather stripping, door sweeps, sealant, foam insulation, outlet and switch gaskets, and aluminum tape, to name several.

3. Insulate, insulate, insulate: Walls, attics and basements should all have adequate insulation. Adding insulation to your walls and attic is one of the most cost effective ways to save energy. First determine how much insulation is recommended in your area, and then add insulation to your attic, walls and then basement to the recommended levels. Fiberglass and cellulose are two of the best insulation choices for your attic. Determining the correct insulation for your walls is a little more complicated, foam insulation is an additional choice here. In your basement, fiberglass batts are typically the insulation of choice.

4. Light up the Night: LED (Light Emitting Diode) nightlights are the most cost effective way to add a little bit of light in just the right places throughout your home. LED bulbs are about 10 times more efficient than incandescent bulbs and 50% more efficient than fluorescent bulbs. By using LED nightlights you can turn off many of the lights that you might leave on so that you can safely walk around your house at night. Consider using a couple of 1 watt night lights instead of a 10 watt fixture.

5. Programmable Thermostat: Turning down the thermostat every night in the winter, turning it up in the morning, down again while you are gone at work and up again when you get home is a great way to save on you heating bills, but can become a real hassle. It’s easy to forget to adjust it, and even when you do remember, it’s a bit chilly in the morning when you wake up. A programmable thermostat will remember to adjust the thermostat for you, and can be set to warm things up a little before you have to get up in the morning. Programmable thermostats: saving energy made easy.

6. Low-Flow Showerheads: Not only will you save water with these water misers, but you will save the energy that heats the water for a double savings on your utility bills.

7. Water Heater Insulation: Another thing that you should consider insulating is your hot water heater, especially if it is warm to the touch.

8. Solar Lighting: Install a few miniature photovoltaic systems to provide accent light in your garden and security lights where needed. Solar powered fixtures have made great strides lately with the advances in battery, LED and solar panel technologies. The increased efficiency of the collectors, smaller size of the batteries and the increased bulb life and output of LED lamps and the decrease in cost of all three will allow the solar powered lights of today to shine brighter and longer than those made just a few years ago.

9. Window Fans: You may want to consider a Window Fan to cool your house during the night when the temperatures are significantly lower than they are in the day. Many times your house or apartment can be cooled off to such an extent that you can close your windows in the morning and the temperature inside will stay quite comfortable for most if not all of the day. Window fans create a great cool breeze throughout the house and can even lower the temperature inside lower than an air conditioner would.

10. Clothes Dryer Heat: There is a handy gadget available that attaches to your dryer vent and directs the warm humid air from your electric clothes dryer back into your laundry room instead of outside through the dryer vent. It has a screen that is easy to clean and a movable damper so that the hot air can be directed outside during the cooling season.

11. Radiant Insulation: More than half of the heat lost up through your roof in the winter and that comes down into your house in the summer is radiant (infrared) heat. Traditional fiberglass bat and cellulose insulation work well to slow conductive and convective heat flow, but don’t do much to stem the radiant heat flow. Radiant insulation reflects the heat back down into your house in the winter and back up through the roof in the summer so that it never has the chance to heat up your attic. Hence, it keeps your attic much cooler in summer and warmer in winter, greatly reducing the difference in temperature between the inside of your house and the attic and in the size of your energy bills both in summer and winter.

12. Drip Irrigation System: Spraying water all over an entire garden might simulate natural rainfall, but it is not the most efficient way to water your plants. Drip irrigation is a method of watering plants by which pipes and/or hoses are run through the garden and emitters or holes in the hoses for water to leak out are placed at the bases of the plants. This way, water is delivered only where it is needed, at the roots. Very little water is wasted through evaporation and none should run down your driveway and make it into the local storm sewer. These systems are very inexpensive and fairly easy to install.

13. Furnace Filter Whistle: Not only will a dirty furnace filter reduce your furnaces efficiency, it will also increase the wear and tear on your furnace. Thus, it pays to replace your furnace regularly, but when should you change your filter? Some say that you should change it once a month, others say once a quarter. Regardless of how often, it is very easy to forget. A Furnace Filter Whistle takes away all of the guess work, and remembering by telling you when your filter needs to be replaced.

14. Space Heater: In the cold of winter it’s great to feel warm and cozy, but you don’t have to turn up the thermostat and heat your entire house. Use a space heater or two to heat the few spaces that you are actually using and save on your heating bills.

15. Hot Water Pipe Insulation: With this strategy you can save energy and water. Pre-slit foam insulation is easy to install, just cut it to length and fasten in place with a little duct tape. By insulating your hot water pipes you will not have to wait as long for hot water to reach the faucet and you can also make sure your pipes don’t freeze in your unheated crawl space.

By employing these fifteen mostly inexpensive strategies in your home, you will be able to save energy, water and hundreds of dollars every year on your energy bills all while making your home more comfortable to live in.

Dan Bossenbroek 

1. Turn Off the Lights:  This is a favorite of dads everywhere.  I can still hear my dad, and now I’m repeating it to my kids:  “When you leave a room, turn off the lights.”
2. Turn Down / Up the Thermostat:  By adjusting your thermostat down a few degrees in the winter and up a few more in the summer you can make a significant cut in your heating and cooling bills.  There can be added benefits to doing this: more snuggling in the winter and less clothing in the summer.
3. Stingy Showers:  By taking shorter showers or even skipping one here and there, you can save thousands of gallons of water a year.  As an added bonus, your energy bills will go down as well, since it typically costs more to heat the water for your shower than for the water itself.
4. Wear it Once More:  Wear your blue jeans and dress shirt more than once before you wash it and save hundreds of gallons of water and cut your energy bills at the same time.
5. Power Down:  Don’t just let your computer sit there and let the screen saver run all day.  If you are going to be away from your computer for more than a half an hour, go ahead and turn it off.
6. Line Dry Your Clothes:  Hanging your clothes out to dry will not only save you energy, but your clothes will smell better (no dryer sheets required), be less wrinkled (saving you on ironing), and will last longer – effectively saving you money four ways.
7. Open the Windows:  On those wonderful days where it is in the 80’s in the afternoon, but temperatures drop to the 60’s over night, open all your windows when the temperature drops below 78° (recommended thermostat setting in the summer) at night and let that cool air in.  Then in the morning close all your windows to keep the heat of the day out.  With the help of a couple of window fans you can easily avoid turning on your air conditioner well into May or even June (depending of course on where you live).
8. Open the Drapes:  On those wonderful sunny winter days, open the drapes and let the sunshine in.  This energy from the sun will help to warm your house and help to lower your heating bills a little too.
9. Close the Drapes:  Yet, on warm summer days that very same sunshine can be an unwelcome guest in your house and a considerable burden on your air conditioner.  On those days, closing the drapes can keep the temperature in your house several degrees cooler and keep your air conditioner from running quite as much.
10. Wave it:  On of the most efficient method of cooking is with a microwave oven.  Microwaves concentrate the cooking energy on the food and avoid heating up an entire oven, stovetop or even kitchen.
11. Keep it Raw:  Better yet, eat it raw.  Avoid cooking all together and enjoy a green salad, but keep in mind that a green salad need not be limited to some lettuce and spinach, with a few baby carrots and cherry tomatoes thrown in.  Consider adding several of the following: onions, radishes, any one of a variety of nuts, broccoli, peas, cucumbers, celery, bell peppers, cheese.  Along with your salad you could enjoy a deli sandwich and some fruit.  Why heat up your food and your kitchen, especially on those how summer days?
12. Wash in Cold:  Many laundry detergents these days do a fine job of cleaning clothes in cold water.  By washing your clothes in cold water your clothes will still get clean and your hot water heater will get a break.
13. Close it Off:  Many houses built over the past ten to twenty years have a room that is called a living room on the floor plans, but it is there primarily for resale value and is seldom used.  Many of these same houses have a guest bedroom as well that may be used a few times a year.  By closing off these rooms your heating and cooling bills could be significantly reduced.
14. Up with the Sun:  “Early to bed early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise.”  This may be an old idiom by Franklin, but is also good advice if you want to save some money on your lighting bills.  If you don’t stay up so late you can turn off all those lights and save a little money. 
15. Be a Water Miser:  Only turn the water on when you need it when you are brushing your teeth and shaving and you can save hundreds of gallons of water a year.

Take a few free steps to save some energy and water, along the way you will find a little extra money in your wallet as well.

Dan Bossenbroek