The thing that has made the most difference is when we added on to the house, we set it up so that the new and old parts each had their own heating & a/c . Now that the kids have moved out the old part system runs less, unless I'm in my sewing room.

Lifestyle changes: eliminated processed foods so reduced garbage, shop less frequently and grow more in garden, have a few chickens for eggs and pest control. For the house itself, replace old appliances with energy smart, water saving, etc., as needed, and reduced our dependence on electricity even though we went all-electric a number of years ago. Little things add up. Big savings in heating and cooling after enclosing big porches around entries, which cost a lot less to heat or cool, when we rarely need to do so: solar gain via big windows in the winter, cool in the summer by pulling shades.

Better insulation and less heat during the night and when we are away...the programable electronic thermostat is a must for our cold canadian winters...

Closed cell insulation, tight pack cellulose, new windows, gap sealing, energy efficient window coverings, composting nearly everything, and on and on. A new roof and more insulation are in the plans.

When my husband and I replaced our old appliances, we purchased only energy star appliances. The same with our window a/c units--they are all energy star. Almost all of the lights in our house are LED! Luckily the people who owned our house before us already installed new energy efficient windows. We also have a new programmable thermostat.

Yes we did! Building a new house makes you even more aware of the choices you have. ALL our lights in the house are LED, only have the lights on in the room where we are that moment, all our appliances are Energy Star, we use solar panels, burning wood in our woodstove as much as we can, cooking on propane but also use our Big Green Egg to cook on as much as we can ( yummy!), do not have an AC but are using the shade of the trees that filter the heat towards the house, our home is well insulated, windows are energy efficient, always pull our plugs out after use ( like cell phone etc), after doing the laundry we hang it out to dry outside.

When we bought our 1930 little house 8 years ago, the first thing we did was insulate! Over the course of time, we've insulated: walls, attic (18" deep, 5" over recommended), basement joists, garage ceiling. We did a combo of spray foam for sealing cracks & blow in cellulose. We have replaced all 18 wooden single glazed windows (they had failed & not repairable) with new wood double glazed. Would have loved triple glazed, but they were double the cost & out of our price range. We installed a pellet insert stove into the formerly open fireplace, allowing us to use that to heat the house on all but the coldest of days, saving us $1000/ year on gas heating costs (pellet stove paid for itself in 4 years!). We installed very low flow toilets, using 1.28gpf i/o the previous ones that leaked & used 6 gpf. We compost, using that as fertilizer for our garden beds filled with native plants & veggies. All lights are either LED or CFL's. All appliances are energy efficient.

Comparing the previous owner's gas usage, we have cut ours by over 70%. We still use gas for hot water & cold days below 20 degrees & windy to run the steam boiler. The pellet stove runs at over 90% efficiency & we put the ashes into our compost. The steam boiler runs at maybe 75% efficiency, so we are very happy with our choices.

New HVAC , replaced single pane windows with new vinyl triple pane. Tankless water heater, added insulation to the attic it didn't have any. Changed out the light bulbs to LED. All new energy star appliances.

We tinted our double pane windows, added solar sunscreens, planted trees and bushes on the east, south and west sides of the home, installed ceiling fans in all rooms and traded the old thermostats for programmable. Changed all light bulbs to CFL and are in the process of changing those to LED. Constructed a drip system/evaporative cooler pads around the tops of the A/C units. We have cut our energy costs nearly in half, a big savings here in Las Vegas.

Well, yes and no. As different sections of the house have been upgraded over the 20 years we've owned it, all the windows have been replaced with Pella Designer Series, triple paned casements with the interior blinds. Any walls opened up during reno are checked for proper electrical and plumbing connections, then heavily insulated before sheetrock. Extremely dangerous wiring was uncovered during an initial reno...a surprise since we bought the place new as an upscale spec. Existing plastic skylights have been replaced with Velux double paned glass.

On the other hand, we have definitely not gone 'tiny home' when it comes to the additions. A 15 x 16 sunroom was added to the basement walk out complete with wall-to-wall Pella casements and French doors plus a roof paved with Velux skylights. In floor heating was added as the only heat source to try to manage property tax creep. The room never falls below the 50s F even in the dead of winter with the floor set low.

We're now in the final stages of a two story addition off the back of the house that extends the main level off the kitchen and adds a massive basement level garage space adjacent to the existing three car garage. Pella Designer Series triple-paned windows and French doors were installed on six inch studs upstairs on poured concrete walls below. The main level exploits the Warmboard in-floor heating system (found on Houzz) while the new garage and the patio off the great room are heated with standard Pecs in cement. The basement has spray foam while bat insulation was used upstairs. The entire structure was reroofed with that really fantastic DaVinci composite shake with two new, expansive Velux skylights added over the new great room space. An over 100 inch wide Dimplex electric fireplace anchors the back 15' high window wall. The new kitchen will be graced with GE Monogram appliances including an induction range to help mitigate our sloppiness.

The house sits on two three acre lots which compelled my husband to add the garage space for all the required yard equipment and to bring the Corvette and Victory motorcycles home from expensive off site storage we've been underwriting for years.

Someone mentioned state rebates for energy efficient upgrades. Those dollars are minuscule and really insufficient to motivate residential investment when related building permit fees and property tax increases come into play. We believe the primary payback comes from containing gas and electric fees and bragging rights building on the all important smug quotient.

I'll be so happy and relieved when it is done.

New energy efficient A/C, low E windows, energy efficient kitchen appliances, replaced ALL lighting with CFL, hang dry many clothing/linen items, unplug unused appliances, unplug all when away on travel, ceiling fans in all BDR's and LR, recycle everything.

We leased solar panels from Solar City, added insulation, used clear plastic window barrier [worked great!], installed heavy duty window fans to evacuate hot air in the early evenings thus eliminating air conditions.

Spray foamed and dry walled our walk-in attic space, new roofing shingles, and replaced light bulbs with cfl's. But our most energy efficient project to date has been to remove the chimney and convert from an old high cost oil burning furnace to natural gas heat. We also replaced the energy hogging electric hot water heater with a natural gas hot water heater, and added an energy efficient central air conditioner to replace window units. Our future plans are to replace the electric cooking range and electric clothes dryer with gas appliances, and to replace the old refrigerator with a new energy efficient one.

We are going to be building in SW Florida and our house designs, windows, doors, etc., are keeping energy savings in mind to lower utility bills for the long run. More cost up front but since this is the 'last house' we're seeking as many ideas as we can afford to include energy saving measures.

From Ottawa, Canada.......In the past five years: replaced garage door with one that is insulated, replaced the gas fireplace, installed high efficiency gas furnace and air conditioning, windows, patio door, four low flush toilets, changed light bulbs to LEDs, new roof with added insulation in the attic, high efficiency kitchen and laundry appliances. I keep the daytime temperature in the winter at 20C (68F) dropping it to 16C (61F) at night. In the summer, I leave the A/C at 24C (75F). This summer I'm having hardwood floors installed on the second level to match the main level, although this doesn't have anything to do with energy consumption. It will be so nice when everything is done and I can afford to do extensive traveling again!

We have a limited income, so we bought inexpensive solar curtains (only $3.99 a piece) for all of our western and southern facing windows. We are in SE Texas and the difference is amazing!! They practically lowered our electric consumption a third!! Also using the attic fan, not the A/C, in the evening this time of year has really saved. We also are looking to down-size our home this year with an emphasis more on outdoor living; pools and screened verandas. This is what I had growing up and I miss it! I want the Staycation lifestyle with no need to travel anymore!!

Probably the biggest thing was to put in central air and heat. The house never had either. This is a Victorian era house in north Florida, and some of you are probably saying "Oh, FLORIDA. You don't need heat there anyway". Well, let me tell you: When it hits 17 degrees F outside and your roll-on deodorant freezes sitting on your dresser, yeah-- heat is something you wish you had. (This is northern Florida, which admittedly is not the Arctic but it is also far from tropical. )

Anyhow I had several window heat/cool units and a couple of space heaters prior to getting the central system installed. The combined gas and electric bill stayed the same after the installation but the house was WAY more comfortable.

Over the years we've also insulated the attic and floors (house also had zero insulation), put in roof vents, and installed a tankless water heater.

I would love to get some solar panels but the husband is not for it.

mwmather,

Re: solar curtains, yeah, they are great!

You reminded me--

1) I made draperies for the entire downstairs. I bought 50 yards of insulation-backed cotton velvet for $500 (a major bargain) and sewed it into panels. They are floor-length and mounted on wrap-around curtain rods so that when they are closed it is difficult for air to get under or around them. This helps prevent the air in the house from losing heat by convecting against the window glass. This made a HUGE difference in winter comfort.

2) I re-screened the upstairs west-facing windows with solar screen from Home Depot. The rooms on that side of the house stay way cooler in the summer now, whereas before the A/C could hardly keep up with the heating. The screen was not expensive and the job was easy to DIY

Insulated double pane window, Ceiling and crawlspace insulation, Roof insulation, Xeriscaped and changed out all the incandescent lights with LED's and dimmers. Gray water for yard. Recycle glass etc..

Would love to know how to recycle gray water during summer in NYC.

Here in Massachusetts we went with no-money-up-front lease-to-own solar panels late last year. We have 21 panels on a South-facing roof. Electric company installed a "Net" meter, which tracks the power we use and the excess power from the panels that is sold back to them. We pay the solar company for the amount of power their panels generate, and we pay the electric company for the difference between what we use and what we sell back to them. Our latest bills for the month of March show a credit balance to the electric company for nearly $30, and a bill to the solar company for much more power produced than what we normally use. Our panels produced close to 700 kWh of power during March, while we used barely over 500 kWh. Now we learn that the electric company either cannot or will not issue cash refunds. All we can do is let this credit balance continue to build up, or give it away to another customer served by the same electric company. It's looking now like our solar panels are over-producing for our needs. When sun is hotter, and days much longer in the summer, gosh, how much will we owe the solar company then? From our perspective right now, it looks like this system may end up costing us money rather than saving us money.

Every. Single. Light bulb. Geez, was that expensive! Including the halogen over the kitchen sink and the driveway light. Haven't yet seen any change in our electric bill that LED manufacturers brag about. I shudder to think how long it's going to take to recover the HUNDREDS of dollars we spent. During the day, we keep the sliding patio doors and front door open for afternoon breezes that flow through the house. Back to those light bulbs, though...we kept every old bulb we changed out. When we sell, we'll put them back in for the new owners to worry about, and take the expensive LEDs with us! ha, ha

We installed a Pellet Stove - clean burning fuel, heats almost the entire home on most cold days, saves significant electricity costs. Great ambiance, very safe. What was the coldest room in the home is now the warmest! Radiant heat is so much cozier than forced air heat. We recommend it highly!

Turned off the water in two bathrooms and use the main one. Put LED lights everywhere. Used only the AC in the master bedroom all summer and kept the thermostat at 85 and ran ceiling fans elsewhere. Did not run the heat this winter, just wore warm clothes. Don't use the oven very much, use the crock pot more. Luckily house is well insulated so these were not hard choices.

We insulated the attic space double the requirement, now just up dated our heating system, added a porch at the front which is making a difference to the heat. One lounge with laminate flooring we have put two lots of under floor insulation and the room is so much warmer/

Solar panels

Huper Optik ceramic series...a European undetectable film. Aesthetically it is as if nothing is there. However, utilities ... makes an amazing and huge difference. It keeps the warmth in the house for the winter and the cool in the house for the summer. Our neighbors are envious, as we compare utility costs. A 3000 sq. ft. house costs less to heat and cool, than my son's 1150 sq. ft. condo, in the same geographical location. This stuff is amazing! Difficult finding a vendor to provide and install, however. Somewhat pricey, but well worth every penny paid.

When we built our house 16 years ago, we went with low-E windows, 6" walls, double insulation and, since we live in the desert, a ducted evaporative cooler (swamp cooler). But our biggest savings is an agreement with SoCal Edison that they can turn off our AC remotely anytime they find the need to do so. Since we rarely use it anyway it doesn't bother us and it results in electric bills of about $15.00 per month in the summer months.

I have gone 'round and 'round with lights. we have cans (recessed lighting )on the first floor, not on the top floor, because they leak quite of bit of thermal potential , and we had dimmers after our remodel . we got CFL bulbs when they became available, but had the dimmers on the switches removed because the dimmable CFL's don't last . Now I am switching to LED's and I had the dimmers re-installed. I am replacing the cans with the one piece LED fixture. It really doesn't burn out. If you like a warm color(2700 'K) you can find a lot at the big box stores. I like 3000-3500 'K, and I installed some 4" cans that are a little too bright and for me, I have to dim them. when I replace my 10 or 15 5" fixtures, I will order from cooper, who make a spun aluminum fixture , it looks as good as the one the architect originally specified. It is a recessed retrofit, and you screw in an edison bulb pigtail, then plug it in to the fixture, and pop it in the drywall hole. It's easy since you re-use the round enclosure behind the bulb. but get the electrician to do your dimmers if you have a gang of switches in a box. yes, you know how to do it, but the dimmers are really thick and fitting all that stuff back in the box is pretty hard on a small or inexperienced hand. so they use far less energy, an order of magnitude or so, and i won't have to mess with any more bulbs.

Our firm, Kendall Planning + Design, specializes in GreenPoint Rating and integrating sustainable building practices in all our projects. Our clients have installed blown in cellulose attic and wall insulation, changed light fixtures to LEDs, replaced inefficient appliances and planted water and energy efficient landscaping. The changes save hundreds of dollars, improve comfort and beauty, and help homeowners feel that they are doing their part to protect the environment for the next generation. We are currently working on a Net Zero Energy home in the LA area which will produce all its energy needs and charge an electric car as well!

Added solar panels onto my roof - still looking for back up batteries that are in my price range and I would love a small wind turbine but they are also out of range (financially) at this time.

For our 1779 colonial farm home: solar panels, corrogated window shades, EPA approved wood stove, foam insulated rim joist, swapped out electric baseboard heat for heat pump, switched from oil water heater to high efficiency electric water heater. (All electric powered by the panels, of course.) Also swapped out ALL of our light bulbs for LED bulbs - even the antique-looking kind, the vanity series, and spotlights.

added more solar panels.

Here in South Florida we have insulated the attic to R-39, installed solar powered and thermostatically controlled attic fans to keep the space cooler, foam insulated the exterior walls in each room as we have remodeled, replaced all of the windows with energy star glass windows, insulated all of the plumbing pipes, sealed all AC ductwork with tape then insulated the duct work (as it runs through the attic) to reduce cooling loss, replaced all lightbulbs with LEDs and turned off computers, dvd players, tvs and other appliances when not in use. These changes paid for themselves in less than 3 years through savings on electricity. Then we planted hedges along the exterior walls on the south and west sides of the house which provide shade and keep the indoor spaces 10-15 degrees cooler now that they have reached a mature height of 7 feet. We also conserve water with rain barrels.

Next: Installing solar PV panels in 2017.

Before you install Solar, please check with the utility company and see if they charge different rates for different times of the year and times of the day. I currently have specific hours that I can do certain tasks in the house (like washing and drying clothes). Hours that are cheaper to do these tasks are 1 pm to 4 pm and 9 pm to 10 am. The rate is 10 times higher all of the other hours of the day. Then this changes for the summer and the 1 pm to 4 pm hours get taken away. So the cheapest time to do laundry is 9 pm to 10 am. If your house is all electric (as is mine) you get screwed. (We live in North Carolina. Duke Energy SUCKS big time))

Solar is good but our GEOTHERMAL is GREAT ! Geothermal is a MUCH better value.

We offer LED bulb options for our fixtures. The response from clients has been very positive so far since home owners can keep the traditional look of the fixtures while staying energy efficiency.

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Changed all lightbulbs in the home; build fire in wood stove and keep it going every cold day; decreased driving car to almost zero unless car-pooling; removed non-essential television and other electronics.

What region/ city do you live in? Curious

Had an energy audit done on our sixty three year old home. Reinsulated walls & attic, installed triple pane windows, energy efficient doors,low flow toliets,shower heads. All new energy star appliances. In 2016 we had 16 solar panels installed on the south facing garage roof. Extra electicity we generate goes into grid system, then we are credited. Helps for our snowy winters in Alberta. It been a long 8 yr process,but have decided to stay in this home for our retirement.

Our house is fairly new and not terribly inefficient but we have installed a well insulated entry door since it gets the midday sun. Our shower head uses air to allow for a stronger spray without using more water. We have swapped out all of the light bulbs. The dishwasher is energy efficient too.

Bought a new build house in London, Ontario about 14 years ago. Upgraded the insulation in the attic to R60. Finished basement with R10 rigid foamboard along the concrete wall, and R13 batt insulation between the studs (R23 wall). Added Lifebreath 155ECM HRV for fresh air. Changed tank water heater to a Navien NPE-210A tankless (beware if you have teenagers, hot water never ends!). Added 3M window film to master bedroom windows (5 of them facing southwest). Sprayfoamed wall between garage and main floor, and sprayfoamed the garage ceiling (bonus room is master bedroom above garage). Fully insulated the garage with ROXUL, it can be -20C outside, and temperature in the garage is -4C. Planning to purchase 10 triple-paned (North Star) windows this week, krypton gas filled, with two low-e coatings on them for the upstairs of our home. We'll likely buy 5 more triple-paned windows this fall to complete the house. Added a fibreglass door from the main floor to the garage. Blower door test was 3.14 ACH 50pa about two years ago, hoping to get that under 3 with the new windows.