It’s no secret that everyone would like to know how to save energy in their home and, in turn, save money on their monthly utility bills. When it comes to energy savings, not every homeowner knows the right upgrades, installations or change of habits to make. Luckily, there are some online resources that can help you find ways to improve the energy efficiency of your home. One such tool, developed by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab), is called the Home Energy Saver.
The Home Energy Saver can provide good general level insights into energy consumption in your home. This tool uses “advanced building simulation software” to help you identify potential ways to maximize your home energy efficiency. Much of this information is based on home factors such as size, age and geographic location.
One example of this is determining approximately how much money you could save by having additional insulation installed in your home. The tool also compares the energy use, bills, and carbon footprint for your area’s typical house, and a comparable energy-efficient house. This gives you a directional idea of the impact efficiency upgrades can make in overall consumption in your home.
Home Energy Saver breaks out the set of improvements by the home’s major energy-using systems: space heating and cooling, water heating, lighting, major appliances, and other ‘miscellaneous’ appliances that are an increasingly important factor in residential energy bills.
While this is certainly a convenient way for you to start getting an idea of upgrades and general energy improvements you can make to your home, it’s important to note again that results from the tool shouldn’t necessarily be used in the final decision making process if you are considering efficiency upgrades. Tools like these can provide you with a “first look” into energy efficiency shortfalls you may be experiencing in your home, and help to put you on the right path.
