How does user behavior make a difference in my home’s efficiency?
When trying to save energy at home, many people focus on the building envelope–the amount of insulation in the roof, the R-value of the walls, the efficiency of the windows. Others think first of appliances – is the refrigerator ENERGY STAR? How efficient are the boiler and the hot water heater? Are the lights LEDs?
Certainly all of these things have a role in making buildings energy efficient. However, there is an even more important factor that is often overlooked–the behavior of occupants. There’s a common saying in the building industry: There is no such thing as a zero-energy home, just zero-energy homeowners. Even efficient buildings can’t reach their full potential if residents have energy-intensive habits. On the other hand, inefficient buildings can see large performance improvements if residents change a few basic habits.
There are two parts to energy efficient behavior: the types of appliances you buy and how you use them. For example, do you own a large-screen plasma TV or a modest one? If you buy a 15-watt CFL floodlight and keep it on all the time, you may still actually use less than a 75-watt lamp that you turn off when not in use.
When it comes to habits, remember what your parents used to say: Turn off the lights when you leave a room; don’t leave the faucet running when you brush your teeth; and put on a sweater before cranking up the thermostat!
Of course, some habits are hard to break. Fortunately user behavior can also be addressed with technology:
- If you’re always forgetting to turn out the lights, or find yourself leaving on an outdoor light for hours while waiting for a spouse to come home at night, consider installing lighting controls. Motion sensors that can turn lights on and off are available for as little as $30 at home improvement stores.
- Programmable thermostats can be used to turn down the set temperature automatically while you’re at work or asleep. They can be programmed in 5 minutes and offer savings on heating bills throughout the winter with no extra work.
- Do you have a bunch of devices plugged into the wall (phone chargers, TV, computer)? These draw a small baseline amount of current, called a phantom electrical load, whenever they are plugged in–even when turned off. Remembering to unplug everything can be difficult, but there are solutions. Plugging everything into a power strip means you only need to turn off one switch. Also, a smart power strip will shut off the current to peripheral devices such as a monitor and speakers when a central device, like a computer, is turned off.
- Do you have an electronic calendar on your phone or attached to your email? Use it to add automatic reminders for maintenance tasks, such as the yearly check-up on your heating appliance or changing filters on a forced air distribution system. Remembering basic maintenance tasks improves the efficiency of equipment and prevents expensive breakdowns.
- If you need to replace an appliance anyway, consider purchasing an Energy Star-rated one.