Everyone is looking to save money and energy these days and make their home more efficient. The truth is buyers are also looking for these details in the homes they are seeking. Here are a few tips to make your home more efficient, put more money in your pocket, and appeal to a wider range of buyers!
Projects with Immediate Payback (0 to 6 months)
Wrap the Water Heater Until you're ready to upgrade to a super-efficient, on-demand water heater (which costs about 25% less to operate than the big tank in your basement because it heats only the water you need), get the most from your existing one by covering it with a water heater blanket. This insulated jacket fits over the tank to help reduce the gas, oil, or electricity that's required to keep hot water and at the ready. You can install it in just a few minutes. And while you're at it, insulate the first five feet of hot-water pipe after it exits the tank and the last five feed of cold-water supply before it enters the tank. Together, these fixes will yield an immediate 15% reduction in the heater's operating costs.
COST: $30 PAYBACK: up to $50 per year.
Install a Programmable Thermostat Turning down the thermostat 7 degrees at bedtime will knock 10% off your heating costs, but who wants to wake up to a frigid house? A programmable thermostat automatically drops the heat at night and cranks it up in the morning, so the house is warm before your alarm clock rings. Program it to lower the heat again while you're at work and the kids are in school all day and you'll reap additional savings. Best of all, many of these battery-operated units are easy to install yourself. COST: $30 to $80 PAYBACK: $100 to $250 per year
Seal Gaps and Cracks Check the attic floor and basement ceiling for gaps around pip and wire penetrations and fill them with insulating foam, such as Great Stuff, which expands to fill any void you find. Check doors and windows for air leaks and seal with self-adhesive weatherstripping. COST: $50 for all the Great Stuff and weatherstripping you'll need PAYBACK: $100 to $250 per year
Use Compact Fluorescent Bulbs If you replace conventional incandescent light bulbs with CFLs, you can slash as much as 15% off your household electricity bills. Look for bulbs with the highest Color Rendering Index you can find - generally in the low- to mid-80s, compared with early CFLs which scored about 70, and incandescents, which have a CRI of 100.
COST: about $3 each; $60 to replace 20 bulbs, two-thirds of the bulbs in a typical house PAYBACK: as much as $10 a year for one high-use bulbs; $150-$170 a year for 20 CFLs
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