Every year families spend big on heating and cooling their homes – but with small changes, families may be able to reduce their yearly energy spending in a big way.
Making the family home more energy efficient saves money, improves health and contributes to addressing climate change, according to Paula Glover, president of The Alliance to Save Energy (ASE), a nonprofit coalition made up of business, government, environmental and consumer groups.
By pairing lifestyle changes with home upgrades, families aren’t just reducing their bill once – they’re investing in savings every year, Glover says.
That investment extends beyond savings; it also affects health, according to Glover.
“Oftentimes when we’re getting homes more energy efficient that means we are also improving the indoor air quality,” Glover explains.
Weatherization is part of making a home more energy efficient. The process includes simple processes like caulking and weatherstripping to seal drafts by windows and doors in addition to more complex processes such as replacing inefficient temperature control systems.
In general, weatherizing a home improves indoor air quality by reducing outdoor pollutants, increasing comfort and controlling moisture.
With weather in mind, Glover also advises that families explore what’s comfortable temperature-wise.
“If it is 90 degrees outside, we really don’t need our air conditioning set at 68 to feel cool. We could probably set our air conditioning at 74 and still feel cool relative to how hot it is outside,” Glover says. “There’s so much savings that happens in that kind of conservation.”
Another simple thing families can do to make a big difference is change out incandescent bulbs for LEDs.
“It’s probably the easiest thing that we can all do, and it has a tremendous impact,” Glover says.
According to Glover, LED lightbulbs are brighter than incandescent bulbs of the same wattage and last longer. For comparison, The Department of Energy (DOE) says residential LEDs use at least 75% less energy while lasting up to 25 times longer than their incandescent counterparts.
Glover also suggests parents get the whole family involved in the energy efficiency mission.
“Many times, behavioral change in households starts with kids,” Glover says, recalling her own childhood push for in-home recycling. “This is the kind of thing we really want to encourage households to do together.”
By having conversations about energy efficiency, kids and parents can work together to remember simple changes like turning off lights and other electronics when you aren’t using them, shutting off the tap when you’re brushing and closing windows and doors when running temperature controls.
Once families have swapped their lightbulbs, caulked their windows and doors and discussed energy use habits, it’s time to consider home improvements.
But where can families begin?
“I always suggest people start with their utility companies and if you have two or three go to all three of them, many of these companies may have their own programs that will help you get your house more energy efficient,” Glover says.
As of May 2024, American families have more tools at their disposal to access home energy improvements that previously might not have been accessible.
ENERGY STAR launched two resources to help Americans make energy-efficient home improvements – which will save Americans money on their energy bills and reduce overall energy use.
ENERGY STAR is a joint program of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the DOE. According to Leslie Jones, the media and content manager for ENERGY STAR-labeled products, the largest barriers Americans face when it comes to making impactful and energy-efficient home upgrades are navigating the cost and complexity associated with those projects.
The new home improvement savings web tool helps address these barriers by allowing families to enter their ZIP code and easily find information about what incentives are available to them, Jones says.
The incentives cover things such as buying guidance, information on eligible products that can help save on energy and links to find local retailers and people to install the products and upgrades.
While each improvement makes an impact, some work together to improve energy efficiency, and savings, even more.
According to the EPA, these improvements include an ENERGY STAR-certified heat pump, heat pump water heater, smart thermostat and windows – plus a well-insulated and sealed attic and electric ready wiring and panel improvements.
“Finding ways to make these systems more efficient, particularly by upgrading to heat pump technology, can help you live comfortably while also drastically reducing your energy bills,” Jones says.
Together, these improvements are estimated to save families more than $500 a year on energy bills.
To help more households access these improvements, the EPA also announced the ENERGY STAR Home Upgrade Service Provider Partnership and six charter members.
The partnership features companies and community-based organizations that can help with sales, installation, finding incentives and affordability for energy efficiency upgrades.
The Philadelphia Energy Authority is one of six charter members, alongside Air Service Professionals, Pearl Certification, QuitCarbon, Sealed Inc. and Sears Home Improvement.
The Philadelphia Energy Authority created the Built to Last program, which helps low-income homeowners in the Philadelphia area make energy-efficient upgrades, get critical home repairs and make health and safety improvements.
To participate in Built to Last, families must own and occupy the home, the home must be the only property owned, the family must be current on their property taxes and water bill or be in a payment agreement with the city in addition to meeting the income guidelines which are listed online at philaenergy.org. The family must also plan to remain in the home for at least three years following the repairs.
Families can access these tools online now at energystar.gov. Learn more about ASE at ase.org.
