Many of the nation’s new homes incorporate energy-efficient features. This is definitely a step in the right direction, but with existing homes consuming 22 percent of the nation’s energy, more focus needs to be directed at greening up older homes.

The chart below, provided by the U.S. Department of Energy, shows that homes built before 1970, when energy was relatively inexpensive, are responsible for about 40 percent of the nation’s residential energy consumption.

If you’re remodeling an older home, consider some of these upgrades:

• Add or replace insulation
• Seal windows, doors, fireplaces, and cracks in the exterior of the home
• Tighten air ducts
• Replace older heating and air conditioning units, as well as water heaters

While improved energy efficiency is good for the environment, achieving national security goals, and sustaining resources for future generations, its also means reduced costs for you, putting more money in your pocket each month.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, April 8th, 2009 at 10:46 am and is filed under Owning a Home. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.