1) Window coverings keep heat indoors in winter and outside in summer. You can get insulated shades in custom sizes, or put up drapes or heavy curtains. The point is to create an air space between your room and the window. Even energy efficient windows need to be covered at night.
2) More on windows: Replace old windows with low-e windows. If you are remodeling or building, place new windows to receive enough natural daylight to cut down on the need for daytime lighting. Create passive solar gain with south facing windows. If you have objectionable views to the south, consider a trombe wall for radiant heat or a clerestory window.
3) Add a solar thermal system for domestic hot water and/or radiant floor or baseboard heat. My domestic system cut my gas bill from $1000/yr to $200/yr. It will pay for itself in about 6 years and last about 20. Or more. A solar thermal system preheats the water in your hot water heater, reducing the need for gas or electric to heat the water.
4) Add a solar PV system to produce electricity. Net metering is the cleanest method of solar electricity. The home is tied to the electric company’s grid. The system creates electricity during the day and sends it to the grid, reducing the need for coal-generated electricity. At night, the home draws from the grid for power. There is no need for batteries to store electricity, making net-metering a cleaner power source.
5) Replace water-wasting toilets with low-flush or dual flush. When I remodeled, I bought low-flush toilets at Lowe’s for $44. Not a lot of money to cut your water use by half! A dual-flush toilet has two ways to flush, depending on how much water you need. If you insist on flushing pee, you can save water doing so with a dual-flush toilet.
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Great tips Nan…simple ones, but perfect for people to start working on now in order to immediately lower their costs while greening their home!