Comforts of Home –
For Less
Thank you for participating in USM’s “Comforts of Home” convocation event. Here is your electronic copy of some of the best home energy-efficiency sites on the web. Remember that your participation in this program entitles you to check out a “laser-guided” thermometer and “kill-a-watt” meter from the USM library reserve desks. I believe that you will find the “Foot Print” site at the end of the list challenging, intriguing, and useful in motivating you to improve the energy-efficiency of your home. The cheapest and easiest energy-efficiency tip is to not turn on stuff until you intend to use it and to turn stuff off if you aren’t using it. Stopping air leaks often provides the greatest benefit for the effort. Efficient, Energy Star qualified, light bulbs are a quick and easy lighting fix. Buy the most efficient Energy Star appliances you can afford. About a foot of insulation (~R 50) in the attic is a cost-effective goal. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Dudley Greeley, USM Sustainability Coordinator 780-4384 dgreeley@maine.edu
Suggested Websites
For information on the Maine Public Utilities Commission money-saving deals on compact fluorescent lighting:
Three sites with links to a host of information on energy efficiency: All these sites offer simple, self-guided home energy assessments:
Lawrence Berkley Laboratory’s Home Energy Saver site:
Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star site:
www.energystar.gov/homeimprovement
US Department of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy site:
A site that offers a consumers’ guide to the most energy efficient appliances:
More than you will ever want to know about replacing your old refrigerator:
http://www.homeenergy.org/consumerinfo/refrigeration2/article.htm
If you are interested in getting an idea of how your use of energy and resources compares with that of others, answer 13 simple questions on this site and it will compute your “ecological foot print”. You will also learn how many “worlds” would be needed if everyone on the planet used a similar amount of energy and resources:
www.lead.org/leadnet/footprint/intro.htm