Home Energy Calculator

Home Energy Calculator: Curious about your home's efficiency? Want to know where your energy dollars are going or why your bills are different than last year? Check out the Home Energy Calculator and view a comprehensive report of your home's energy use. Get the information you need to make informed, knowledgable decisions about your energy consumption.

And as always, feel free to contact our offices to discuss your findings with our energy experts and other simple solutions for your home.

Energy Saving Tip$:

• Clean out the dryers' lint trap after every load.  Not only will it help prevent a fire, it will allow the dryer to move air more effectively and dry your clothes more quickly, thus saving you time and money.

• Make sure your outside dryer exhaust flap closes when the dryer is off.  If it is stuck open with too much lint, cold air can come in through the dryer and make you uncomfortable.
• Running the dishwasher saves you money versus running hot water and hand washing, but skip the heated drying cycle.  Either towel dry or drip dry in the dishwasher.  This will save you money.
• Turn off unnecessary lighting.  It does not cost more to flip the lights back on if you return to the room in  a few minutes.
• Replace all bulbs that are used more than 1 hour per day with CFL's.  A Compact Fluorescent Lightbulb uses 1/4 of the energy of an equivalent light output incandescent bulb.
• Turn things off when you are not using them.  Completely off.  TV instant-on features (like DVRs), computer sleep modes, printers waiting on standby, battery chargers, and cell phone chargers (just to name a few) all use energy, even when not in use.  Try plugging them into a power strip instead; this gives you the opportunity to shut them all down at once.
• Each spring, turn off heaters that you use only in the winter: heat tape, livestock tank heaters, block heaters.  These are easily forgotten and can add quite a bit to your monthly power bill.
• Purchase only ENERGY STAR appliances.  They will cost a bit more to purchase but you will quickly make up the extra cost in monthly energy savings.  You will continue to save money every month throughout the life of the appliance.
• For real energy savings, follow these steps:  seal, insulate, and equip.  Seal your home against air infiltration.  Insulate with the correct material in the correct places.  Use and maintain your equipment correctly.