Who doesn't want to minimize their new home's energy bill? Best intentions are not always enough. If home energy consumption is to be reduced and money saved, a change in lifestyle is going to be necessary. Home construction and equipment selection are going to require a greater understanding of building practices and product knowledge. The information found in these paragraphs offer insight into energy use, heating and cooling equipment, water heating equipment, and many other energy-saving topics.

Energy Efficient Equipment
Energy-efficient equipment is usually more expensive than standard systems, and finding energy-efficient equipment and locating contractors familiar with product specific installation may take some effort. However, lower utility bills, greater comfort, and the possibility of qualifying for an energy-efficient mortgage make installation of highly efficient systems well worth the added time and money.
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Water Heating
Water heating is the second largest energy expense in your home. It typically accounts for 14% or more of your utility bill. Only heating and cooling costs exceed water heating costs.

Reduce your water heating bills: use less hot water, turn down the thermostat on your water heater, insulate older water heaters, and/or buy a new, more efficient water heater. The Indiana Touchstone Energy Home Program requires use of an energy efficient electric water heater.

A family of four showering for 5 minutes a day, uses 700 gallons of water a week; this is enough for a 3-year supply of drinking water for one person. You can cut that amount in half simply by using low-flow aerating showerheads and faucets.
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Electric Heat Pumps

A heat pump is a device that extracts available heat from one area (the heat source) and transfers it to another (the heat sink) to either heat or cool an interior space. For instance, in heating climates, during the winter the heat pump extracts heat from the air outside and transfers it to the inside of the house to heat the house. In cooling climates, during the summer the heat pump extracts heat from the air inside the house, cooling it, and transfers it outside. Heat pumps work very much like your refrigerator: heat is released from the back of your refrigerator as it grows cooler inside. This is exactly like cooling your house during the summer.

Heat pumps can be very energy efficient, because instead of actually generating heat like a furnace, they just draw heat from the outside. But because the efficiency drops as the air outside gets very cold, many builders are turning instead to ground-loop or geothermal heat pumps. These heat pumps operate more efficiently than the standard air-source heat pumps, because the ground doesn't get as cold as the outside air (and during the summer, it doesn't heat up as much).
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Heat Ducts

One of the most important systems in your home, hidden beneath your feet and over your head, may be wasting a lot of your energy dollars. Your home's duct system, a branching network of tubes in the walls, floors, and ceilings, carries the air from your home's furnace and central air conditioner to each room. Ducts are made of sheet metal, fiber glass, or other materials.

Unfortunately, many duct systems are poorly insulated or not insulated properly. Ducts that leak heated air into unheated spaces can add hundreds of dollars a year to your heating and cooling bills. Insulating ducts that are in unconditioned spaces is usually very cost effective. If you are buying a new duct system, consider one that comes with insulation already installed.

Ducts - Out of Sight, Out of Mind

The unsealed ducts in your attics and crawl spaces lose air-uninsulated ducts lose heat, wasting energy and money.

Sealing your ducts to prevent leaks is even more important if the ducts are located in an unconditioned area such as an attic or vented crawl space. If the supply ducts are leaking, heated or cooled air can be forced out unsealed joints and lost. In addition, unconditioned air can also be drawn into return ducts through unsealed joints. In the summer, hot attic air can be drawn in, increasing the load on the air conditioner. In the winter, your furnace will have to work longer to keep your house comfortable. Either way, your energy losses cost you money.

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