energy efficiency

Checking Your Gas Appliances

Checking Your Gas Appliances


The Energy Information Administration reports that natural gas fuels 50% of Virginia’s net electricity generation, making safe and efficient use of natural gas appliances a concern for many residents. If you have a gas stove, water heater or furnace there are basic safety tips that every homeowner needs to be aware of. First, natural read more...

Easy New Year’s Energy Resolutions

Easy New Year’s Energy Resolutions


About 40% of U.S. adults make New Year’s resolutions and a popular one is to spend less and save more. These simple energy resolutions can help make a dent in your energy bill and best of all these actions are largely one time actions. With about half of New Year’s resolutions abandoned by June, read more...

5 Tips for Efficient Air Conditioning

5 Tips for Efficient Air Conditioning


More than 90 percent of U.S. homes have air conditioners that use 6% of electricity produced in this country at an annual cost of $29 billion to homeowners and 117 million metric tons of carbon dioxide released into the environment. Furthermore, those carbon emissions are predicted to double by 2050 at their current rate. read more...

Water Conservation is Energy Conservation

Water Conservation is Energy Conservation


Conserving our limited water supplies is always a good idea, but did you know there is also a direct connection between water and energy use? Delivering water and wastewater services is an energy-intensive effort, as the water is treated, pumped to our homes and businesses, then pumped to wastewater facilities to be treated again. read more...

Improving Efficiency of Your Wood Burning Fireplace

Improving Efficiency of Your Wood Burning Fireplace


As cozy as they are, fireplaces typically remove more heat from a house than they contribute, sending up to eight percent of heat pump or furnace-warmed air up and out the chimney. But you don’t have to abandon your wood-burning ambiance–try these solutions that can improve the efficiency of your fireplace. Check Damper First, read more...

Weatherizing Your Old Single Pane Windows

Weatherizing Your Old Single Pane Windows


Many homeowners in older homes experience energy loss with old single pane windows, and outright window replacement can be costly and out of reach for some homeowners. Fortunately, there are many ways to improve the performance of existing windows at a far lower cost than replacement. Weatherizing windows focuses on stopping cold drafts and read more...

Energy Efficiency Tips for Winterizing Your Home

Energy Efficiency Tips for Winterizing Your Home


In the winter, space heating is the main energy consumer in the home. However, homeowners can follow these energy efficiency tips to help stop the infiltration of cold air and the loss of heat through cracks and openings in the home. Prepare Windows Remove A/C window units and store them for the winter so read more...

Lower Your Baseload Energy Consumption

Lower Your Baseload Energy Consumption


  Did you know that approximately half of your annual utility bill comes from heating and cooling your home? Fortunately, in the spring and fall, you generally don’t have to heat or cool your home, so your overall utility bills will be lower compared to the summer and winter months. During these “shoulder seasons,” read more...

How a blower door can cut your energy bills

How a blower door can cut your energy bills


Tray Biasiolli, a Building Auditor at LEAP says, “The blower door test is like having your blood pressure taken during a physical. It’s the most important diagnostic test for assessing a home’s efficiency.” But how do you know if your home might need a blower door test? Your home might be a good candidate for the read more...