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Introduction - Are you ready to find out if in fact your home is as energy efficient as it can be?

Most of us have some big and some small things that they can do to better the cost efficiency of home. Whether you just want to drop a few dollars off of your gas bill or you are looking for a better way to fuel your home altogether, doing just a few things can make a tremendous amount of difference in your home.

01. Determine Costs - One of the first things that you should do when looking at your ability to make your home more cost efficient is to know just what you are currently paying.

By taking the time to determine what you are currently spending on energy, you can better determine which areas you have the potential to save with. In each area of the country, there are different rates, different co ops and a wide range of different types of fuel to take into consideration.

02. Savings Analysis - Before we get into saving you money with methods to lower the number of units that you spend on your fuel each month, we do need to show you the benefits of energy savings by smart investment.

Because the world is in a fuel crisis and the cost of gas and other energy means continues to rise, there are those not so nice guys out there that are promoting products that are anything but a way to save money. These products may work, but probably do not.

03. Biggest Needs - Now that you have an idea of how to go about considering any and all products that you will put into your home, you should be considering what your biggest potential need for your attention is.

As you found out just how much you are spending each month on your energy needs, you should be able to see which your largest consumer is. For most people, this is gas.

04. Start Small - Throughout the next chapters in our e-book, you will find many, many different tips and tricks to helping you to save money on your home’s energy needs.

But, as we mentioned, it is smart, even most beneficial to start small and work up to larger changes in your home. Now, that does not mean that you can not do both, but we will begin talking about some of the small, inexpensive ways that you can begin to see energy efficiency in your home.

05. Window Savings - Consider your windows. Are they everything that they can be to you?

There is no doubt that windows in a home are necessary, but they can cost you a great deal of money when it comes to energy. The fact here is that windows allow for air to pass through them easily. In effect, they can be a huge part of you energy usage.

06. Fireplace - When most of us think about a fireplace, we think about a warm fire blazing on a very cold winter night. If that is the case, then you should take into consideration how the fireplace can affect your home’s energy benefits and your home’s cost effectiveness.

A fireplace can be a blessing. If you use it correctly, it can generate a good deal of heat for you to use throughout your home during those cold winter months. Since wood is a renewable energy source, it is not hard to find, overly costly and does not need to be something that hurts the environment either.

07. Develop Habits - Do you remember as a child being asked by your mother if you were “born in a barn?”  There are plenty of reasons why this is important. The fact is that there are small things, even simple things, to incorporate into your every day life to see improvements in your energy usage without really having to do much of anything.

In fact, all you really need to do is to insure that you get yourself into some habits and within a month you will notice changes.

08. Thermostat - There is another aspect of your home that needs careful consideration. That is the thermostat. What temperature you set it at is really a personal comfort situation. Yet, more and more, people are finding that there is cost savings in using the right thermostat and the right level of comfort to boot.

For example, during the summer months, do you have the air conditioning set low enough that it feels comfortable to wear a long sleeve shirt or pants?  Do you grab for a blanket?  This is a signal that perhaps you could raise the thermostat and still be quite comfortable.

09. Energy Star - Have you heard of Energy Star?  If you have not, this is your friend for sure.

If you are purchasing any new unit for your home, from a dishwasher or refrigerator to the hot water tank and the furnace, Energy Star is something that you do want to take full advantage of.

10. Outside - Have you thought about the outside of your home for energy efficiency?

Landscaping a home can be done in such a way as to allow for benefits in the energy department.  In fact, you can save about 25% of your household energy consumption with a landscaping design that incorporates just the right placement of trees.

11. Alternative Fuel - Are you looking for a new way to provide energy to your home?  In today’s world, the race is on for the next fuel efficient energy source.

One thing that you are likely to do is to keep on eye out for what is new when you are purchasing something new. For example, let us say that you are looking to purchase a new hot water tank. There are plenty of hot water tanks that work off of gas or even electricity. But, this would be a great time to consider a solar powered one as well.

12. New Home - The Energy Star program that we talked about in an earlier chapter also provides for Energy Star new homes. If you have a home that has been certified as an Energy Efficient home, then you are well on your way to saving a great deal of money on that home.

Conclusion - Is your home energy efficient?  Have you learned any ways that you can better your home through this e-book?  You may have the feeling that you just want to do everything in this book and all of a sudden reap the rewards.

But, this is a costly process in that case.

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