We've talked an awful lot about home energy assessments (or "energy audits") here on this blog. So if you've been following us for a while, you already know the drill: You spend a bit of money on an assessment, you get a detailed analysis of where your house is wasting energy, and you end up with a targeted way to improve your home. But if you'd like to learn more—or you want to pass along the love of energy assessments to others—Energy Savers has now put together a video that describes the entire process! The video provides a basic overview of just about everything you'd need to know about a professional energy assessment, from what it does, what they test for, and how you can use it to improve your home. So take a look, pass it along, share it with your friends. (And, of course, there's never a bad time to remind everyone about the fact you can do a do-it-yourself energy assessment, too, if you need a cheaper way to identify some problems with your house.) I know I've ... [More]

As we've mentioned many times on the Energy Savers blog, you can receive up to $1,500 in tax credits for home energy efficiency improvements like adding insulation, installing energy efficient windows, or replacing water heaters. If you're a regular reader, you know that we write about tax credits a lot. Our reasons are simple: we don't want you to forget that these credits are available, and we hope you'll help spread the word by sharing this info with your friends and family. (There are even some handy links at the bottom for you to send this article to your favorite social media sites—help us out and click them!) On Friday, Secretary of Energy Steven Chu also helped spread the word about the energy efficiency tax credits while visiting Seaway Manufacturing Corporation, an energy efficient window manufacturing company in Erie, Pennsylvania. See more details on his visit. The Recovery Act expanded residential efficiency tax credits for some energy-efficiency improvements, includ... [More]

On Tuesday, Amy pointed you to some resources that will help you learn more about your state's energy profile. Check out some of the resources she mentioned, and tell us: What did you learn about your state's energy profile? Each Thursday, you have the chance to share your thoughts on a question about energy efficiency or renewable energy for consumers. Please comment with your answers, and also feel free to respond to other comments.

An Energy Empowers story that was recently highlighted on the EERE home page detailed Kentucky's efforts to improve the energy efficiency of its buildings and generally curb the state's "energy appetite." The story caught my eye as I was born and raised in Kentucky's capital, and I still consider myself a proud member of the Bluegrass State when it comes to matters of college basketball (Go Cards!). So, news about Kentucky's efforts to reduce its energy consumption really piqued my interest. But it also got me thinking: with regard to energy, exactly how does Kentucky rate? As it turns out, there's quite a bit of energy-related information available by state through both the EERE and the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), a source of independent statistics and analysis on energy-related topics. Through EERE's State Information Web site, you can find general state energy information as well as links to industrial facilities that are working with the EERE to reduce their ener... [More]

This week, John told you about his experience with window shades that improve the energy efficiency of his windows. There are several things you can do to improve the efficiency of existing windows, including adding storm windows, caulking or weatherstripping, or using window treatments. How have you improved the efficiency of your windows? Each Thursday, you have the chance to share your thoughts on a question about energy efficiency or renewable energy for consumers. Please comment with your answers, and also feel free to respond to other comments.

As I mentioned in yesterday's blog, I had insulated window quilts installed on most of my home's windows. I should have bought window quilts for all of our windows, but I refrained from doing so on two downstairs windows to save money (which, in the long run, I didn't). There were window shades already there; they didn't do much from a thermal perspective, but they did provide privacy and room darkening. Well, they need to be replaced now, and I'm looking again at high efficiency thermal window shades. This time I'm considering thermal Roman shades. About a dozen years ago my wife and I went on the Tour of Solar Homes, the local component of the annual National Solar Tour sponsored by the American Solar Energy Society. One of the homes we visited had thermal Roman shades. The homeowner had made them herself and was very proud of them. She made them out of several layers, including an inner reflective vapor barrier, making the composition nearly identical to my window quilts. A few mont... [More]