Independence Day was a blast, and summer is in full swing with vacations and day camps and whatever else we fill our spare time with when it's warm and sunny. This week, I noticed that the cicadas (kind of like grasshoppers but louder) started singing in the trees – a sign that the first frost is supposed to be six to eight weeks away. Old wives' tales aside, I also noticed that the sun is rising just a teeny bit later than it did a month ago. Quick! Break out the sunscreen and hit the hiking trails or beach or whatever's closest to you, and squeeze in some more summer fun! While you're at it, check out the recap of what happened on Energy Savers in July: New or Notable on Energy Savers The Department of Energy is partnering with the Ad Council to show consumers how easy it is to save money by saving energy, including videos, quizzes, and quick facts. Check out the new "Saving Energy Saves You Money" tab on our Facebook page! Be sure to check out Stay Cool, Save Money for... [More]

The spring-to-summer transition in Colorado can be anywhere from unnoticeable to shocking. Case in point: the last few weeks we've had afternoon showers, mellow temperatures in the 60s and 70s, and overnight low temperatures in the 50s (read: good sleeping weather). Not anymore. Suddenly it's bright and sunny, with highs in the 90s, and the sun here—since we are a mile closer to it than most U.S. cities—can make you feel like you're living under a magnifying glass.

All this is to say, summer is here and it's hot. So how can we keep cool without burning holes in our wallets? [More]

Vacation time should be relaxing, but it’s often just a different kind of work. Doesn’t mean it isn’t fun but I seem to come home from vacation more tired than when I left.



This past week was spent on the Gulf Coast, where my mother turned 81. One of my goals was to help get her computer fixed—her desktop machine is about four years old and had no antivirus software to speak of, so it was crashing over and over again. Plus, she was on a dial-up connection, and in this day and age, that's easy to fix. [More]

On Monday, John discussed leaky ducks…err…ducts, and how and why you should make sure they are well-sealed.

How do you ensure your ducts aren't leaky?

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. [More]

One of the DOE building experts I worked with back in the early 1990s stated that a major energy problem facing the nation was leaking ducts (although it sure sounded like "ducks"). He was referring, of course, to the ductwork that most of our homes have to distribute the hot air in winter and air conditioned air in summer throughout the house. All but a miniscule percentage of homes built with ductwork have the ducts running outside of the building envelope, either into the unheated attic or into the unheated basement or crawlspace.

I never forgot what this DOE expert told me, although I never fully understood the reason behind his statement. It never affected me directly because the first house I bought nearly 20 years ago, and where I still live, never had ductwork. I would read ads in magazines and newspapers aplenty about companies warning of the health hazards of dirty ducts, offering services to clean them. I would chuckle to myself every time I saw those ads, because I don't have ducts. My house at first was heated by baseboard electric heaters, and air conditioned by window air conditioners. Then, a half dozen or so years ago, I had the first of now four ductless heat pumps installed. I love them. They are ultra-efficient and ultra-quiet. The new ones I had installed downstairs, one on each end of the house, have a Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) of 10 and a Seasonal Energy Efficiency Ratio (SEER) of more than 20. Now that's energy-efficient! [More]

Seems we were just hunkering down for cold weather and bundling into our big coats just last week. Well, come to think of it, it WAS last week—it got pretty darn cold here in the DC area a couple of nights back.

This might make you wonder when spring is going to get here. Good question. Even though the average temperature shows an upward trend over the weeks to come, we all know that temperatures bounce up and down a lot. Add to that the atmospheric instability that generates, and we get plenty of rain (and even severe thunderstorms) as well.

What does this have to do with energy? Everything. For one, home and business owners have to compensate for erratic, unpredictable changes in temperature and humidity. This means setting thermostats to a lower (or higher) baseline pretty much day to day; however, if you have a programmable thermostat, you can avoid that kind of close scrutiny of your home or business's heating and cooling. [More]