Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings

Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings: Save Money, Save the Earth (9th Edition) by Jennifer Thorne Amann and Alex Wilson (2007)

How efficient are front-load washing machines? When is it time to replace your old refrigerator? These questions and many more are answered in The Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings, a one-stop resource for consumers who want to improve their home's energy performance and reduce costs. Zeroing in on the most useful response can be a challenge—this 9th edition guide cuts through the confusion.

Well-organized and highly readable, The Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings begins with an overview of the inter-relationships between energy use, economics and the environment. Chapters focus on specific areas in the home, such as electronics, lighting, heating, cooling, ventilation, kitchen and laundry, and provide helpful explanations for each, including:

• describing energy use characteristics
• drawing comparisons between the available technologies
• outlining the most cost-effective repair and replacement options
• providing step-by-step guidance for finding the right equipment
• describing how the equipment operates, and
• summarizing how much energy is used or lost

Included are tips on improving existing equipment, and guidance for when and why consumers should purchase new energy-efficient equipment, as well as a reminder to check local government and utility incentives for purchase or retrofit grants.

This guide will be an invaluable resource to all consumers concerned about reducing both their energy bills and their environmental impact.

About the Authors

Jennifer Thorne Amann is a Senior Associate in the Buildings and Equipment Program at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. Her current work includes promoting improved commercial building performance, valuing the energy and non-energy benefits of whole house retrofits, analyzing the impacts of stronger appliance efficiency standards, and exploring new targets for market transformation efforts.

Alex Wilson is President of Building-Green, an authoritative source for information on environmentally responsible design and construction, which also publishes Environmental Building News. Co-editor Mark Piepkorn has extensive experience with natural and traditional building methods.