Features of a Power Smart Home

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An energy-efficient home will save you money, year after year. It's something to consider when you're looking for that perfect new home.

Here are some energy-efficient technologies you can watch for when you're looking for a newly constructed home.

Lighting

Lighting accounts for about 16% of the electricity consumption in a house. The simplest way for you to decrease the amount of electricity you use in your home is by installing compact fluorescent lighting bulbs (CFLs) that carry an ENERGY STAR® label.

Appliances

Appliances account for about 20% of the electricity used in an average home. When buying a new appliance, make sure you look for the ENERGY STAR® label. That will help you reduce the amount of energy being consumed by your appliances.

• Refrigerators with an ENERGY STAR label are at least 20% more energy efficient than the minimum federal standard. They are better insulated, often quieter and feature more efficient compressors with more precise temperature settings and better defrost mechanisms.
• Dishwashers with an ENERGY STAR label are at least 25% more efficient than the minimum federal standard and can save up to 20% on water heating costs.
• Clothes washers with an ENERGY STAR label reduce overall energy usage by up to 50%. Even though they have an extra large capacity, which means you need to run fewer loads of laundry, these washers use 35 to 50% less water than standard models.

Learn more about energy efficient appliances.

Ventilation

A good ventilation system helps maintain proper humidity and air quality. Fans with an ENERGY STAR label use less than half the energy of a regular fan, and are generally very quiet with low sone levels.

Heating

Heating accounts for approximately 50% of the average household's energy consumption.

Insulation and a tight building envelope can reduce a home's heating load, so consideration should be given to the size of the heating systems based on the home's heating load. Variable speed furnace motors can provide continuous ventilation with almost no noise or draft, are found in high-efficiency and mid-efficiency gas furnaces and use 60 to 90% less energy by turing down the heat when it's not needed.

Learn more about energy efficient heating.

Windows

Up to one-third of the heat inside your home can escape through your windows. Windows carrying the ENERGY STAR label keep the heat inside during the winter and the heat out in the summer. Providing an excellent long-term investment in a home, ENERGY STAR windows also add to your family's comfort.

Learn more about energy efficient windows.