EcoLogic: Lights Out

New Jersey Board of Public Utilities president Jeanne M. Fox estimates that the average home wastes a quarter of the hot or cool air it generates, meaning lost energy and wasted dollars.

Illustration by Harry Campbell.

“Between cracks in duct systems and lack of insulation, those losses can be huge.”

Finding such energy leaks is the purpose of a home-energy audit, and the state aims to make the inspections easy and affordable.

Through the NJBPU (njcleanenergy.com), residents can find an accredited contractor to perform the audit. Low-income households are subsidized, and others can receive a break from the state that keeps the audit at just $125. After that, you can decide what changes you want to make and tap into state rebates for energy-saving improvements. “Everything you do from there builds off the audit,” says Mike Winka of the Office of Clean Energy. “The incentives are the best they’re ever going to be.”

Heating and Cooling

Basic: Install a programmable thermostat to keep the system from raising or lowering the temperature when you are not home.
Bonus: Replace your heating and cooling systems with more efficient ones, or invest in solar panels for heat and switch from A/C to old-school ventilation.

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Windows and Doors

Basic: Install low-cost plastic sheets over windows and weatherproof existing doors; install storm doors.
Bonus: Replace old windows and doors with energy-efficient options, such as glass with a thermal break and doors with steel skin and a polyurethane foam insulation core.

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Appliances
Basic: Buy power-control devices for all appliances; set your computer to turn off when idle; keep chargers and infrequently used items unplugged when not in use.
Bonus: Replace old appliances with those that are Energy Star-approved. “It’s so important that anything you buy has that seal,” says Fox, who adds that the state provides rebates and low-interest financing for more efficient appliances.

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Walls

Basic: Plug or caulk holes and cracks in the foundation and siding, and around pipes, electrical outlets, windows, etc.
Bonus: Inject spray-foam, foamed-in-place, or loose-fill insulation into the walls of drafty rooms. Visit Green Depot in Newark (greendepot.com) for environmentally friendly options.

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Water Heater

Basic: Opt for low-flow fixtures; set the water heater at 120 degrees; install a heat trap on the hot-water tank; insulate the water heater and hot-water pipes.
Bonus: Install a drain water heat recovery system (which runs pipes of warm wastewater alongside clean-water pipes to recover heat energy) or invest in a demand water heater, which instantly heats water as you need it.

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Electricity

Basic: Participate in New Jersey’s Clean Power Choice program, which allows you to buy your energy from clean, renewable sources in the state and mid-Atlantic region, including solar, wind, hydro, and landfill-gas power.
Bonus: Create your own energy by installing solar panels on your roof. Call 866-NJSMART to learn about rebates the state offers to help offset the cost of installation.

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Lighting

Basic: Replace higher-watt incandescent bulbs with lower-wattage compact fluorescent, LED, or metal-halide bulbs.
Bonus: Indoors, install dimmers and occupancy sensors; for outdoor lighting, install controls such as motion sensors, timers, and photosensors.

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