“Save Money, Save the Earth.” That motto has appeared on the cover of every edition of the Consumer Guide to Home Energy Savings since the first book was published in 1991. It’s a big promise, and one that appears on the 10th and newest edition of the book from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) and New Society Publishers (NSP).
But is it true? According to Jennifer Thorne Amann, ACEEE buildings program director and lead author of the Consumer Guide: “Every kilowatt-hour you avoid using saves over a pound of carbon dioxide that would otherwise be pumped into the atmosphere. So, if you take your 20-cubic-foot refrigerator from 1998 and replace it with an energy-efficient 2012 model, you’ll save more than 300 kilowatt-hours and 500 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions per year. That translates to real savings on your energy bill, and real progress toward curbing carbon dioxide emissions from your home!”
Achieving energy savings in the home isn’t just about replacing older appliances, though, as the thousands of consumers who have relied upon prior editions know. Many consumers have followed the Consumer Guide’s advice and gotten top-notch home energy audits to inform their decisions on what energy efficiency improvements to make. Others have taken advantage of their state’s or utility’s energy efficiency incentives to realize budget-friendly home improvements such as insulating their homes or installing compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs).
With major expansions and updates to the lighting, home electronics, building envelope, and water heating chapters, the new edition of the Consumer Guide helps homeowners and renters decide which improvements will yield the most bang for their buck and help them incorporate energy efficiency into future projects.
The 10th edition relies heavily on clear illustrations and highly readable, well-organized chapters that provide extensive information on home heating and cooling, ventilation, electronics, lighting, water heating, cooking, and laundry. Readers will learn the latest developments in green technology.
