An Assist from Energy Star…
A Toolbox on the Web to Help Homeowners
The Home Improvement Toolbox from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR® web site is a resource for homeowners that identifies ways to save energy and money when repairing, remodeling or improving their homes. The Toolbox is available online at EPA Home Improvemnt Toolbox.
Use these tools to help you save energy and money when remodeling, repairing or improving your home.
The Toolbox is a good place for consumers to start if improving or remodeling their home. It targets a home's biggest energy problems and offers solutions on how to remedy them, where to go for help and which upgrades will be most cost-effective.
The Toolbox is easy-to-use and offers customized reports that homeowners can show to their contractors or bring to a local home improvement store for help.
Doctors, Yardsticks and More
The Home Improvement Toolbox is just one of the resources offered by ENERGY STAR® to help homeowners identify cost-effective, energy-saving improvements to protect the environment by using energy more efficiently.
The Toolbox contains four tools:
- The ENERGY STAR® Home Energy Yardstick helps consumers determine how much energy their homes use in comparison to others. Consumers need to know their zip code, square footage, number of occupants and basic information from their utility bills to receive an energy performance score for their homes. Then, consumers can use the other tools in the ENERGY STAR® Home Improvement Toolbox to improve upon their Yardstick score.
- Consumers can use the ENERGY STAR® Home Improvement Advisor to calculate and prioritize which home improvement projects are most effective in saving energy and money in their homes. The Advisor delivers a customized, interactive report of "top upgrades," and, to help consumers decide which improvements to make, it provides valuable statistics on cost of upgrade, return-on-investment and amount of energy saved. Printer-friendly reports and resources guide consumers through these steps.
- Many common household problems, such as drafty rooms and cold floors, are indicators of energy inefficiencies within the home. The ENERGY STAR® Home Doctor offers prescriptions that not only alleviate these irksome household problems, but also lead to increased energy efficiency and lower utility bills. Consumers simply choose from a list of household symptoms and receive printable advice and web-linked resources on how to cure them.
- For consumers ready to begin the remodeling process, the ENERGY STAR® Home Remodeler offers recommendations on how to include energy-efficient upgrades into their home improvement plans. Consumers select the projects of interest to them and receive printable reports on energy- and cost-saving actions and products.