Take Charge - How's Your House

How's Your House

Try our How's Your House energy survey to see how energy efficient your home is and how you can further take charge of your energy costs. Just answer each of the following fourteen questions.

What type of lighting do you have in your home?

Regular incandescent light bulbs
Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs)
Some of both

What type of lighting do you use to light the exterior of your home?

Regular incandescent floodlights
Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFLs)
Some of both

Do you have a motion detector or timer installed on your exterior lighting?

Yes
No

What energy rating do your appliances, such as your refrigerator, stove, freezer and clothes washer have?

All are ENERGY STAR® rated
Some are ENERGY STAR® rated
None are ENERGY STAR® rated
No idea

What water temperature do you use for washing clothes?

Hot
Sometimes hot, sometimes warm and sometimes cold
Always cold

Do you have the hot water pipes leading from your hot water heater insulated with pipe insulation?

Yes
No

Do you turn off your computer when not in use?

No, my computer stays on 24 hours a day
Sometimes
Yes, I always turn off my computer when not in use

How many refrigerators and freezers do you have in your home?

One
Two
More than two

Is your basement or crawl space insulated?

Yes, completely insulated.
Yes, but only partially insulated. I can still see concrete walls
No, not insulated

Have you installed new weatherstripping or checked to ensure that the weather-stripping around your exterior doors is in good shape?

Yes, installed new weatherstripping
Check for good weather-stripping
Weatherstripping not installed or needs to be replaced

How much insulation is in your attic?

None
Some, but I do not have the recommended minimum amount of R32
At least R32 insulation is installed in my attic

Do you set back your thermostats by 5 degrees Celsius at night and when you are away from home?

Yes, all the time
Sometimes, but I tend to forget
No, I do not set back my thermostats

What kind of thermostats do you have installed in your home?

Button thermostats directly on the heaters
A mixture of button thermostats and wall thermostats, but these are not high performance thermostats
All wall thermostats, but these are not high performance thermostats
High performance wall thermostats, those that maintain room temperature at a 1 degree Celsius variance or less

What kind of windows do you have in your home?

Single pane
Double pane
ENERGY STAR®