The Home Energy Diet: How to Save Money by Making Your House Energy-Smart (Mother Earth News Wiser Living Series)

Product Details

With rising energy costs, homeowners are beginning to examine the energy efficiency of their own homes, asking questions about where energy comes from and how much it costs, how to choose new appliances and what options exist for renewable energy.

The Home Energy Diet answers all these questions and more while helping readers take control of their personal energy use and costs so they can save money, live more comfortably and help the environment. Energy auditor Paul Scheckel first explores energy literacy, and then describes how your home uses-and loses-energy you pay for via:

Electricity
Hot water
Heating and air conditioning
Windows, walls and insulation

The Home Energy Diet involves readers in learning about their own homes by: measuring, metering, investigating and considering habits related to household energy use; learning how to quantify energy consumption and cost and making informed decisions about cost-effective improvements and upgrades. The book explores the misunderstood concept of efficiency versus cost by comparing fuel costs and equipment choices, including the possibility of using renewable energy for meeting home energy needs. This authoritative guide makes efficiency fun through personal anecdotes and humorous "tales-from-the-basement" energy misadventures.

Since energy efficiency is an investment that offers returns greater than Wall Street, readers can earn several hundred dollars every year just by following the advice in this book. As a bonus, many of the energy-saving strategies described can make for improved indoor air quality and healthier, more comfortable homes.

Paul Scheckel is an energy auditor who has visited thousands of homes, educating people about energy efficiency, cost-effective improvements and indoor air quality. With a passion for efficiency and renewables, he walks the talk by living in a solar-powered house and driving a car powered by vegetable oil in his home state of Vermont.

Product Reviews

(3 stars) - Good info for technical types
This book has a lot of good info for technical types. Lots of formulas and theory.

Also has maps showing heating and cooling days around the country (get a magnifying glass if you want to read them), pictures of various water-heating setups showing many pipes with little description, and the like.

If you want to know a lot about the theory and basic technology of energy efficient homes, this book is has a lot of info.

If you are an average person who wants straightforward suggestions on how to save energy and money in your home, I suggest checking out The Complete Guide to Reducing Energy Costs (Consumer Reports: You Need to Know).

(5 stars) - Home Energy Diet, How to Save Money by Making Your House Energy SmartExcellent book
Excellent book for anyone that wants to learn how they can conserve energy & help the environment. The author Paul Scheckel, does a good job explaining why/how something should be done in easy to understand language. Great tool to have around if your planning a remodel or new home; so your on somewhat of an even playing field with your contractor.

(2 stars) - Not for older homes
The book is much too thorough in some ways and not thorough enough in others. It is too through because the author will go on for pages about Ohms and Btus and Watt hours to the point where my eyes glazed over and I found it a very good sleep aid. He doesn't know how to get to the point and put his suggestions in an easy to understand synopsis. Other topics are covered in an almost off hand way or not at all, for example, we own a house built in 1912, and for us this book was nearly completely irrelevant. There is no discussion of the issues facing a homeowner with an older home. So if your looking for an easy to understand, easy to apply book that will help you make your home more efficient and save money, look elsewhere. There is certainly lots of information in this book, if you like sitting down at night with your hot water heater's manual, this book is ideal - but I didn't find it easily understandable or useful and can't recommend it.

(5 stars) - Very informative!
I was so happy with this book. I learned so much from it and the author is very good at explaining things to you in easy to understand terms.
The author also did an excellent job of making good energy saving suggestions and ideas for home improvements.

This is a book I would give to family and friends. Highly recommended. ++

(4 stars) - Consider "Insulate and Weatherize" Instead
Consider starting with "Insulate and Weatherize: Expert Advice from Start to Finish" by Bruce Harley instead which is a more practical "Go Do It" book with lots of photographs.

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