Set sprinklers to water the lawn or garden only - not the street or sidewalk.
Use the microwave to cook small meals. (It uses less power than an oven.)
Purchase "Green Power" for your home's electricity. (Contact your power supplier to see where and if it is available.)
Scrape, rather than rinse, dishes before loading into the dishwasher; wash only full loads.
Cut back on air conditioning and heating use if you can.
Turn off appliances and lights when you leave the room.
More KVUE Latest News SOUTHLAKE — The Reed family is unfurling a curtain of aluminum in their attic, hoping it'll help them roll in the savings.
Radiant barriers are designed to block the sun's radiant heat from entering the home.
Some claim they can save an average of 30 percent on energy bills, but there is no guarantee, according to Kent Patterson of Energy Attic.
"It just depends," Patterson said. "It depends on the roof pitch. It helps every house so far that we've so far looked at and bid on."
Larry Taylor, an independent energy auditor, said savings also depend on how energy efficient a home is in the first place. He notes that not every house benefits from a radiant barrier.
"If you're under a bunch of shade trees and the sun is not directly shining on your roof, the trees have been your radiant barrier," Taylor said.
He added that customers should know the difference between types of radiant barriers. There is controversy even within the industry as to which product is best.
A foil barrier, which is stapled to attic rafters, claims to block 97 percent of radiant heat from the attic.
Spray-on aluminum is about 75 percent effective. Some experts say aluminum paint may be better for smaller, narrow attics.
"You can take a long nozzle and get to an area that a body couldn't get to nail the foil on," Taylor explained.
Prices for radiant barriers vary. The cost is based on the product, installation method, and attic size. Most customers can expect to spend at least $1,000.
The Reeds saw their summer energy bill drop immediately by 30 percent. Their attic is large, so installing a foil radiant barrier cost thousands of dollars
"We'll recover our investment in a little over three years," said homeowner Janice Reed.
They consider it an investment, one that in tough economic times might at least increase the value of their home.
E-mail jstjames@wfaa.com
