The term "energy efficiency" is used millions of times a day. We've become accustomed to reading about it in global-warming reports in our newspapers, magazines, and on the Internet, and hearing about it on our televisions, radio, and streaming newscasts. The trouble is, no one ever tells us what it means. Sure, we have a general idea. We're all supposed to be it.

Energy Star appliances can use up to 50% less energy and water than standard models, which equates to some significant moolah! When upgrading your appliances or merely replacing an old model that no longer works, Energy Star is the way to go.

Air sealing is one of the most critical aspects of energy efficiency in a home. Having the best insulation but many air leaks will nullify the insulation and cause problems in some parts of your home. This is most common around outlets and ceiling penetrations. Here are several ways to properly seal outlets.

Imagine it’s winter time and it’s really cold outside. So you put on the biggest sweater you own and walk out to get the mail. Once you’re out there the wind picks up and chills you right to the bone. All of that heat the sweater was keeping in is now gone and so is your faith that your biggest sweater works to keep you comfortable. That’s exactly how insulation works in a home with air leaks, worthless.

A blower door test is a procedure designed to discover how air-tight a structure is. Air can leak through walls, windows, doors, ceilings, basements, and even appliances. The blower door test results show exactly how much air is leaking.

A recent home that we tested showed a mediocre ACH50 number of 7.1. For a 1965 rancher with no updates, this isn't a bad result; it's not a great one either as new home construction in Maryland requires 3ACH50 or less. But for the existing building, it's not as bad as some of the others we've tested with similar construction.

Remember the customer with the rim joist issues? Well after some discussion and a little elbow grease, progress has been made. The great part about being asked to return and share the progress shows that the customer really cares about their home energy consumption and comfort.

Hopefully, you’ve come to this post for an answer to that question or one similar. Let us answer it. First, Sustainable InteriYours wants you to be an educated customer above all else. But still, there are several layers of benefits in what we offer: