Dear Jim Thompson,

Thank you for using REBA! We hope that you find this service to be of value.

Sincerely,
Electrotek Concepts, Inc.

Your Energy Usage Compared to Other Households

For a 2400 square foot, electric and gas home:

• Your base load is about average, see major base load items such water heating for saving energy.
• Your cooling load is about average, please see the space cooling section for reducing cooling costs.
• Your heating load is about average,

Annual Energy Costs The pie charts below show how your energy dollars are spent on different systems and appliances throughout your home:

	Space Heating and Cooling annual electric cost is estimated at $406 and annual gas cost is estimated at $412.

• Increasing attic insulation to R30 should save $57 per year.
• Improved weatherization could save $16 per year.
• Insulating and sealing ducts could save $53 per year. Residential energy studies show that duct leaks typically raise a home's heating and cooling costs by 20%-30%. The energy loss is twice that if the ducts are uninsulated.
  Beware of Bad Repairs - Sealing ducts incorrectly can make a bad situation even worse. Untrained technicans may fix only the obvious leaks, and create serious pressure imbalances. With today's technology, leaks can be sealed and tested so that you are assured both energy energy efficiency and air quality.
• A clock thermostat could save as much as $143 per year.

More information: Discovering Ducts -- An Introduction (From Home Energy Magazine)

	Annual electric cost is estimated at $222 and annual gas cost is estimated at $412 or roughly a monthly cost of $44 for electric and $82 for gas.

• Turning the thermostat down at night to 57 degree is likely save $29.

More information: Condensing Furnaces: Lessons from a Utility (From Home Energy Magazine)

	Annual electric cost is estimated at $184 or roughly $46 a month.

• Turning the thermostat up when you are not at home is likely save $24.
• Upgrading your cooling system to a high efficiency central AC from an Central AC, EER 6 may save $34 a year.
• A single well placed tree may save between $14 and $22 a year.
• If a roof replacement is needed soon, you may want to consider reflective roof coating which could save you between $40 and $60 a year.

More information: Affordable Cooling with Window Air Conditioners (From Home Energy Magazine)

	Annual electric cost is estimated at $304 or roughly $25 a month.

• Turning down the temperature on your water heater could save as much as $49 a year. If you have to mix cold water with the hot to get the right temperature, your water heater temperature is set too high, and you are wasting energy and money. Many heaters are set to 140 degrees F or higher. For most households, 115-120 degrees F is sufficient. For each 10-degree reduction, you save up to 13% on your water heating costs. To change the setting, turn off the electricity to the heater at the circuit breaker in the main electrical panel (if you have an electric heater). Open the access panels to the thermostats (some models have one, some two) and turn the indicators to 115-120 degrees F or halfway between low and medium. Check the temperature with a thermometer at the tap since the dials are often inaccurate. After living with the new setting for a while, re-adjust, if necessary, to a temperature that suits your needs. In addition to saving energy, you will increase the life of the water heater and reduce the risk of scalding.
• Insulating your water heater or replacing it with a more efficient model could save $6 a year. Unless your water heater tank is already insulated to at least R-24, which only a few new ones are, adding an insulating jacket to your water heater is one of the most cost-effective do-it-yourself energy-saving projects. Jackets cost $10-20 and pay for themselves in lower bills in less than one year. Choose a jacket with an insulating value of at least R-7 to R-11, or use two R-5 jackets if that is all you can find. Follow directions carefully and leave thermostats uncovered.
• Low flow shower heads may save $83 a year and reduce your annual water by roughly 8760 gallons. High-efficiency showerheads are designed to give excellent showers with less water -- not to be confused with primitive flow restrictors that simply reduce flow and result in wimpy showers. You'll recover the $10-20 price of an efficient showerhead within three months to one year in saved energy and water costs. Standard showerheads have flow rates of 3.5 to 6 gallons per minute (gpm), efficient ones use 1.0 to 2.5 gpm.
• A control clock can can save an additional $15 to $36 of water heating energy by turning water heaters off for certain periods, say, during the night, when no hot water is being used, or during a utility's peak demand times. You can control your own water heater with a timer that automatically turns the heater off for preset periods.
• A $5 pair of anti-convection valves and loops can save $ 6-$21 a year by preventing convective heat losses through the inlet and outlet pipes of the water heater. Some new models have these built in or available as an option; existing heaters are easily retrofitted by your plumber or by you (if you can solder a joint).

More information: Rocky Mountain Institute's Home Energy Briefs: #4 Water Heating,
Ready, Get Set, Heat Water!(From Home Energy Magazine)

	Electric energy use is estimated at $82 year or roughly $6 a month

• Replacing this refrigerator with a new one of the same size and style would save $32 a year

Keep door seals or gaskets clean and in good repair. If the seals can not hold a dollar bill firmly in place, they should be replaced. If your fridge has magnetic seals, put a bright flashlight inside the refrigerator, dim the lights in the kitchen, and check for light leakage. Since new seals are not cheap, this may be a good time to decide whether to buy a new efficient refrigerator. Check with your appliance dealer!

There are many ways to help make any refrigerator operate more efficiently.

• Check location: You can boost energy efficiency by making sure your refrigerator is not located in direct sunlight or next to the oven or dishwasher. Also, be sure that air can circulate freely around condenser coils by leaving a space between the refrigerator and the wall or cabinets. Keep the fridge top uncluttered: Do not use the top of your refrigerator as an extra kitchen shelf. A cluttered fridge top can block the air-circulation needed to keep the compressor working efficiently.
• Check temperature: The refrigerator should measure between 36 degrees and 40 degrees F and the freezer between 0 degrees and 5 degrees F. Use a thermometer to check the actual temperature, and adjust the thermostat if necessary. Your refrigerator energy costs could be $20 higher than necessary if your unit is kept 10 degrees F colder than recommended levels.
• Clean condenser coils: At least once a year, unplug the unit and brush or vacuum off the condenser coils (located on the back of the refrigerator or behind the front grill). Dust and dirt accumulation degrades performance.
• Check "Power-Saver" switch: Many refrigerators have small heaters (yes, heaters!) in the walls to prevent condensation build-up on the outside surfaces. If you have the option to switch this feature off, do it!
• Defrost as needed: If you have a manual defrost or partial automatic defrost, be sure to defrost the unit regularly. Buildup of ice on the coils makes the compressor run longer, wasting energy.
• Keep cold air in: Remember to open the door as infrequently and as briefly as possible. Less cold air will spill out when you do open the door if the refrigerator or freezer is nearly full. If your freezer is almost empty, put in a few air- or water-filled plastic containers. "CHILLshield" is a system of vinyl flaps that prevents cold air from escaping when the refrigerator door is opened, saving up to $8 - $16 a year at a cost of $25 from The Conserve Group (PO Box 1560, Bethlehem, PA 18016-1560; 215/691-8024).
• Install an energy-saving Green Plug: This device reduces the voltage of the electricity feeding into an appliance, which reduces energy waste. At a cost of $35-$40, a Green Plug will save $2 to $16 a year. Green Plugs require some adjustment to your fridge evaporator fan louver (the dial setting in the freezer).

More information: Rocky Mountain Institute's Home Energy Briefs:#3 Refrigerators and Freezers,
Is That Old Refrigerator Worth Saving? (From Home Energy Magazine)

	Annual electric cost is estimated at $40 or roughly $3 a month.

Choosing a New Freezer - Consider buying a manual defrost freezer (which are more common anyway). Manual defrost freezers consume 35-40% less electricity than comparable automatic-defrost models. They'll cost you less to run, and do a better job of storing food, since auto-defrosters remove moisture and can dehydrate food, causing freezer burn. Chest (top-loading) freezers are 9-22% more efficient than upright (front-loading) models because they are better insulated and less warm air enters the freezer compartment when the door is opened.

	Annual electric cost is estimated at $221 or roughly $18 a month.

The Dining room fixture has an estimated cost of $6.00 a year, a compact fluorescent lamp,CFL, would save between $3.96 and $4.50. It is more energy effcient to use a single higher-wattage bulb than two or more smaller wattage bulbs, but check the fixture for maximum wattage.

The Family room fixture has an estimated cost of $8.00 a year, a compact fluorescent lamp,CFL, would save between $5.28 and $6.00. It is more energy effcient to use a single higher-wattage bulb than two or more smaller wattage bulbs, but check the fixture for maximum wattage.

The Bedroom fixture has an estimated cost of $0.00 a year, a compact fluorescent lamp,CFL, would save between $0.00 and $0.00.

Total estimated savings from these CFLs replacement are between $9.24 and $10.50 a year.

More information: Rocky Mountain Institute's Home Energy Briefs: #1 Lighting
CONSUMER GUIDE: Energy-Efficient Lighting for the Home (From Home Energy Magazine)
Lighting Makeovers: The Best Is Not Always the Brightest (From Home Energy Magazine)

	Annual electric cost is estimated at $59 or roughly $4 a month.

All meals Microwave use is roughly $6 a year, or $0.50 a month.

Toaster Oven use is roughly $5 a year, or $0.41 a month.

Electric Range use is roughly $36 a year, or $3.00 a month.

Electric Oven use is roughly $11 a year, or $0.91 a month.

Switching to a gas oven would saving about between $4 and $6 a year.

Switching to a gas range would saving about between $14 and $21 a year.

Some tips on cooking efficiently on stove tops:

• When possible, use a pressure cooker, the higher temperatue and pressure reduce cooking times dramatically, saving energy by 50% or more.
• Only use flat-bottom pans that make full contact when using an electric range.
• Use pot cover to prevent heat from escaping and reduce energy use by 60% or more.

More Information: Rocky Mountain Institute's Home Energy Briefs: #5 Cooking Appliances & Dishwashers

	Annual electric cost is estimated at $110 or roughly $9 a month.

Washer use costs roughly $13 a year or roughly $1.08 a month.

Electric Dryer use costs roughly $96 a year or roughly $8.00 a month.

Switching to a gas dryer would likely save between $38 and $57 a year.

Installing a lint kit with your electric dryer is an easy project which can save on heating costs in the winter by venting exhaust heat and humidity into the house.

More Information: Rocky Mountain Institute's Home Energy Briefs: #6 Washers, Dryers, & Misc. Appliances

	Annual electric cost is estimated at $83 or roughly $6 a month.

Color TV use costs roughly $54 a year or $4.50 a month.

Color TV use costs roughly $23 a year or $1.91 a month.

Stereo system use costs roughly $3 a year or $0.25 a month.

PC use costs roughly $2 a year or $0.16 a month.

Black/White TV use costs roughly $0 a year or $0.00 a month.

More Information: Rocky Mountain Institute's Home Energy Briefs: #7 Computers & Peripherals

Energy Usage and Efficiency Real changes in energy usage and efficiency are frequently difficult to detect and evaluate due to the usual year-to-year fluctations in weather, as well as other factors such as pricing changes and differences in billing periods. In comparing annual energy costs, a somewhat colder winter or warmer summer will hide, to some degree, the effect of energy saving measures. By using daily temperature data for the last five years, REBA seperates each monthly bill into a heating, cooling, and base component. REBA then calculates an energy efficiency benchmark measure refered to as Normalized consumption. This is the estimated consumption that would occur for a day's average temperature. The idea is to make the weather's heating and cooling demands the same for each year. In addition, this normalized estimate is based on a constant average price and a calendar billing year. Thus, changes in Normalized consumption represent real increases or decreases in energy usage and efficiency.

For your household, REBA has determined that your gas heating changed at least 1 time since 1992 resulting in a real energy cost increase of $46.

Gas Heating Load

97     $412 96 * $408   $412 95 $384   $412 94 $426   $412 93 $411   $412 92 $363   $366

- Actual, - Normalized ( * - Not a full year of actual bills )

For your household, REBA has determined that your electric heating load has changed at least1 times since 1992, resulting in a real energy cost increase of $204.

Electric Heating Load

97     $222 96 * $246   $222 95 $60   $49 94 $14   $18 93 $11   $18 92 $27   $18

- Actual, - Normalized ( * - Not a full year of actual bills )

For your household, REBA has determined that your cooling load has changed at least 2 times since 1992, resulting in a real energy cost increase of $52.

Cooling Load

97     $184 96 * $175   $184 95 $249   $184 94 $217   $245 93 $185   $131 92 $118   $131

- Actual, - Normalized ( * - Not a full year of actual bills )

For your household, REBA has determined that your base load has changed at least 2 times since 1992, resulting in a real energy cost decrease of $0.

Base Load

97     $1055 96 * $975   $1055 95 $1061   $1079 94 $1219   $1200 93 $1114   $1140 92 $1046   $1056

- Actual, - Normalized ( * - Not a full year of actual bills )

The advanced thermal analysis capablities of REBA may be used to perform a more detailed analysis and examine particular months when energy use may or should have changed.

Jan	$145		$89	$55
Feb	$135		$84	$51
Mar	$131		$86	$44
Apr	$115		$86	$28
May	$97		$89	$7
Jun	$84		$84
Jul	$124		$89		$34
Aug	$166		$89		$77
Sep	$144		$86		$57
Oct	$105		$89		$15
Nov	$90		$86	$3
Dec	$119		$89	$29

Monthly Normalized Loads: Base, Heating, Cooling

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