Product Description
We have all heard the news: oil prices have exceeded $100 a barrel and natural gas rates have exploded by 74% over the past four years. And these costs will continue to rise. So how can the average homeowner lower their energy bill and still maintain a comfortable, healthy, and green house? The answer is: Bruce Harley’s 150 Ways to Cut Your Energy Bills Today. Offering eye-opening incentives and easily achievable methods, Harley’s uncluttered and organized approach will not only benefit the environment, it will help anyone reduce their heating, cooling, and electrical expenses. Highlighted by numbered tips and techniques for easy reference, the book presents a treasure trove of simple and inexpensive ways for cutting energy costs by up to 20% — and even 40% in some cases. … More >>
Cut Your Energy Bills Now: 150 Smart Ways to Save Money & Make Your Home More Comfortable & Green
I own about a dozen DIY books on weatherproofing/weathersealing, interior air quality (IAQ), humidity, moisture, and so forth. Harley’s “Insulate and Weatherize” was my hands-down favorite purchase in that category. The writing and photos and diagrams were all intelligent and precise, and Harley’s knowledge is several notches above the other authors’. He foresaw issues and problems that our top local HVAC consultant was clueless about. Priceless.
“Cut Your Energy” is like his earlier book in all those ways, but with a different emphasis. There is overlap with the earlier book when it comes to things like hunting-and-destroying air leaks, but most of “Cut Your Energy” is new material. I’d already read a lot in this area, so I knew maybe 45% of the stuff in Cut Your Energy. But the other 55% was worth its weight in gold.
This is an oversize book with tons of detailed text, photos, diagrams, lists of resources and contact info, appendices, and — our favorite — “energy-saving” myths. [One example: We had assumed that we should seal off the HVAC vents in unused bedrooms and closets to save energy. Not always true, per Harley.]
Unless you’re an expert already, I think this is the book to get.
Rating: 5 / 5
Detailed with lots of photographs for the average person. Systematic for doing a thorough tightening up of your home or office. Does not include a HERS energy audit or a Dulley Energy Efficiency Index inventory, but pretty much include most other things.
Rating: 5 / 5