What happens to your hot water once it goes down the drain? For most homes, that answer is simple, the hot water goes down the drain and into either the sewer or the septic system, never to be seen again. All the energy spent to heat that water is wasted once the hot water has fulfilled its purpose and gone down the drain. That seems like such a waste. Thankfully, there is a way to use some of that heat going down the drain. It’s called a drain water heat recovery system.

There is an assumption that closing vents in unused rooms will redirect heat within the home. Or that shutting the vents saves energy. This is not entirely true. While shutting off vents can increase airflow elsewhere in the HVAC duct system, it’s not as much as you may think.

As a renter, you don't typically have much flexibility in making energy-efficient improvements in the home, apartment, condo, etc. You are usually limited to taking small steps, but the great news is that those small improvements can definitely add up to big savings! While Sustainable InteriYours' primary focus is on homeowners, we still provide consulting to the renter.

So, fiberglass vs. cellulose. Of these two types of insulation, which is the better pick for your home? Let's get into which has a higher R-value per inch, better resistance to air leakage, and installation methods.

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.

According to The Carbon Trust, 'The total set of greenhouse gas emissions caused directly and indirectly by an [individual, event, organization, product] expressed as CO2e.’

The carbon footprint is a system that has been designed to measure the number of carbon emissions which we all create. We all have a carbon footprint.

When planning for energy efficiency, looking for energy saving solutions, and turning your home into something a little more green, one room that cannot be overlooked is the laundry room. This is one of the most energy-consuming and costly tasks by time in your household.

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.

Consumption is something we hear about a lot these days. We are told that our human consumption may be harming the environment. I choose to conserve energy around my home because it can save me some money, and it may be better for the environment to do so. I don't know if we are harming the environment or not, but I still follow these 9 tips to help save energy around my home.

The virtues of energy consumption are many: we save money and help reduce our enormous carbon footprint. There are many changes people can make to their daily lifestyles to encourage conscious living and save energy. Ultimately, these steps are only superficial unless we also incorporate habits that avoid energy. Keep reading for new ideas to save you money!

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.

Improving your home's insulation is one of the best ways to cut down on energy costs. Most people only think about insulation when the weather is cold, and your home's heat is leaking out, but it can also reduce air conditioning bills in the summer by keeping the heat out.

The average household spends 25% of their energy bill on their lighting system. Reducing energy consumption can be achieved through simple steps such as turning off lights when not in use or optimizing daylight use within the home.

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.

During a consultation near the end of 2019 the customer had expressed that their basement felt colder than they felt it should. Look and see what we discovered

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: