No Pain? No Pain.

This article was first published in Albuquerque's Local IQ Magazine. Archives are available at Issuu.

This article first appeared in Local IQ, Albuquerque NM

If you have memories of energy efficiency in the 1970's what jumps into your head may be deprivation. Not leaving the lights on, not letting the water run, not being able to drive over 55 mph. All of us have at least one relative who saves rubber bands, clips coupons and keeps their house uncomfortably cold, while chiding the rest of us for our extravagance. If Uncle Al is your mental image of energy efficiency, throw it out. After an energy efficiency update the only thing people will notice about your house is how comfortable it is -- no drafts, no cold rooms, no hot rooms.

The ten percent of Americans who have taken energy efficiency to a level of discomfort are saving money and helping the planet, but they are giving energy efficiency a bad name. We don't need 10% of the people cutting their energy use by 80%. We need 80% of the population cutting their energy use by 50%. And deprivation doesn't sell very well.

America is good at technological progress, so you will be delighted to know that items that were expensive and unreliable ten years ago, now are even more energy efficient, cost less, and work beautifully. During the time it took for the stereo system to become an iPod, the same advance has happened in energy efficiency.

Energy efficiency isn't going to deprive you of your luxuries, it just is going to make sure they are powered off when you don't use them.

The low-flow shower heads that turned hot water into a needle-like cold spray are gone. You can now get a luxury Kohler "rainfall" showerheads that save more water than that ugly spray nozzle.

I first ran into compact fluorescent lights (CFLs) ten years ago in a cheap motel. When I hit the light switch, there was a flicker, then a dim glow that slowly grew to a creepy yellow light that made me look like the bride of Frankenstein in the mirror. Today's CFLs come in a range of colors from "daylight" to "warm" and come on instantly.

In many cases energy efficiency is a luxury item you can't afford not to buy. Your old harvest-gold refrigerator, with the broken shelf, uses energy so inefficiently, it's as if you signed a lifetime contract with a rent-to-own appliance store. The shiny new fridge with working drawers, carefully chosen for it's energy efficiency, will keep your food the exact same temperature. What's not to like?

Some houses may benefit from an air-lock entry -- a small room with a door at each end which keeps cool or warm air from leaving the house. Your airlock room could provide a beautiful update to the front of your house, provide much needed storage and pay you back in both energy efficiency and home value.

If you aren't using the southern exposure of your house for passive solar heating, a solar greenhouse with a heat sink (such as a brick or tile floor) can provide an attractive way to turn our sunny winter days into a round the clock heat source. These small projects, unlike any other remodeling, will pay back more than the cost of the addition. And you can grow tomatoes and basil in the winter.

Here's my challenge -- search for "home energy efficiency" and pick out ten things to do. Preferably the ones that save the most money. If you hit one you just can't live with, like carrying wet laundry outside to dry on sub-zero days, skip that and pick the next one. Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Brag about how great it is to come home to a house where the programmable thermostat turns up the heat just before you get home from work. It is fun -- in fact it can be a little addictive. If eventually you find yourself on item 101, with several thousands dollars in energy savings, don't blame me. Remind yourself that your spouse might not still be interested in talking about it, and that you shouldn't scare off the beginners -- you don't want to become Uncle Al.


This article by Kristy Dyer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License You can reprint it for free, as-is.