Many North Dakota households spend more than $2,000 a year on utility bills. However, a large portion of that energy is wasted.

eXtension, a Web-based information resource at http://www.eXtension.org, has launched a home energy Web site to coincide with Earth Day, April 22. The site has information to help people make their homes more energy efficient, which can save money, conserve resources and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

This site provides best-practices information from more than 70 land-grant universities across the nation, including North Dakota State University. NDSU has a link to the site on its energy Web page at http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/energy.

“The goal is to provide unbiased information for people to make informed decisions concerning energy use in their homes,” says Carl Pedersen, NDSU Extension Service energy educator and a member of the 90-person group of Extension experts who produced the home energy information for eXtension (pronounced E-extension).

The eXtension home energy Web site offers information on existing homes, new homes and alternative-energy systems. The site features:

• Frequently Asked Questions – Home energy experts provide answers to more than 140 frequently asked questions on topics such as home appliances and building materials.
• Fact sheets – These provide information on heating and cooling systems, appliances, building materials, maintenance and landscaping to reduce home energy use.
• Ask an Expert – Experts respond to individual questions from the public.
• News and upcoming events – This area provides information on national, statewide and local energy-related events as well as news related to home energy.

“Too often when we have questions, we are not sure who can provide good-quality answers,” Pedersen says. “This effort puts experts in contact with the people who have the need for accurate information relating to energy use in the home.

“We wouldn’t leave a water faucet on that is leaking water,” he adds. “So why do we settle for homes that are ‘leaking’ huge amounts of energy? It is easily possible to have homes that use half as much energy as a typical home. The resources on the eXtension home energy Web page can help consumers reduce home energy use, providing economic stability, all while moving the U.S. toward energy independence and protecting the environment.”

Home energy is eXtension’s latest addition to its more than 25 resource areas, which provide reliable information based on solid research and trustworthy, field-tested data. eXtension is an educational initiative of the U.S. Cooperative Extension System.

NDSU’s energy page also contains information on home energy issues, such as heating and cooling, insulation, appliances, lighting and energy audits; energy use on farms and ranches; biofuels; and solar and wind energy.

NDSU Agriculture Communication