"HOUGHTON — From plugging drafty holes to unplugging unused equipment, there’s a lot you can do to make your home more energy efficient, a local construction expert told the Keweenaw Universalist Unitarian Fellowship Sunday in Houghton. "

"Dave Bach, who has been constructing energy-efficient buildings since 1980, was the featured guest at the Fellowship’s forum. Bach teaches construction management at the Michigan Tech University School of Technology."

"Energy-efficient measures, Bach said, will save money, reduce the ecological footprint, improve indoor air quality and increase property value."

"Conserving energy accounts for the large chunk of savings, Bach said. There are more than a few ways to do this, he said: Turn down the heat. Wait until the dishwashers are full to do a load. Take shorter showers. "

"Another culprit? “Phantom loads,” the small energy charges incurred by electronic devices on stand-by, such as computers or TV sets."

"“All these little charges, when they’re plugged in, they’re using energy,” he said. “It’s only a little bit of energy, but a little bit of energy adds up.”"

"Bach said the key is prioritizing these uses and finding the ones most convenient to eliminate."

"“A lot of people would shut off their furnace before they stopped taking longer showers,” he said. "

"Handwashing dishes, viewed by some as a better alternative to the dishwasher, might not be; a study in Germany found handwashing dishes took almost seven times as much water to clean a 12-place setting as an energy efficient dishwasher."

"About 20 percent of heating and cooling costs can be attributed to leaks in walls, floors and ceilings. "

"“We want to make the house so tight that if you slam the door, your eardrums will burst,” Bach said. “That’s my goal.”"

"For better or worse, few houses meet eardrum-bursting standards. Blame
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