Ideas for Intown homes to cut their power bills and maybe even get a check from Alabama Power.

Most of the homes in Birmingham's Intown neighborhoods were built before there was regular access to air conditioning. Many of the architectural features that I love had a dual use of helping to regulate the temperature in the house. That said, some significant retrofitting is often necessary to lower energy usage, save money and be more green. My house, built around 1933, has about 35 large windows. Thirty-five! I've recently come across some low cost ideas for dealing with this and maybe even getting a check back from Alabama Power (if you can afford the entry fee).

Relatively cheap and old school ideas...
The Attic: Attic fans and insulation
Windows: Removable window film.
Heating and AC: Electronic thermostat.
Electronics/Appliances: Unplugging computers, microwaves, DVDs, etc when not in use.
Lighting: Switching over to compact florescent bulbs (CFCs) that are now becoming popular.

Slightly more costly new school (and more fun )ideas...

Home energy power cost monitor-let's you know the wattage that your powered items are using in real time and can even alarm you when you go over certain limits.

And one for you ballers out there...

Net Metering-A Norwood neighbor recently received a letter from Alabama Power telling him that they were able to now offer net metering, which could actually allow you to get a check back from our local energy company. You first have to install solar panels that would turn your property into a mini power station. This is not a cheap proposition as costs for a residential set up can run upwards of $20,000 right now. I can't find information on net metering on the Alabama Power website, but my neighbor does have a letter from them talking about the program. I'll look more into this in upcoming posts.