Energize IQ Test
By using energy wisely, you can increase the comfort of your home, help protect the environment and better manage your energy costs.
Test your energy smarts with the following quiz:
What is your thermostat setting? | Score |
1. In winter during the day: | |
Score 6 points if your setting is 68° or lower. Score 5 points if your setting is 69°. Score 4 points if your setting is 70°. Score 3 points if your setting is 71°. Score 2 points if your setting is 72°. Score 1 point if your setting is 73°. Score 0 points if your setting is 74° or higher. |
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2. On winter nights: | |
Score 10 points for setting your thermostat at 60° or lower. Score 9 points if your setting is 61°. Score 8 points if your setting is 62°. Score 7 points if your setting is 63°. Score 6 points if your setting is 64°. Score 5 points if your setting is 65°. Score 0 points if you do not lower your thermostat. |
______ |
3. In summer, if you use an air conditioner: | |
Score 6 points if you set your thermostat at 80°. Score 5 points if you set your thermostat at 79°. Score 4 points if you set your thermostat at 78°. Score 3 points if you set your thermostat at 77° or lower. Score 6 points if you do not use air conditioning. |
______ |
Is your house drafty? To check drafts, you can hold a tissue where windows and doors meet |
Score |
4. If the tissue doesn’t move, there is no draft around your windows. Score 10 points. |
______ |
5. If there is no draft around your doors, score 5 points. | ______ |
6. If you keep your fireplace or woodstove damper closed to block the air flow when it’s not in use, score 6 points. Score 6 points if you have no fireplace. |
______ |
7. If you have storm windows or high efficiency, insulating windows, score 10 points. |
______ |
8. If you have storm doors or a vestibule, score 5 points. | ______ |
Is your house insulated? | |
9. If you have 6 inches or more in your attic, score 20 points. If you have 2 to 4 inches, score 10 points. |
______ |
10. If all exterior walls are insulated, score 10 points. | ______ |
Is your floor insulated? | |
11. If there is an unheated space under your house and your floor is insulated, score 10 points. If you have a heated basement and the basement walls are insulated, score 10. |
______ |
Miscellaneous | |
12. Depending on your heating system, score 6 points if your oil burner system was serviced since last winter or you regularly change filters on your forced air system or you clean baseboard units on your baseboard heating system. |
______ |
13. If the water heater is adjusted to 140° or lower, score 6 points. If above 140°, score 0. |
______ |
Now add lines 1 – 13 to get your quiz score: | ______ |
What Your Score Means:
90 or above: Congratulations! You’re already making energy-wise decisions in your home.
76 to 89 points: There are some simple things you can do to increase the energy efficiency of your home.
75 or under: There’s much room for improvement. Look at the quiz again. The areas where you scored the fewest points may be the best places to make a few energy conscious choices.