Judith (Kirby) Martin · Green & Cleantech Expert

We hear these words from every direction these days. What can homeowners do beyond resetting the thermostat? Many focus initially on alternative energy sources such as solar. While solar, geothermal and even pellet boilers are possible pathways to reducing energy use, these choices are quite expensive compared to the cost of meeting a higher energy conservation standard during the building process. Homeowners, builders and government officials seem to have forgotten the maxim: the cheapest energy is energy never used. The first step to addressing high fuel bills should be energy conservatio…