Find heat leaks:

Hidden air leaks cause some of the largest heat losses in older homes. Common air leakage sites include:

-       Plumbing penetrations through insulated floors and ceilings

-       Chimney penetrations through insulated ceilings and exterior walls

-       Fireplace dampers

-       Attic access hatches

-       Recessed lights and fans in insulated ceilings

-       Wiring penetrations through insulated floors, ceilings, and walls

-       Missing plaster

-       Electrical outlets and switches, especially on exterior walls

-       Window, door, and baseboard moldings

-       Dropped ceilings above bathtubs and cabinets

See how snow melts from the roof

Scan the building walls and roof with an IR detector

Save Fuel Energy for Space Heating:

-      Close your fireplace damper when the fireplace is not in use.

-      Use ventilation fans only as long as necessary.

-      Lower your thermostat setting during winter to 68 degrees.

-      Raise your thermostat setting during summer to 78 degrees

-      Programmable thermostat

-      Raise and lower window coverings to allow heat in during cold weather and keep heat out during warmer weather.

-      Keep air filters clean

-      Keep hot-water heat registers clean and should not be blocked by furniture, carpets or drapes.

-      Winterize when absent

-      Heat only occupied rooms, adjust ducts

-      Turn off heat producing electric items

Water Heater Energy Efficiency Tips

• Make sure water heater is set at the lowest point. Try setting it at 120 degrees.
• Try washing clothes with warm water and rinsing with cold.
• If your water heater is located in an unconditioned space, consider installing a thermal wrap around it.
• Consider buying a new energy efficient water heater. While it may cost more initially than a standard unit, the energy savings will continue during the lifetime of the appliance. Most electric cooperatives offer incentives to reduce the costs of a replacement.
• Although most water heaters last 10-15 years, it's best to start shopping for a new one if yours is more than 7 years old. Doing some research before your heater fails will enable you to select one that most appropriately meets your needs.
• Drain a quart of water from your water tank every 3 months to remove sediment that impedes heat transfer and lowers the efficiency of your heater. The type of water tank you have determines the steps to take, so follow the manufacturer's advice.
• Repair Leaky Faucets .One drop per second from a leaky faucet wastes up to 400 gallons of water a year. Not only is water being wasted, but so is the energy used to heat the water.

 

• Choose Low-Flow Showerheads And Faucets Low-flow showerheads and faucets can reduce water consumption by as much as 10 percent. You also save on the energy used to heat water and will not notice any difference in water pressure. With four people in a home, you can save as much as 15,000 gallons of water in a year when you install these water-saving devices.

 

Energy Saving Investments

Remodel/rearrange: - spend some money ()

Here are important energy-saving ways to increase the value of your home and provide significant energy savings over the long-term.

 

• Have your furnace regularly maintained by a professional.
• More efficient furnace
• Install a programmable thermostat to automatically adjust your home temperature with your daily routine.
• Install or add attic insulation if existing insulation is less than six inches thick.
• Use a whole house fan or attic fan for cooling on warm nights.
• Install ceiling fans for air circulation.
• When replacing or upgrading your refrigerator or other kitchen appliances, choose the most efficient model you can afford.

• Install dimmer switches and motion sensors to control lights when you are away.
• Change to compact fluorescent light bulbs, especially for lights you use frequently and for long periods of time.
• Seal window leaks around your home.
• Replace windows
• Caulk and weather strip around pipes, ducts and vents.
• Insulate, especially closed-cell foam
• Seal cracks
• Window coverings

• Install room heaters in occupied rooms
• Radiant heat instead of convection
• Install alternate heat appliances

• Install co-generation

Insulation is your primary defense against heat loss through the house envelope. However, putting insulation into a house after it is built can be pretty difficult. If there isn't any insulation, the best option is to bring in an insulation contractor to blow cellulose or fiberglass into the walls.

Attic. Adding insulation to an unheated attic is easier than insulating existing walls and is likely to have a greater impact on comfort and energy use.

Basement. Materials that could be damaged by moisture, such as fiberglass batts and cellulose, should never be used to insulate a basement. Interior vapor barriers can also be very damaging because they prevent basements from drying to the inside. Interior basement insulation should start with rigid foam installed against the basement walls. If you are considering finishing your basement and using it as a living space, seek the advice of an experienced professional.

If you have a crawl space, it should be sealed, not ventilated. To do this, use 6-mm thick polyethylene sheeting as a moisture barrier to cover the ground and seal tightly to walls and columns. Then use rigid foam to insulate the foundation walls.

About one-third of the home total heat loss usually occurs through windows and doors. If your existing windows have rotted or damaged wood, cracked glass, missing putty, poorly fitting sashes, or locks that don't work, you may be better off replacing them.

If your windows are generally in good shape, it will probably be more cost-effective to boost their efficiency with inexpensive products purchased from your local building supply or hardware store.

Whether replacing windows in an older house or choosing windows for a new house, your decisions on what type of windows to buy will be among the most important decisions you will make in terms of energy use. Because of the impact windows have on both heat loss and heat gain, proper selection of products can be confusing. To get the most up-to-date information on what to look for in energy-efficient windows for your home, visit the Efficient Windows Collaborative.