So what can you do? I highly recommend doing a home energy audit. (I know some of you are probably thinking, what in the world is a home energy audit?) Well, it is a tedious task that takes about an hour of your time and requires you to walk through your home with a checklist in hand. I know this sounds daunting but sacrificing that hour could actually help you save up to $900 a year! With the economy the way it is, it is safe to say that we could all use some extra cash... (not to mention, it will help lighten the load on Mother Nature)
Use the following checklist to walk through your home:
Air Leaks
- Electrical Outlets: Are they well sealed?
- Switch plates: Have they been insulated?
- Window frames: Do they rattle? Can you see light coming through the cracks? Weather-stripped?
- Baseboards: Are there gaps between the walls and the baseboards?
- Attic hatches: Are they well sealed?
- Window-or wall-mounted air conditioners: Are they well sealed?
- Pipes, wires, electrical outlets: Are there any holes, gaps, or crumbling plaster around them?
- Foundation seals: Is there a gap where the baseboard meets the floor?
- All exterior corners of your home: Do you see any cracks?
- Roof, where chimney meets siding: Are there any cracks or holes?
General Energy Use Check
- Furnace filters: Do they look dirty?
- Heating and cooling vents: Are they dusty or dirty? Have you shut off the ones in the rooms you don't use often?
- Coils behind the fridge: Are they clean and is fridge door sealed? Is fridge temperature set at 37 degrees F and the freezer at 3 degrees F?
- Do you have low-flow aerators in all your faucets and showers?
- Are you using power strips that you switch off when not using?
- Have you checked how many watts your major appliances use?
- Have you replaced all your incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs?
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