ENERGY HOGS

It’s December and winter is upon us once again. Winter with it’s own type of beauty and activities like the holidays, snow, snow skiing and friends over for a visit and maybe a meal culminating in a sit ‘n talk visit session in front of a warm fire or near a warm, burning wood stove. But, with all the good and fun comes the inevitable increased propane gas and electrical bills we will be faced with to pay as we struggle to keep our homes warm and lit up. As winter grinds on and the energy bills keep getting higher and harder to afford, some of us begin to realize that we live in ‘energy hogs’.

Just what is an energy hog? I’m not sure that there is a precise description anywhere as to what exactly is an energy hog home, but my personal opinion is that it is a home structure, usually 15 or more years old, but could just as well have been one built in a rush during the 2000 through 2006 ‘boom years’; homes that were built without close regard to details. Details such as:

· Installation of an energy efficient heating system with air tight duct system
· Proper insulation installation with no gaps and material contact on both
sides
· Building envelope that is ‘tight’ with no gaps, cracks or air leak openings

There are many other energy conserving details, but those are the main ones, and, many homes fall far short in those areas. Older, vintage homes really ‘leak’ conditioned air because when they were built, energy costs were minimal compared to today so energy use was not of much concern. Fortunately, the good news is that making our homes more energy efficient many times is not that difficult to do or expensive.

As I mentioned in my blog message last month, many people think first about expensive projects like changing out all the windows to new dual pane units when far simpler and inexpensive projects actually reap way greater rewards in energy saving. I would suggest starting with examining the inside and out sidewalls to see how airtight they are. Caulking and sealing all the cracks, gaps and openings in the wall coverings will make a big difference in air infiltration. Installing simple, inexpensive foam gaskets behind the wall receptacle and light switch covers actually curbs a lot of air movement. Installing additional insulation properly in the appropriate places will make a home far more comfortable to live in and save far more money spent for energy than replacing windows ever would. Check out the weather stripping at the doors and windows to make sure it is intact and that it is making proper contact with the door or window. If you are in doubt as to what to do or where to start in making your home less of an energy hog, having an energy audit performed on your home would probably be a good investment. The reason an energy audit would be money well spent is that all the energy wasting leaks of your home will be found and brought to your attention, some of which will probably surprise you. The energy audit report will allow you to put together a plan to start turning your home into a comfortable, energy conserving star performer. So, roll up your sleeves and get to work so that you can start saving your hard earned money and live more comfortably in your home.