SEAL UP HOME TO HELP KEEP ENERGY BILLS FROM OVERHEATING
With temperatures dipping, people are probably bracing for their utility bills to climb as they crank up the heat in their homes.
A drafty building can be one of the main reasons it costs more to keep your home comfortable during the winter. While major energy savings will come from upgrading windows and doors, improving insulation and ambitious retrofits to replace outdated HVAC systems and ducts, there are simple steps you can take to plug up the leaks.
Buildings lose a significant amount of energy from air traveling in or out through cracks in walls, poorly sealed or underperforming windows and doors, and aging caulking, said John Fernandez, director of the MIT Environmental Solutions Initiative. Sealing up your home, which can be a do-it-yourself project, could result in energy savings of 5 to 20 percent, according to the Energy Department.
“The absolute smartest, greatest return on investment, easiest, least expensive way to lower your energy cost is to make sure that the exterior wall of your house or your residence or your office building is performing as well as it possibly can,” Fernandez said.
Assess your home
The first step is a visual inspection, Fernandez said. Look for cracks, holes or spaces in the walls and gaps around doors or windows where air can move in or out. Also find leaks by turning on your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans to create a slight pressure differential between indoors and outdoors, then holding up a lit incense stick. If the smoke wavers or blows in one direction, there could be a draft.
But if you’re unsure of what to look for or want a more detailed review of your home, experts recommend bringing in a professional. A $150 tax credit can be used for an energy audit, said Carlos Martin, a researcher at the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies. Many utilities will also provide the service free.
Plugging the leaks
Ensuring your home is tightly sealed is one approach to shielding buildings from outside elements — a process known as weatherization, said Rohini Srivastava, a senior researcher in the buildings program at the American Council for an EnergyEfficient Economy.
“You can think about weatherization as a protective layer around your house, which helps make you comfortable inside the home or building,” Srivastava said.
Weatherstripping and caulking are two effective and simple air-sealing techniques, according to the Energy Department. The agency estimates that weatherstripping can result in energy savings of 5 to 10 percent; caulking, 10 to 20 percent.
Use weatherstripping for cracks around structural elements that move, such as doors and operable windows. The Energy Department recommends choosing weatherstripping that will withstand the friction, weather, temperature changes and wear and tear. For small gaps in parts of your home that don’t move, caulking is recommended. The Energy Department provides step-by-step online guides for caulking and weatherstripping projects.
Next steps
Consider investing in bigger home improvement projects, such as upgrading insulation, replacing old doors and windows, and installing more efficient HVAC systems or heat pumps, Martin said. These investments, many of which are or could become eligible for tax credits and rebates, will also save energy during hotter months, he added.