Ways to Make Your Home Energy Cheap

Winter heating bills and summer air conditioning bills can result in money leaks in your budget. At the beginning of each new season, perform a series of household tests to make sure your home is not leaking money in the form of excess energy costs. Energy leaks can lead to unnecessary leaks from your wallet!

Seal Your Windows

Windows, even when shut tight, can leak cool air conditioned air to the outside or allow cold winter air in from the outside. To test your windows for a proper seal, first check for dust. If your windowsill is covered with dust regularly, your windows may be letting the dust in from the outside. To check the seal on your windows, pull back any window coverings such as curtains or blinds and hold a lit candle near the window frame. If the candle flickers, you have air moving through the seal and your energy costs are higher than they should be. Calking your windows with rope calk is very simple and cost effective. Check your hardware store or local home improvement center for rope calk, it is usually found near the foam tape weather stripping.

Seal Your Exterior Doors

The largest opening to your house is usually your door. To make sure your door seals properly, grab a flash light and wait until nightfall. With you standing on one side of the door and a friend or other family member standing on the other side of the door, shine the flashing light all around the door, following the door frame. If light can be seen from the other side of the door, you have an energy leak. You can seal the leak with inexpensive foam insulating tape, rubber weather stripping nailed to the doorframe or if the leak is at the bottom of the door and you need a less permanent solution, fill an old tube sock with rice and tie the sock closed. Place the tube sock at the bottom of the door to block drafts. (This is also makes a great window draft block)

Seal Your Wall Outlets

Whether you live in an apartment or house, you most likely have wall outlets on the inside of the home, on the exterior walls. If it is cold outside and the wind in howling, you may be able to feel cold air coming through the outlet. To check for energy leaks at the outlets, use a screw driver and remove the outlet cover plate. If you see outside wall and no insulation, the outlet is probably leaking air. Go to the hardware store, purchase a bag of foam outlet insulators, and install the foam insulator behind the outlet cover. Screw the outlet cover back in place with the screwdriver.