Energy Audit Tips

Winterization Tips

§         Check for holes or cracks around your walls, ceilings, windows, doors, light and plumbing fixtures, switches, electrical outlets and through the Wall and Window Air conditioning units that can let cold air into your home.   There are quantifiable heat saving measurements at the DOE (Department of Energy Site) around Heat loss and infiltration. Below is a passage shared from the DOE site:

•  Air leakage, or infiltration, occurs when outside air enters a house uncontrollably through cracks and openings. Properly air sealing such cracks and openings in your home can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, improve building durability, and create a healthier indoor environment.

§         Seal all Central Air vents when your Central AC is not in use during the Winter months as a significant amount of heat loss is attributed to baseboard/Radiator heat escaping into your attic through your uncovered Central AC ductwork.

§        Close and make sure fireplace dampers are tight.

§       Check the insulation levels in your attic, exterior and basement walls, ceilings, floors, and crawl spaces.

§        Make sure your appliances and heating and cooling systems are properly maintained. This should be done once a year for heating and once a year for cooling.  Be sure to change your filters on a more regular basis.  Clogged filters can stop your system from being efficient and can actually make your system stop working until the filter is changed  

§        Study your family’s lighting needs and use patterns, paying special attention to high-use areas such as the living room, kitchen, and outside lighting. Look for ways to use lighting controls—like occupancy sensors, dimmers, or timers—to reduce lighting energy use, and replace standard (also called incandescent) light bulbs and fixtures with compact or standard fluorescent lamps.