Monday, February 16, 2009

Cutting Heating/Energy Expenses Around the House

Since we moved into our new home I have spent a bit of time focusing on reducing the heating/energy consumption of the house. The house was ripe with opportunity:

  • I repaired weatherstripping around the exterior doors to ensure there was a good seal.
  • I added door sweeps to the exterior doors to reduce air flow underneath the doors.
  • I installed a programmable thermostat upstairs and set the heat for as low as we could tolerate.
  • I installed outlet foam sealers and outlet caps to seal outlets from cold air.
  • I closed the chimney flue.
  • I installed weatherstripping on the attic door for a better air seal.
  • I installed weatherstripping on the attic foam box as another seal around the attic door
  • I purchased a roll of insulation with the intention of insulating the attic foam box
  • I plan on buying a second programmable thermostat for downstairs.
  • I turned down both heating elements in our water heater to the lowest setting.
  • I closed off an unused bedroom by shutting the air vents and doors.

I also plan to get under the house and verify the insulation in the crawspace and in the attic. I will also look for gaps where the cold air might be getting into the walls. Any other low hanging fruit out there?

Read more here: Cutting Heating/Energy Expenses Around the House



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