Energy Check Up

Stop leaks: Hot air leaking out of your home in winter and into your home during summer allows for huge amounts of wasted energy.
To save energy, plug, fill, cover and eliminate as many sources of air leaks as possible. Even tiny leaks around pipes, ducting and outlet covers add up to large energy losses.

Heat rises: That's why you should make sure attic insulation is evenly spread and of the proper thickness to prevent heat loss. Attic ducting should be insulated to stop cold air infiltration. You should also make sure the fireplace damper works and it remains closed when there is no fire.

Weather strip tricks: Make sure weather stripping around doors and windows is pliable and there are no air leaks. Caulk cracks, gaps and seams in siding and trim around doors and windows.

Inaccurate Thermostats: Incorrectly calibrated thermostats can cause heat to fluctuate by as much as five degrees above or below the set temperature. Check your thermostat by turning it to the right and listening for a click, then compare the reading on thermostat set point with the reading of an accurate thermometer. If the readings aren't close, it's time for a new thermostat.

Buy better bulbs: In general, fluorescent bulbs use a quarter of the wattage of incandescent bulbs. To save the greatest amount of energy use fluorescents in lamps you leave on more than four hours at a time.

Catch a running refrigerator: Listen to your refrigerator for 15 minutes. If it runs more than it stays off, it may be time for repairs or replacement, since the one you have now could be using three times the energy it should

Other Energy Saving Links

Track down usage: For more help tracking down where your energy is being used, check out our Energy Usage Checklist.

Answer your questions: For answers to some common energy usage questions, see our Energy Usage Q and A's.

Energy efficiency programs: Learn about available efficiency programs to promote saving energy in the home.