Home Energy Efficiency On The Cheap

Did you know that in a typical South Florida residence, cooling, lighting, refrigeration and water heating account for 77% of electricity consumption?

Recently public awareness has been raised to unprecedented levels with respect to energy efficiency and all things green. When it comes to the home, we are bombarded by information from a variety of sources regarding such things as wind energy and solar energy generating technologies. Despite the availability of tax credits, rebates from utility companies, private financing and other private sector incentives, the potential cost of such improvements is a daunting challenge to many homeowners. As a result, many are discouraged from taking the matter beyond interesting cocktail chit chat.

While solar and wind energy are becoming more and more accessible in terms of cost and availability, properly sealing your home is still the most cost-effective method to reduce your energy costs, saving homeowners as much as 30-40% off their electrical utility bills.

Most people aren't aware that air leakage amounts to 30-40% of a home's heating and cooling bills. Stopping air leakage is important not only for energy savings, but also for protecting your home from the damaging effects of moisture. Air, leaking into walls from the interior of the home, carries humidity with it. This moisture hits a cold surface and condenses, causing the insulation and surrounding wood to get wet. Eventually, the air leakage can lead to mold growth and wood rot.

It is a common misconception that the majority of a home's air leakage comes through windows and doors, but in actuality, only 10-15% of air leakage is through windows and doors. That is why window replacement is seldom a cost-effective means to save energy. There are lots of ways to greatly improve the efficiency of windows without replacing them.

Most people think that tightening up the home means caulking around the outside of the home. This prevents rainwater from getting into your walls and that's important, but does very little to stop air from leaking into your home.

Tightening up an existing home begins on the inside. The greatest areas of air leakage in a home are around the top of the foundation and around penetrations into the attic. You can seal the top of the foundation (rim joist) with caulk or expanding foam. To seal the penetrations into the attic, the easiest way is to push back the insulation, and seal the holes around wiring and plumbing stacks and caulk along to tops of interior walls. To seal the inside of the house, use a clear caulk around the window frames where the trim meets the wall and all cracks in the window that aren't operable. Add weather-stripping to the windows if necessary. Install foam gaskets on outlets and switches on exterior walls. Seal around all ceiling fixtures, heat registers, medicine cabinets, bath tubs, kitchen cabinets, drain and water pipes where they enter the wall in kitchen and bath and any other interior wall penetrations. There are many things you can do to reduce air leakage in your home. However, keep in mind that a professional with the proper training and equipment is best suited to pinpoint air leakage and to identify and deal with combustion safety problems.

In a nutshell, you don't have to go out and spend thousands of dollars to save a significant amount of money every month on your electric bill. By taking some some simple and inexpensive measures to prevent cool air from escaping and warm air from getting into your home, you can save money and create a more comfortable home environment for you and your loved ones.