Inexpensive measures can tighten up a drafty, uncomfortable home that wastes energy.

This week’s Saturday Savers tip is about tightening up the air leaks in your home to save on energy costs.

Keeping cold air out of your home in the winter and warm air out in the summer can greatly increase the energy efficiency of your home, thus saving a bundle on your energy bills.

The first step is to do a home energy audit. I know, it sounds like a lot of trouble, but there are some nifty tools online to help you out.

EnergyStar has an easy-to-use graphic display of a home and how energy can be saved in each room of your home. The California Energy Commission website has tips to tighten up your home and reduce energy costs. You’ll also find the do-it-yourself guide from EnergyStar a helpful tool in learning how to seal up air leaks.

Here are some common areas that normally need attention in a home in order to save on energy costs.

• Caulking: Saves on heating and air conditioning bills, and prevents moisture and even insects from entering your walls. Caulking should be checked every 1-2 years. Look for gaps and holes around door and window frames, wall and roof vents, and skylights. Click here for caulking tips.
• Ducts and Vents: You can save as much as 10 percent of your heating bill by preventing leaky ducts. Using duct tape to connect sections of ducting is not a good idea, since it can get old and fail. Sheet metal screws holding the sections together and mastic covering the entire seal creates a more permanent seal. Click here for tips on sealing ducts and vents. 
• Insulation: Proper insulation saves energy by keeping heat in during the winter and keeping heat out during the summer. The minimum recommended R-value is R-30 for an attic and R-11 for walls. Adding insulation to the attic can be done by adding blanket-like fiberglass insulation or by adding blown-in cellulose thermal insulation (recycled treated newspaper). Click here for tips on insulating your home.
• Weatherstripping: Weatherstripping seals around doors and windows to help make your home airtight. This is different than caulking, which is used to seal the smaller cracks and holes. Weatherstripping can be made of various types of materials, including wood, rubber, vinyl, metal and foam. Don’t forget the wall sockets: holes in your walls for electrical outlets and switches do leak air. Click here for tips on weatherstripping your home.

Click here to start your own energy audit!

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