How to Make Your Home Energy Efficient

Great article, lots of ideas. Like the idea of an energy audit to start the process. As Mark mentions, air leaks can add up. Not only do they cost you money, but the comfort level goes down - drafts.

Here's an article showing you how to do a home air-leak test:

http://greenterrafirma.com/diy-home-air-pressure-test.html

Enjoy.

I really liked this article. I was disappointed to see that the author did not elaborate on the use of thermography but showed a thermal image of a home. I own a business that helps people to make their homes more efficient. I would have liked to hear more about thermography. I believe that we need to make our homes as efficient as we possibly can. When you seal a home that tight it is necessary to install a HRV (heat recovery ventilator) to bring fresh air into the home while exhausting the stale air.

How To Reduce Your Energy Bills / Energy Conservation Begins at Home

Imagine leaving a window open all winter long -- the heat loss, cold drafts and wasted energy! If your home has a folding attic stair, a whole house fan or AC Return, a fireplace or a clothes dryer, that may be just what is occurring in your home every day.

These often overlooked sources of heat loss and air leakage can cause heat to pour out and the cold outside air to rush in -- costing you higher heating bills.

Air leaks are the largest source of heating and cooling loss in the home. Air leaks occur through the small cracks around doors, windows, pipes, etc. Most homeowners are well aware of the benefits caulk and weatherstripping provide to minimize heat loss and cold drafts.

But what can you do about the four largest “holes” in your home -- the folding attic stair, the whole house fan or AC return, the fireplace, and the clothes dryer? Here are some tips and techniques that can easily, quickly and inexpensively seal and insulate these holes.

Attic Stairs

When attic stairs are installed, a large hole (approximately 10 square feet) is created in your ceiling. The ceiling and insulation that were there have to be removed, leaving only a thin, unsealed, sheet of plywood.

Your attic space is ventilated directly to the outdoors. In the winter, the attic space can be very cold, and in the summer it can be very hot. And what is separating your conditioned house from your unconditioned attic? That thin sheet of plywood.

Often a gap can be observed around the perimeter of the door. Try this yourself: at night, turn on the attic light and shut the attic stairway door -- do you see any light coming through? These are gaps add up to a large opening where your heated/cooled air leaks out 24 hours a day. This is like leaving a window open all year round.

An easy, low-cost solution to this problem is to add an attic stair cover. An attic stair cover provides an air seal,