Do It Yourself Methods to Save on Utilities
If your utility bill is out of control, you need to consider ways to tame the beast. There are plenty of do it yourself [DIY] ways to save on utilities.
Utility costs for heating, cooling and electricity are at record highs. Worse still, they are expected to rise fairly dramatically over the next few years. We all have to live in a residence or home, making small changes to save money on utilities will save you tens of thousands of dollars, if not more over the rest of your life.
People are searching in Google everyday for ways to lower their cost of heating and cooling. So how can I save money on my utility bill? The secrets of lower energy costs are lowering energy usage, stopping drafts, stopping heat transfer, blocking radiant transfer, and lowering attic heat.
Here are some areas to check out and fix to start saving some money.
Leaks and drafts from the interior of your home to the exterior and vise versa can easily double your utility bill. There are a couple of obvious areas to check out such as around windows, frames around doors, fireplaces and entrances to attics. Less obvious spots to check include gaps around electric outlets, mail slots, pipes, spaces around baseboards and gaps around air conditioners where they interface with the exterior. If you find gaps, caulking can often take care of the problem. For large gaps you can use a can of spay foam and then covering the foam with caulking or a piece of aluminum. Covering your air conditioner for the winter or removing it completely when not in use can really help. Some problems may require a weekend DIY project to repair like sealing up an unused fireplace.
Insulation in a home can be a real problem when it comes to utilities. Let me suggest that builders tend to use the minimum amount and grade of insulation required by regulations when building homes. If you live in a low income housing home, this may be all the more true.
If you seal the areas where you have drafts, but the heater or air conditioner is still turning on every few minutes, your insulation is the next thing to check. I’ll admit that inspecting insulation isn’t the easiest or most comfortable task. This requires you to first climb into the attic to see if there is any insulation missing or disturbed. You also need to check how much insulation is in there. For fiberglass insulation the R value of every inch of insulation is about 3-3.5. Recommended values should be R40 in the attic and R20 in the walls though this may change some depending on where you live. If you make sure what is there is level and complete but there needs to be more it is easy (easier said then done) to install another layer over top of what is there. Make sure you don’t block off the air flow from the eaves though. This may require you to also install air shuts or Moore vent as they are sometimes called.
Unfortunately, the grade of insulation in the ceiling may not match the grade in the walls. To check the walls, the best bet is to find a small area where you might have a hole or be able to make one. Closets are typical spots. After you have removed a small surface area in a closet, determine if the entire area is filled with insulation and check the R grade of your insulation. Compare it to recommended grades in your area. You can then patch the area and nobody will be the wiser. If all else fails, get a thermal inspection from a professional.
Most people are not going to need to have insulation blown into their walls but this may be a possibility. This job is typically a job for a professional. If more insulation is needed doing so will certainly help, but sealing a home will go a long way to cutting your utility costs. With this in mind, give your home the once over.
Today we have energy efficient technologies out there that can give us a return on our investment immediately and continue the savings. Our homes will feel more comfortable, and our heating and A/C systems will perform at a much easier pace saving us money with lower utility bills. Like new Designer Solar Window Films have improved so much in just the last few years and radiant barrier products that have only been out the last 8-10 years. Though these may not be DIY improvement they are worth checking into.
Green technology like our Governments are encouraging is available to you today and there are incentive’s and stimulus packages that you could possibly qualify for in upgrading your home.
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