Get an Energy Audit From Your Utility Company: Save Money!

Last week I contacted my gas company and requested that they perform an energy audit on my home. It was the best $60 I’ve spent in a long, long time, and I recommend that everyone should have it done.

The energy auditor did approximately two hours of inspection with me tagging along while he explained things along the way. He left no window, door, or vent untested.

The energy auditor sealed the house and then installed a “blower door”—a piece of plastic tarp with a hole in it--in place of my front door and turned on a large blower (fan) facing outward. This made it much more obvious where air was infiltrating the house and, therefore, where insulating or caulking would do the most good.

When the energy auditor left, I had a “to do” list of 10 specific items (most of which a contractor will need to do), a 42 page manual with more To-Dos, “Guide to Home Energy Savings”, a head full of new information about where my energy-saving dollars can best be spent, and some V-shaped window insulation with specific instructions on how to “do it myself”.

Most of the other tasks on the "To Do" list I will need to hire someone to do because of my limited time and asthma (inhaling ANY amount of insulation would be bad): the attic needs a LOT more insulation (the blown-in kind).

Apparently my sliding windows are among the worst possible designs as far as air leaks are concerned. They are the kind that slide back and forth (left and right).

Curiously, the energy auditor brought in a plumbing pipe insulation tube and cut a wedge out of it—like a piece of pie cut out of a really tall pie with the tip of the pie cut off. He pushed the small end of the V into the gap in my bedroom window’s sliding track and the air leak stopped.

The energy auditor said that plumbing piping insulation like this would prevent air from passing through it because of its closed-cell plastic design. Plumbing pipe insulation is also very inexpensive; you can use one tube to weatherproof 5-6 windows, depending on how thick you need the pieces to be. Plus, you can open the window any time by just popping out the insulation piece, then popping it back in when you close the window.

Solid plastic V-shaped insulation with adhesive on one side will help seal the vertical air gap (it’s on my shopping list).

The energy auditor also talked about my bedroom window coverings. They are simply a bunch of sheer curtains in various colors—which look nice but provide little or no protection against the Minnesota winter winds and cold or, come summer time, against the oppressive heat—especially since this window faces west and will get the hottest part of the day.

So, I’ve decided to get a roller shade with a good R-value and put it up behind the sheer curtains. By adding a simple roller shade, I can have an energy efficient window that still looks pretty on the inside. Another plus: adding a heavy roller shade will dampen road and other outside noise, making the room all the more comfortable.

Some small modifications like the ones I've described will make my home so much more efficient that I’ll recoup the $60 cost in the next few weeks and be much more comfortable in my home—goodbye, drafts and cold spots in the rooms.

I highly recommend requesting this type of service from your gas or electric company as soon as possible, especially if you live in a very cold, very hot, or mixed-weather climate.

My energy auditor was qualified such that I am eligible for various rebates from the gas company as well as from the government, so be sure to check into that and verify the requirements before you have the audit done.