My name is Justin Luyt. I started this blog in the midst of out 2008/9 recession with the purpose of helping others reduce their monthly expenses. All around our homes we have a multitude of devices, tapping into your bank account every day.Getting something for free is always nice. With July 4th just around the corner we are in the peak of our warmest season again. Every time I hear the air conditioner kick in, I am just again reminded of the month-end electricity bill coming. But there is good news on the horizon.
As this is my first post on this site, I want us to start looking at a crucial step that must be taken, if you want to reduce your energy usage. Two years ago I had my house weatherized by a provider that is part of the Energy Conservation Program of my electricity provider. Most electricity providers have such a program in-place and it is at no cost to you, the consumer.
The program is run by the U.S. Department of Energy and it works with all Stated to conserve leaking energy from residential homes. In turn electricity providers offer this service to their customers as an audit and weatherization service. Firstly, they come to your home and weatherize all your plumbing and electricity outlets. Then they also walk around the house as well as outside and close up possible leaks. All your doors in the house will get new weatherization strips and if you do not have a draft guard mounted to the bottom of your doors, they will install these for you also.
An audit of your air-conditioning system is also done. They make sure that there are no leeks in the duct system and if there is they will seal it up for you. Just before they finished they took test to ensure the home is not leaking more than it should.
If you are setting out on reducing your electricity bill, this is for sure the first step you should take. If your home is not sealed-up well, no fancy equipment will help lowering your bill. In some cases, depending on the age of your home and how much insulation you already have in place, they could also add some insulation for you in your roof, at low or no cost to you.
Call up your electricity provider today and schedule an Energy Conservation and Weatherization Audit. You will be glad you did. For moreinformation, visit the U.S Department of Energy Website on Home Energy Audit.
Jul 6, 2009 at 21:38:24
I have been looking looking around for this kind of information. Will you post some more in future? I’ll be grateful if you will.
Jul 7, 2009 at 06:07:09
Yes, indeed I will be reviewing more everyday products in our homes to surface how much electricity they draw. I will first finish the entertainment center before moving on.
Look out for my up-coming review on Microsoft Hohm, a new service from Microsoft that is only in beta, which helps you chart and analize your electricity use.
– Justin
Jul 14, 2009 at 01:15:12
Hi,
well written article, I think our views on Insulate and Weatherize Your Home For Free differ a little however you put foward some good points
Thanks
Aug 27, 2009 at 08:00:54
Great idea, but will this work over the long run?
Sep 10, 2009 at 07:47:55
I cannot believe this will work!
Sep 10, 2009 at 08:08:58
Damn, that sound’s so easy if you think about it.