Five fixes to make your home more energy efficient | Clean Energy Economy for the Region

It’s that time of year when we start to feel the effects of energy inefficiency most acutely, in the form of cold drafts and high energy bills. Here are our five top suggestions for making your home cozier and less expensive to heat.

1. Insulate hot water pipes to keep the heat you pay for where you live.

Insulating your water heater and boiler/furnace pipes is one of the most cost-effective ways to reduce energy loss in the home. It also creates the potential for quicker and hotter water by anywhere from 2° to 4°. Simply buy some pipe insulation (it looks like a pool noodle and costs about $10 for a 6-foot length) and wrap any accessible hot pipes.

2. Insulate and air seal your attic hatch to reduce heat loss.

Attic hatches are typically uninsulated, allowing tons of heat loss in winter (and unwanted heat gain in summer). For a quick fix, use foil tape to attach a couple of layers of foam board insulation to the upper side of the hatch and add thin weatherstriping to the surface that the cover rests on. If your hatch comes with a fold-down ladder, install a lightweight attic door insulation cover (available online for $30 or so) – all you need is a staple gun.

3. Improve your attic insulation to increase comfort and energy savings.

If your attic insulation is old, compressed or otherwise inadequate, consider adding to it. You can rent an insulation blower from Lowe’s in Glenwood Springs – it’s actually free for the first day (and $50/day after that) if you purchase the insulation material there. For advice, see the EnergyStar website.

4. Enclose your crawlspace to improve air quality and reduce energy use.

It’s probably best to hire a contractor for this, as it’s a more complicated project that entails sealing leaks, installing a vapor barrier, cutting rigid foam to fit and allowing for ventilation. See our contractor locator for a list of local professionals. The comfort improvement along with energy savings will make this project worth the effort.

5. Seal old can lights to reduce air leakage through penetrations in your ceiling.

Older (non-“IC”) recessed light fixtures, also known as recessed cans or pot lights, are notoriously leaky; they basically create holes in your ceiling that chimney heat up into the attic. Boxes of LED retrofit lights cost about $10 per light and cover those holes with a sealed unit. Many allow you to adjust the color and brightness of the light to suit your style. At a minimum, you should replace any old incandescent bulbs with LEDs – they’re available for free from CLEER at the Third Street Center in Carbondale.