Air flow through leaky doors and window joints, cracks, frames, and sashes can account for 15-40% of a home’s heating and cooling losses. If you close a piece of paper in a door and can pull it out easily, it needs weatherstripping. Stop air leaks from windows and doors with caulking, weatherstripping, plastic film, storm windows, or storm doors. Learn more about how windows can waste energy.
From draft guards to foam weatherstripping, there’s a wide variety of products and strategies. It’s a good idea to learn what works best for your particular situation and the location and type of doors and windows you are sealing. Learn more about different strategies and materials from the Energy Savers guide, savehouseholdenergy.com, or Consumer Energy Center.
If you are a renter, there are temporary fixes for simple sealing projects, like using plastic window film or rope caulking, or laying a rolled up towel to stop drafts below doors. Air sealing strategies that are more permanent should have landlord approval.
Seal and insulate air leaks at attic and/or basement access points
Access points for the attic and basement can allow for air leakage between conditioned and unconditioned spaces in your home. If you have a door to your attic or a pull-down stairway, insulating it can be a big energy saver! You can purchase insulated stairway covers online or learn how to do it yourself.
Watch this video to learn how to install weatherstripping on your attic door.
Cold air can enter through gaps in poorly insulated basements and crawlspaces. The rim joist, where the foundation meets the wall of the first floor, is a common place for air exchange. There can also be penetration points for electrical wiring and pipes that run from the basement to other parts of the house that allow for air leakage. Sealing those penetrations and any gaps at the rim joist can greatly reduce the amount of air flow through these spaces. Learn more about sealing and insulating your basement or crawlspace from the ENERGY STAR® basement sealing guide.
Project costs can vary, but utility bill savings and rebate programs can offset costs. Check out the Potomac Edison Home Performance with Energy Star program to learn how to get a 50% rebate up to $2,000 for insulation and air sealing projects.
If your home was built before 1991, your attic needs an insulation upgrade. Improving attic insulation can save up to 7% of your household’s energy consumption (5% on heating, and 2% on cooling). In some cases it can cut heating and cooling costs in half! It is a good idea to involve a professional for advice on recommended R-values and materials or installation. Properly sealing air leaks is an important component of a good insulation job, and improperly installed batts can sometimes do more harm than good! Learn more by reading the ENERGY STAR® sealing and insulating guide.
Project costs can vary, but utility bill savings and rebate programs can offset costs. Check out the Potomac Edison Home Performance with Energy Star program to learn how to get a 50% rebate up to $2,000 for insulation and air sealing projects.
To make your insulation project even greener, consider batt insulation made of 90% recycled cotton. This natural insulation meets the highest testing standards for fire and smoke ratings, fungi resistance, and corrosiveness, but is more expensive than fiberglass. Learn more about natural insulation options.
Before making a large financial investment in new windows, explore all options for increasing the energy efficiency of your existing windows, and overall home, with your home performance auditor or contractor. You may be able to achieve comparable or even greater energy savings for far less cost.
If you do determine that you need to replace your windows, consider all aspects of a window: the frame, glass or glazing, and operation. There are many energy efficient options and performance measures to take into account: insulated double/triple glazing, Low-E (emissivity) coatings, air leakage rate, and more. Windows are rated using a variety of energy performance characteristics: U-factors, Solar Heat Gain Coefficient (SHGC), Sunlight transmittance, and more. Learn more about selecting energy efficient windows and check out these tips on window-related energy savings from EnergySavers.gov.
Watch this video on the benefits of Low-E windows or this video that demos Low-E windows.
HISTORIC CONSIDERATIONS: If you live in the City of Frederick’s Historic District, all window repairs and replacements must be approved by the Historic Preservation Commission. If your home has early or original windows, the Commission is likely to recommend repair or storm windows over replacement. If your property is on the National Register of Historic Places, read this Preservation Brief for more information about repairing and replacing historic windows.
Use energy-efficient lighting in at least 75% of your lighting fixtures
Fluorescent lights use up to 75% less energy than incandescent light bulbs, and can last up to 10 times as long. If you replace 20 bulbs with more energy-efficient lights, you can save up to $600 over the lifetimes of the bulbs. Compact Fluorescent Bulbs (CFLs) now come in all shapes and sizes. There are dimmable models, and models for recessed or outdoor lighting. Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting is even more efficient than CFL lighting, but with a greater up-front cost.
If you tried a CFL and didn’t like it, it may be because you didn’t select the right wattage, color, brightness, or size. When purchasing CFLs, use these equivalencies to get the brightness you are looking for (or roughly divide by 4):
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