| If your utility bill is out of control, you need to | | | | when building homes. If you live in a tract home, this |
| consider ways to tame the beast. There are plenty | | | | may be all the more true. |
| of do it yourself [DIY] ways to save on utilities. | | | | If you seal the areas where you have drafts, but the |
| DIY Methods to Save on Utilities | | | | heater or air conditioner is still turning on every few |
| Utility costs for heating, cooling and electricity are | | | | minutes, insulation may be a problem. Inspecting |
| near record highs. Worse, they are expected to rise | | | | insulation isn't the easiest or most comfortable task. |
| fairly dramatically over the next few years. Since you | | | | The easiest method is to first climb into the attic and |
| will live in a residence for the rest of your life, making | | | | see if there is any exposed insulation. Unfortunately, |
| small changes to save money on utilities will save you | | | | the grade of insulation in the ceiling may not match |
| tens of thousands of dollars, if not more. Here are | | | | the grade in the walls. |
| some areas to check out and fix to start saving | | | | To check the walls, the best bet is to find a small are |
| some bucks. | | | | where you might have a hole. Closets are typical |
| Leaks and drafts from the interior of your home to | | | | spots. If you have kids, look for areas where a |
| the exterior can easily double your utility bill. There | | | | doorknob has punched through a wall. If none of |
| are a couple of obvious areas to check out such as | | | | these are available, you can remove a small surface |
| windows, frames around doors, fireplaces and | | | | area in a closet. Once done, determine if the entire |
| entrances to attics. Less obvious spots to check | | | | area is filled with insulation as well as the R grade of |
| include gaps around electric outlets, mail slots, pipes, | | | | your insulation. Compare it to recommended grades in |
| spaces around baseboards and gaps around air | | | | your area. You can then patch the area and nobody |
| conditioners where the interface with the exterior. If | | | | will be the wiser. If all else fails, get a thermal |
| you find gaps, caulking can often take care of the | | | | inspection for a professional. |
| problem or you can pursue a weekend DIY repair. | | | | Most people are not going to need to blow out their |
| Insulation in a home can be a real problem when it | | | | insulation. Doing so will help, but sealing a home will go |
| comes to utilities. Since I hope to avoid getting sued, | | | | a long way to cutting your utility costs. With this in |
| let me just suggest builders tend to use the minimum | | | | mind, give your home the once over. |
| amount and grade of insulation required by regulations | | | | |