October, like many months, is stocked with special campaigns. As almost everyone knows, it is Breast Awareness and Diabetes Awareness Month. Lesser known commemorations: “Eat Country Ham Month” and “Vegetarian Month” — which weren’t well coordinated, eh?
Who knew that October also hosts National Weatherization Day on Oct. 30?
Here are some ideas for tightening up our building “envelope” from various sources, including the Cool Cities Home Audit Checklist:
- Seal up leaks. Double duh, but have you done it? Wherever you feel air seeping in, know that heated air can waft out. Cool Cities says stop door drafts with a draft stopper, or just put down a towel. For outside window frames, caulk is your best friend.
- Remember to set your hot water heater at 120 degrees. Excessive heating of water during cool months can needlessly hike up bills, and your carbon footprint. It’s like the phantom in the attic, or basement, keeping hot water at the ready — even when you don’t need it.
- Don’t just close off the chilly attic. Seal it off with foam weatherization tape, or buy or make an attic door cover.
- Close the drapes at night; open them to let the sun in during the day.
- Check your furnace filter monthly, and check the vents to make sure you’ve got good air flow. See the EPA’s Heat and Cool Smartly Guide for more.
- Remember to close that fireplace damper after the coals after burned out. An open fireplace literally sucks the warmth from your home, and that’s just ghoulish or foolish.
And if you’re making serious improvements, remember it’s not just solar panels that qualify for federal tax breaks. Windows, insulation, new furnaces — all that — can earn you some return at tax time. See the EnergyStar website for details on federal incentives.
This year, too, environmental groups are jumping in to show that weatherization is not just for misers, it helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions too. The Sierra Club has lined up business partners, energy service providers and town officials across the country for events highlighting the importance of making our homes energy efficient.
“Residential buildings are responsible for a staggering twenty percent of global warming pollution. Many families lose money on energy bills each month because their homes aren’t energy efficient,” says Sierra Club Clean Energy Solutions Representative Allison Forbes. “Weatherizing homes is one simple solution that will create thousands of good jobs, put money in the pockets of American families, and help fight global warming.”
- For more info about how to reduce household energy bills, see Sierra’s weatherization webpage.
