Thrifty Thursday-Weatherization Inspection

 

We applied with the  

Weatherization Assistance Program

a couple of years ago to see if we could save more 

on our energy bills.

 "Weatherization programs deal with an assortment of different repairs and upgrades, including replacing seals, weatherstripping, doors, air conditioners, heaters and windows. Windows may be updated, repaired or replaced during weatherization, depending on the condition of the window and the needs of the resident. "

 source

It took some time for our names 

to get to the top of the list,

but we finally made it.

Our home is newer, 

so we weren't sure what we could do

 to improve things.

Sometimes I wonder if newer homes are built 

as well as older ones.

I was curious to know their findings.

 A technician came to our house 

to do an inspection this week.

She measured all of our windows and doors 

from the outside.

Then she checked out the water heater

and asked me what our concerns were 

regarding the use of energy.

Our electric bills range from $85 in the winter,

to close to $200 in the summer,

when the A/C is running 'round the clock. 

This vinyl covering was placed over our front door.

All the windows and doors throughout the house

had to be closed and the A/C turned off.

 This fan was placed in the hole 

at the bottom of the door.

 The idea is to decompress the air inside the home

so that any leaks can be detected.

Looks kinda sci-fi, no?

 Our reading was pretty good.

A manual inspection of the windows 

and doors was completed.

There were several areas where weather stripping

or caulking could be helpful.

After inspecting the attic for adequate insulation,

the ducts were checked for leaks.

This one in Lil' Guy's room was fine.

The one in the laundry room was not.

Several suggestions were made 

to improve our energy conservation.

After funding comes in for the program,

a contractor is assigned to come and 

complete the suggested work.

We hope it will help our electric bill to decrease

and conserve energy overall.

If you qualify, I highly recommend 

having this kind of audit done on your home,

especially if you are a new owner.

The savings could really add up in the end.