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Doug Rye's Tips on Using Less Energy In Your Home
February, 2008 Rural Missouri

Well, folks, it has finally happened. Since 1975, I’ve been saying that America and the world would face a serious energy crisis in my lifetime. And I believe that time is now. Simply put, demand for fossil fuels is exceeding supply. This is evident by the rising prices of gasoline, natural gas and electricity.

With energy costs increasing at alarming rates, it is not surprising that interest in energy efficiency is soaring as well. In fact, calls to my home office have doubled in recent months. With natural gas bills expected to rise up to 30 percent this winter and with electric bills also on the rise, the most pressing question right now is: “How can I get through the winter without mortgaging my house to pay the heating bills?” Although I can’t do anything about the rising energy costs, I can give you some time-honored tips that will hopefully help you use less energy and, therefore, lower your bills.

So where do you start? First you must identify the problems in your home and I often say that the three biggest ones affecting the comfort and energy efficiency of your house are 1) air infiltration, 2) air infiltration, and, yes, you guessed it, 3) air infiltration. The total air infiltration in an average house is the equivalent of having a door or window open every day of your life. Just think with me for a moment. If you can keep the cold air from getting in, it won’t take as much to heat your house, not to mention the fact that you would be a lot more comfortable in your home.

So where does the air come in? Think of it this way. Anywhere an ant can get in, air can get in. Here are a few major problem areas:

• Where your wall touches your slab.
• Cracks between the wood framing in your home’s walls.
• Around electrical receptacles and light switches in your house, even on interior walls. (When the north wind is blowing, go feel the electrical outlets and switches on your north wall.)
• Holes and leaks around your sink plumbing.
• Gas and fireplace flues
• Recessed can lights that are not IC-rated. Between 3 and 10 cubic feet per minute of air will pass through one of these lights. A typical plastic garbage bag is 3 cubic feet. So that means that three garbage bags full of air can leak out of one of those lights every minute.
• Leakage in ductwork can be major. Leakage in the return air system of your heating/cooling unit can especially be a problem during the winter as it lets the cold air into your house. In the average house, gigantic amounts of air enter through this system.

So how are you going to stop the cold air from penetrating your home this winter? The solution is mostly labor and a little bit of material. Now, say this with me. “Caulk it. Caulk it. Caulk it.” For big holes, such as those under the sink, simply use expandable foam. For the smaller cracks, use a clear siliconized caulk. For electrical outlets and light switches, install the insulated foam gaskets and childproof plug inserts. Installing cellulose or foam insulation in your attic will also help reduce air infiltration from your attic space.

For existing homeowners who have less than 8 inches of fiberglass insulation in the attic, I recommend that you add cellulose insulation over the fiberglass to a final insulation depth of 12 inches. Cellulose insulation, which is made from recycled newspapers, or foam insulation will greatly outperform the more conventional fiberglass insulation. These products can be purchased at most home centers. There are also professionals who can test your home and correct the problems. The surest way to find the leaks is through a blower door test, which reveals where all the leaks are, even those you can’t see.

Doug Rye, a licensed architect living in Arkansas and the popular host of the “Home Remedies” radio show, works as a consultant for the Electric Cooperatives of Arkansas to promote energy efficiency to cooperative members statewide. To order Doug’s video, call Doug at 1-888-Doug-Rye. More energy efficiency tips can also be found at www.ecark.org.

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