One nice side effect of the Cash for Caulkers buzz in the news lately is that it has people focusing on the potential energy savings from simple fixes around their home. Stories about saving thousands of dollars from a fancy solar panel installation may be sexy and get all the headlines, but the reality is that many homeowners can save money now (not ten years down the line) from simple fixes around their home such as adding insulation in the attic, replacing incandescent bulbs with energy efficient bulbs, and other simple, inexpensive fixes.
The best way to cut your heating bill is often to make sure all the windows and doors of your home are properly caulked, sealed, and weatherstripped, instead of going shopping for a fancy new solar water heater. Blowing in a few extra inches of insulation in your attic can very easily save you more money over the next ten years than installing a solar installation that can cost from $5,000-$10,000, and the net effect on the environment is much the same (especially if you use cellulose or other “green” attic insulation).
Once you’ve got your basic home in tip-top shape, then it’s time to turn to appliances and solar installations, as far as being as energy efficient as possible. But make sure you’ve tackled all the small improvements first, as that’s often where you’ll get the biggest return on investment of your home improvement dollars.
