Haunted by Your Utility Bills?

For some of us, there is nothing scarier than opening the utility bills. During this time of year it’s not uncommon to have to run the A/C one day and the heat the next. Opening your utility bills shouldn’t feel like playing a round of Russian Roulette.

The problem is that most people aren’t sure where to start when it comes to making their homes more comfortable and efficient. Also, many people think it will cost a lot of money to do so. The fact is there are many things people can do to make their homes more comfortable and efficient without spending a lot of money.

Improving weather stripping around windows and doors can often be fixed by a trip to or . Installing a programmable thermostat—and actually programming it—can reduce utility costs by automatically turning up or down the thermostat when you aren’t around.

Now these are Do-It-Yourself type projects and again can save you money. But, the hardest part of DIY is the actual doing part. If you purchase the products and then put them in a closet, you have just wasted more money. Also, making sure you purchase the right types of weather stripping can make a big difference.

For instance, if the weather stripping on your front door doesn’t completely come into contact with the door itself, replacing it with more of the same won’t help. Adding sticky backed types of weather stripping along with what already exists is ugly.

Solution—there are companies that make an oversized version of the weather stripping already installed in your door that will fix the issue and isn’t ugly. You just have to know where to buy it and how to install it.

So don’t let the "Ghost of Utility Bills Future" haunt you. Contact your local Mad Building Scientist, like an energy auditor, and they will be able to help exorcise your demons.

As always, ”Don’t throw money at your problems, throw knowledge, it’s a lot cheaper.”