When it comes to making your home more energy efficient, sometimes we can over think it. Should you install a high-efficiency furnace or solar panels? While these items can save you energy, they are expensive and have a long payback period. We have found that the easiest and most cost-effective way to save energy is to caulk and add insulation.

Recently, we set up a home energy assessment visit with a Unitil customer in Lunenburg. An energy specialist assessed the home’s energy use and made a custom list of energy-saving recommendations, which I have detailed below because they are applicable to so many homes.

Insulation:

• Box in recessed lights in the attic to prevent blown insulation from coming in contact with the lights. Install a thermadome over the attic staircase.
• Box in heating system in the attic. As a sealed combustion system in the attic, it requires some heat in order to prevent the condensation pump from freezing. This should be done using 2-inch rigid foam board insulation.
• Remove insulation from sloped ceiling in the attic. Having the sloped ceiling insulated  increases the heated space to include that of the attic. A more effective barrier would be the attic floor.
• Add 1,289 square feet of R-50 cellulose insulation to the attic floor. Adding insulation will result in an improved thermal boundary, which will minimize the transfer of heat to the outdoors.
• Garage ceiling below apartment should be dense-packed with cellulose. While there is insulation in the ceiling, there is also air movement, which should be eliminated.

Air Tightening:

• Reduce air infiltration by 23 percent. Minimizing the changes of air will reduce heating and cooling losses due to convection. Areas of concentration should be attic deck, attic access, doors between conditioned and unconditioned spaces, basement rim joist, as well as any mechanical and electrical penetrations in the home.

Like this Lunenburg customer, most homeowners need to beef up the amount of insulation in their homes. The above changes, many of which are do-it-yourself projects, would reduce this homeowner’s annual energy usage by $300 per year.

By John DiNapoli, community and municipal manager for Unitil