- Collect your utility bills. Once you have electric bills and fuel bills collected look for trends in your costs. Target your largest bill for further conservation techniques. For example; if your electric bill is extremely high during the summer, look to reduce your air conditioner use, install a programmable thermostat, etc. Start planning for further conservation based on what you find when going over your bills.
- Seal up air leaks throughout the house. You can use the test method described in the To Do This Week checklist. Start by applying caulk and weatherstripping to doors and windows that leak air. You also want to caulk and seal air leaks where plumbing, ducting, or electrical wiring penetrates through exterior walls, floors, ceilings, and soffits over cabinets. Another way to prevent air leaks is to install rubber gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on exterior walls.
- Inspect insulation in the attic and crawlspace. First, look for dirty spots in your insulation. Many times these dirty spots indicate holes where air leaks into and out of your house. You can seal the holes by stapling sheets of plastic over the holes and caulking the edges of the plastic. Next, check to see if your insulation is up to par by using the Department of Energy's insulation calculator. This tool will help you determine the right amount and type of insulation for your zip code.
- Insulate hot water pipes and ducts in unheated areas of your home. Obviously, if these pipes and ducts are left uninsulated, they are loosing heat. Whatever is heating the water or air traveling through them is working even harder and running less efficiently as a result.
Keep in mind that these checklists should be revisited every so often to help you conserve energy in your home. Whether you are taking on this project as a way to save money, or as an act of social responsibilty, this guide can help you make your home as efficient as possible.