To Trim the Bills, Dodge the Draft

True to our motto, Lewis CPA want to help you keep more of what you earn.  Not just as your Naperville Accountant, in your everyday life as well. Periodically we will be providing tips and information that we feel can be useful to all of us. Here's the first!
A few simple do-it-yourself projects could save you 18% on your heating bill this winter.
By Josh Garskof

You don't have to invest thousands in high-tech insulation or a superefficient furnace to cut heating costs. Just sealing drafts could lower your bills by 3% to 18%, according to Danny Parker, a research scientist who works with the Department of Energy. In the high-heating-cost Northeast, that translates to annual savings of as much as $250 if you use natural gas or $550 for oil. Pretty good for low-costprojects you can do yourself.

GO FOR DURABLE WEATHER STRIPPING

If you can easily slide a sheet of paper between a door (exterior, basement or attic) and its frame, it needs weather stripping, says Jen Schwab, director of sustainability for Sierra Club Green Home. Skip cheap self-adhesive foam, which will work loose before the spring thaw. Instead, buy bronze strips and cut them to size with metal scissors. Fasten the strips in place with the provided nails and you’ll never have to replace them. (Drafty windows can be sealed too, but they can be tricky; hire a handyman.)

INSTALL AUTOMATIC DOOR SWEEPS

Sweeps, draft-blocking strips that you attach to the bottom of exterior doors, prevent icy gusts from coming inside. But they can scratch wood floors and catch on welcome mats as the door swings open. Try a spring-loaded automatic sweep, which lifts as the door is opened and presses down to form a tight seal when it's closed.

INSULATE THE ATTIC HATCH

Pull-down attic ladders are notorious energy losers because they’re built with little regard for air sealing or insulation, says Paul Zabriskie, director of EnergySmart of Vermont, a nonprofit home-weatherizing service. You can fix both problems with an attic tent—an insulated fabric hut that youinstall over the hatch, staple to the attic floor and unzip when you need to climb through it.

COVER YOUR AC
An in-wall air conditioner—or a window unit that's too large to remove for the off-season—will cool your home in the winter too, thanks to drafts blowing right through it. Order an insulated wrap custom-made to fit snugly over the unit, keeping the heat in.

SEAL REMAINING CRACKS
Close all doors and windows, and turn on bath, attic and range-hood exhaust fans. They'll suck air out of the house, encouraging drafts to rush in to replace it. Hold a stick of burning incense near gaps, such as where pipes penetrate the wall under sinks and baseboards meet the floor. Where smoke dances near hidden cracks, spray Great Stuff insulating foam; use caulk for visible ones. That's how the pros do it.

From the October 2011 issue of Money. © 2012 Time Inc. All rights reserved.