By Noah Buhayar

Posted Thu Jan 3, 2008 11:17am PST

Noah Buhayar is a fellow at the Rocky Mountain Institute.
The Rocky Mountain Institute recently compiled energy usage information for the typical American household. We found more than 30 ways that most people can reduce the amount of energy they use at home — without freezing in the dark.
Last week, my colleague shared with you nine no-cost ways to cut your home’s energy consumption, reduce your carbon footprint, and save money.
That’s good news this time of year as home heating …

The easy answer to a drafty or old window that no longer insulates well is to “cover it in plastic.” And that still is probably the best possible answer for most situations.
Most situations?
Yup. I said most situations for a reason. Here’s why. You need to know how the window is losing your home’s energy to effectively make the right repair choice.
For example, putting plastic over a window when its the outer frame that loses energy will do next to nothing except obscure your view of the outdoors.
Okay, so how can …

One of the most challenging problems for homeowners is with the placement of a heat register, radiator or other heat source under or near a window. The problem is compounded with every degree the temperature plummets outside.
Understanding the problem
To figure out how to fix the problems, we have to understand what is going on. Warmed air always rises (and conversely cold air falls). Since warmed air will always rise from the heat source it will gravitate upwards. Under most circumstances, when a heat register is on a wall, the warmed …

Am I really asking you to pick out and install some curtains?
There’s a very, very good reason, aside from being fashionable.
Which I’m not.
Curtains, especially the heavier fabric ones, are good insulators. They retain heat very well, and also block a lot of cold air.
Try this. If you have curtains, on a cold day, stand near the window with the curtains drawn. Now feel behind the drawn curtain, between the window and fabric. I guarantee it is much colder. The curtains are stopping the colder air from entering …

Unfortunately, there is some bad news that comes along with sealing windows, walls, and doors that may leak. That something is air pollution or contamination within the home. By sealing cracks, you’re saving heat but also giving pollutants less opportunity to escape your home. Carbon Monoxide, an odorless, colorless and very poisonous gas can also be trapped.
To reduce this risk, make sure you change the filter on your furnace often, preferably with a premium one that stops as much allergens and particles as possible. Be especially vigilant if …

If you don’t want to deal with caulk, or perhaps you’re uncomfortable with the installation, rope caulk may be for you.
Rope caulk is also an excellent choice for temporary uses or where gaps are very small and it may not be worth caulking.
In fact if you want to patch small gaps between the molding and wall, rope caulk would probably be the smarter choice than regular caulk. It’s extremely flexible and is much cleaner than regular caulk.
Additionally it is much easier to work with.
Here are the advantages of rope …

Caulking is a great, quick and efficient way of plugging holes around windows. In fact, if you buy the correct caulk for the situation it can plug up nearly anything!
Caulking is one of those repairs that will save you money year round, no matter what the season. It forms a nice, tight seal around problem areas and prevents air, warm or cold, within the house from escaping to the outdoors. So heated air stays in the house in winter, and cooler air is retained where it is …

Okay, yeah, simple repairs are great because anyone can do them.
You don’t have to hire a contractor to caulk your window, or find and seal simple gaps.
You don’t need to spend hundreds for replacing your furnace filter.
In fact, there are a lot of advantages to simple repairing.
But one to me stands out as very important and worthy of mentioning.
A simple repair when it comes to plugging energy holes generally does not have expensive consequences if you don’t repair correctly.
If you do a major repair, lets say by replacing a window, …