Winterize Your Home: Plan a Home Energy Audit

Oct. 30 is National Weatherization Day. With winter knocking at your door, keep cold air out and energy bills down (sealing leaks, improving insulation, and maintaining heating and cooling equipment could save up to 35%) by weatherizing your home. This week's tips will help get you started.

Tip #1: Start with a checklist.

Where do you begin? First, you need a plan. A home energy audit reveals how much your home guzzles and where you can increase efficiency. You could opt for a professional assessment — wherein experts inspect your home's every nook and cranny (prepare by listing the problems you already know about) — or do it yourself, in which case you’ll need a good checklist to walk through. Many local utility providers offer home energy audits for free; check to find out if yours does.

Tip #2: Seal those cracks.

Tip #3: Update your insulation.

Tip #4: Plant trees and shrubs.

Tell us: What’s on your energy-audit checklist?