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Here we explain the basic priorities of steps to take in reducing building heating or cooling costs. The sequence of energy-saving and money-saving steps outlined just below will be appropriate for most buildings.
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How to Set Overall Priorities of Building Improvements in Insulation, Storm Windows, Heating Systems, when Saving on Heating Costs
Readers who found this article while searching for methods to reduce home heating costs may also want to place this idea of tuning up your heating system
to save heating cost in the larger energy savings context including cooling, electricity use, appliance efficiency, and overall building condition such as insulation, windows, doors, air leaks, etc. Here is the order in which you should take steps to cut building energy costs:
Stop drafts and air leaks
in the building first: find and fix leaky windows, doors. The leaks in an older home may be small, individually, but added up they are often equal to leaving a window or door wide open. There is not much benefit in adding insulation to a building if a window or door is being left open. Or the equivalent in leaks. Stop drafts first.
the general movement of warm air and heat in a building is "up" and "out" as warm air rises through a home. If a building is not insulated or not well insulated, the attic floor is the place to start with improving building heat retention. Be sure to also review our notes on proper attic ventilation so that you don't also create a moisture problem.
if your building's windows are old, leaky, un insulated, adding storm windows can have a faster payback than removing and replacing the entire window unit with a modern insulated glass unit.
Insulate walls -
the second direction of heat loss, once we've fixed drafts and insulated an attic, are the building walls.
Tune up the heating & cooling system performance -
heating system economies as a portion of overall building heating cost probably falls in between attics and walls and for sure is
before insulating a basement wall except for stopping rim joist drafts.
Heating system tuneup for energy savings: see these detailed articles
HEATING COST FUEL & BTU COST TABLES - Comparison of Current Energy Costs: Heating Oil, Natural Gas, Firewood for a table comparing the cost per BTU of different heating fuel
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Carson, Dunlop & Associates Ltd., 120 Carlton Street Suite 407, Toronto ON M5A 4K2. Tel: (416) 964-9415 1-800-268-7070 Email: info@carsondunlop.com. Alan Carson is a past president of ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors.
Carson Dunlop Associates provides extensive home inspection education and report writing material. In gratitude we provide links to tsome Carson Dunlop Associates products and services.