As the weather gets colder and utility rates for gas and electricity are rising in many parts of the country, ratepayers are facing a double-whammy.

One of the best ways to take the edge off the cold and keep heating bills in check is to weatherize your home. 

This guide includes basic tips for weatherization, including how to go about getting a home energy assessment, finding air leaks and sealing them up, adjusting the settings of energy-intensive appliances such as water heaters, and advice on how to think about larger investments like installing storm windows, buying efficient appliances or taking advantage of tax credits to replace inefficient appliances with more efficient options. 

Assess energy waste and find cracks and other air leaks

Seal up cracks and other openings that let cold air in

Whether you rent or own your home. sealing up air leaks is one of the quickest energy- and money-saving things you can do to keep your winter heating bill under control. Here’s how to do it:

How to caulk cracks and air leaks in 5 easy steps

1. Assemble your materials. You’ll need something to scrape away old caulk like a putty knife or old flat-head screwdriver, a caulk gun, a tube of caulk and a rag for wiping up. 
2. Prep your surfaces. Scrape away any old caulk, dust or debris before you apply fresh caulk. Make sure the area you plan to caulk is clean and dry before you start.
3. Prep your caulk gun. Cut the tip of your tube of caulk at a 45-degree angle and don’t make the opening too big. You can always cut it a second time if you need to make the hole larger. 
4. Apply caulk. Run a bead of caulk in the crack you’re working to seal.
5. Smooth the caulk. By smoothing the surface of the bead of caulk you just applied  into the crack with your finger, you help it seal to all sides and the crack.

How to install weatherstripping around windows and doors

Caulking is great for cracks and openings, but around windows and doors, weatherstripping is the best way to make sure the cold air doesn’t get in, and your warm air doesn’t get out. Once you’ve identified air leaks around your windows and doors, here’s how to tackle them.

How to weatherstrip around doors

1. Prep your surfaces. The adhesives used on the backs of many forms of weatherstripping will stick best to clean and dry surfaces. You’ll want to make sure to clean the sides of the door or window and the jamb or frame with soap and water and let it dry thoroughly.
2. Measure your door. You’ll want to install strips on the door jamb around the top, both sides and the bottom of your door. Take careful measurements of your door height and width and write down the measurements.
3. Make sure your door hinges are tight. Grab hold of your door knob and lift the door upwards. If there is play in the hinges and the door moves up, tighten the screws on the top hinge. Then make sure the screws on the bottom hinge are tightly screwed in as well. 
4. Measure the door jamb. You need to answer two questions that will inform how much weatherstripping you need to buy and how wide it should be. The first question is, how wide is the gap between the door and the jamb? This will inform how thick your weatherstripping should be. To get this measurement, measure the door jamb, subtract the width of the door and divide by two. You’ll want to get weatherstripping that can fill that gap when compressed. Next you’ll want to measure the sides and top of your door jamb. Sum up all the totals and add 10% for good measure so that you have enough weatherstripping to complete your project.
5. Shop for supplies. You’ll want to choose the right weatherstripping for your project. Wide enough to cover the width of your jamb and thick enough to fill the gap between the door and the jamb. You may also want to purchase a right-sized door sweep that is wide enough to cover the width of your door. 
6. Cut your weatherstripping into segments and check for fit. Cut one strip for the top of the door jamb and two for the sides. Better to err on the side of too long than too short. Before you apply your weatherstripping, check the length to make sure it’s not too short. 
7. Apply your weatherstripping & door sweep. If the weatherstripping you bought has an adhesive back, peel it away and press the stripping into place on the sides and tops of your door jamb. You’ll want to start in a corner and work your way along. Then install the door sweep. Because the screws that come with a door sweep are often small, you may want to pre-drill holes. You’ll want to position the sweep so it seals tightly against your threshold.

How to weatherstrip around windows

1. Inspect and clean your surfaces. You want to make sure your sills are in good condition prior to installing weather stripping. Clean the inside edges of the window frame and the bottom of the sash with soap and water and allow to dry thoroughly. 
2. Measure your window. Measure the surfaces you plan to attach weatherstripping to. 
3. Get your supplies. At the store, choose weatherstripping that is the same width as your window and thick enough to seal the gaps. Purchase enough weatherstripping to cover the lengths you plan to seal and add 10% to be safe.
4. Install the weatherstripping. Peel away the backing on one end of your weatherstripping and start in a corner and gently push to apply. Close and latch your windows to make sure the insulation compresses to seal out air, but that you can still close your window. It should be snug.

 The Department of Energy has put together a step-by-step weatherstripping guide that can help you to weatherize these movable parts of our homes so you can tackle this project with confidence.

Now that you’ve tackled air leaks, which are the largest source of energy loss in most homes, you can move on to other ways to reduce energy-waste in your home.

Lower the temperature of your hot water heater

Some manufacturers set water heater thermostats at 140ºF when a temperature of 120ºF is usually adequate for most households. In addition to saving energy, the lower setting slows mineral buildup and corrosion in your water heater and prevents scalding.

How to make sure your water heater is at the right temperature

1. Poke around. Research how to adjust the temperature on your water heater. Your owner’s manual should have guidance.
2. Assemble your materials. You’ll need a thermometer and a marker.
3. Take a measurement. Go to the faucet furthest away from your water heater, run the hot water and measure the water temperature with your thermometer. 
4. Track your work. Make a mark at that temperature on your water heater’s thermostat. If it’s hotter than 120 degrees, turn down the thermostat.
5. Repeat as needed. Wait a few hours to let the water in your water tank come to the right temperature. Then take another measurement. Again, go to the faucet furthest away from your water heater, run the hot water and measure the temperature. Repeat as many times as needed to get your water to the exact right temperature. 

Insulate your water heater

Just like insulating your walls or roof, insulating your electric water heater is an easy and inexpensive way to improve energy efficiency and save you money each month.

The Department of Energy has great tips for how to insulate your water heater tank. https://www.energy.gov/energysaver/do-it-yourself-savings-project-insulate-water-heater-tank

Insulate hot water pipes

Insulating your hot water pipes reduces the amount of heat lost between your water heater and faucet. Properly insulated pipes can keep water temperature 2°F–4°F hotter than uninsulated pipes, which  allows you to lower your water temperature setting on your water heater.

How to insulate hot water pipes

1. Decide on what insulating material you will use. For electric water heaters, pipe sleeves made out of polyethylene or neoprene foam are most commonly used. For gas water heaters, it’s important to keep insulation at least 6 inches away from the flue for safety reasons. If pipes are within 8 inches of the flue, your safest choice is to use fiberglass pipe-wrap (at least 1-inch thick) without a facing. You can use either wire or aluminum foil tape to secure the fiberglass to the pipe. The folks at the hardware store can help you get the right material for your situation.
2. Measure the width of your pipes. You want to match the pipe sleeve’s inside diameter to the pipe’s outside diameter for a snug fit.
3. Measure the lengths of your pipes. You need to measure the amount of insulation needed to cover all accessible hot water pipes starting at the water heater. You want to prioritize the first 3 feet of pipe from the water heater. It’s also a good idea to insulate the cold-water inlet pipes for the first 3 feet.
4. Go shopping. You’ll want to buy enough insulating material to cover all accessible pipes, as well tape or cable ties or wire to secure it in place. If buying fiberglass pipe wrap, make sure you have gloves, long sleeves and long pants and wire wrap to secure the wrapping to your pipes.
5. Cut the pipe sleeves. You’ll want to cut your sleeves to cover each length of pipe.
6. Slip the pipe sleeves on the pipe seam side down. Heat rises so placing the seam on the underside of the pipe prevents unnecessary heat loss.
7. Secure the pipe sleeve. You can tape, wire or cable-tie the insulating material every 1-2 feet to secure the insulating material to your pipes. 

Air seal and insulate floors over unheated garages

Air sealing and insulating between an unheated garage and the heated living spaces above can save energy and money, improve comfort, and safeguard indoor air quality. The Department of Energy offers a guide on how to properly install insulation in this kind of space.

Install storm windows

If you have single pane windows, purchasing and installing storm windows can make a big difference on your energy consumption. According to the Department of Energy’s DIY guide on installing storm windows, installing a low-emissivity (low-e) storm window over a single pane window can reduce energy waste as much as replacing the window with a new window.

Done with basic weatherization and ready for the next step of taking charge of energy in your home? 

Replace inefficient appliances 

When replacing inefficient appliances, choose energy efficiency-certified products. Here are some tips for choosing efficient appliances.

1. Choose ENERGY STAR®. ENERGY STAR® is the government-backed symbol for energy efficiency, designed to provide simple, credible, and unbiased information that consumers and businesses rely on to make well-informed decisions.The ENERGY STAR logo is on all qualified products that exceed the federal minimum standards for efficiency and quality — sometimes significantly. Look for the label on appliances, electronics, water heaters, windows, and other products that consume energy in your home.
2. Use the Energy Guide. The federal government requires that most appliances display the bright yellow and black EnergyGuide label. These labels will show you the annual energy consumption and operating cost for each appliance so you can compare as you shop. 
3. Consider “smart” appliances. Some manufacturers now offer “smart” appliances — appliances that can be connected to or controlled by smart electric meters or home energy management systems to help you shift your electricity use to off-peak hours, when power may be more affordable. Smart appliances don’t just turn off during times of peak electricity demand — instead, they use subtle ways to shift energy use. You might not even be aware of it. For example, your air conditioner may run slightly less often, or your water heater may adjust its heating cycle to operate when energy costs are lower, without impacting their performance.
4. Replace fossil fuel appliances with more efficient electric technologies. Most home appliances that burn fossil fuels – like furnaces, boilers, gas water heaters, dryers or cook stoves – are less efficient and pollute more than their all-electric counterparts. 

Commit to electrifying something 

Electric appliances and equipment are typically much more efficient than those powered by fossil fuels, and draw their power from a grid that incorporates more clean, renewable energy with every passing year.

Now is the time to make a plan to electrify major appliances in your home, which may be an older piece of equipment that is on its last legs like an old furnace, a water heater, or gas stove. Or maybe it is something smaller like induction cooktops and window-unit heat pumps that cost only a few hundred dollars each. Whether your electrification project is big or small, the most important thing is to commit to starting somewhere. 

Go solar 

Many households are perfect for solar panels, and there are even local solar options available for renters or others who can’t install their own system. We partner with EnergySage to bring you online tools and resources that make it easy to explore your local solar options.

Plan ahead 

Big home energy upgrades such as replacing a heating system or installing solar panels require a lot of homework – identifying contractors, soliciting bids, and determining what kind of equipment best suits your needs. The more you can plan ahead, the more successful your project will be.

What tax credits and rebates are available to help me reduce energy waste?

The Inflation Reduction Act contains many rebates and tax credits to help Americans reduce their energy use. These credits lower the cost of weatherization and electrification projects so you save even more. U.S. PIRG Education Fund offers a great explainer on what the tax credits and rebates are in the Act, what they cover and how they will be administered. Some of the tax credits will be available for any project completed after January 1, 2023. Others are on a different timeline because they will be administered by the states. 

For example, the law’s High-Efficiency Electric Home Rebate (HEEHR) Program provides point-of-sale consumer discounts to enable low- and moderate-income households across America to make their homes more efficient with electric technologies. This program offers point-of-sale rebates as immediate discounts when making qualifying electrification purchases. You can learn more about the tax credits and rebates in our Clean Energy Homes toolkit. 

Households making less than 80% of the area median income are eligible for having 100% of their costs covered and moderate income households are eligible to have 50% of their costs covered. Rewiring America has created an  IRA Savings Calculator to help households determine their eligibility for these rebates. Qualifying households can expect the following rebates, which will be administered by state energy offices. 

• Heat pump HVAC system $8,000
• Heat pump water heater $1,750
• Electric stove/cooktop $840
• Heat pump clothes dryer $840
• Breaker box $4,000
• Electric wiring $2,500
• Weatherization (insulation, air sealing, ventilation) $1,600

How to apply for weatherization assistance?

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program (WAP) is administered at the state and local level. For information on the Weatherization Assistance Program and how to apply in your state, click here.