We are super psyched that Modern Hippie Mag will now be able to bring you cool eco-tips from Ideal Bite!  Check out this week’s tip…

Rather not sport an Olympic-size heating bill this winter? Save energy and cut costs with Ideal Bite’s Top 10 Ways to Winterize Your Home.  Put a few of these energy-saving tricks in play and you’ll cut costs while staying as warm as that runner with the torch.

1. Have HER Do It
Most of these jobs are dummy-proof, but if your idea of a screwdriver comes in a glass, hook up with a pro. Find a home energy rater (HER), about $250-$600 per visit, or call your local utility company (sometimes free) to pinpoint where your home’s wasting energy and how to fix it (or who can fix it). You’ll likely make your money back in savings during the first year, postrepairs. Find a HER here.

2. Switches of Eastwick
Cheap and easy: Use AM Foam Outlet and Switch Gaskets (just $0.10 each) to block drafts around your outlets and light switches. Just take off the cover plates using a flathead screwdriver (or our version of one: a butter knife), place the precut foam seal over the outlet or switch, then put the cover plates back on and done. Get ‘em here.

3. Look Who’s Caulking
Again, no hard hat needed. Close up small cracks (half-inch wide or less) around windows, doors, vents, anywhere air can filter through (esp. where two different building materials meet) with caulk like nontoxic Chemlink Mean Green Universal Constructive Adhesive ($5/10 ounces). To find a draft, slowly move an incense stick along floors, walls, and windows and notice where the flame flutters or smoke drifts. To seal: First, make sure the area’s clean and dry, then squeeze the tube of caulk along the crack (kinda like decorating a cake). Smooth it with a wet finger or just let it dry. Seal as many as you can to boost your home’s heat efficiency by 5%-30% a year. Get it here.

4. Weather Striptease
Even if you’re already lining the bottom of your doors with a homey draft snake (see SF’s DIY version here), you can take things up a notch by lining the top and sides of your entry door with weather stripping. The strips come in different sizes and styles, depending on your door size and climate. For cold climates, nail-in strips such as the ones in ACE Weatherstrip Spring Metal-Kit ($12/one 1/8-inch-by-17-inch strip) work best, since they don’t expand and last longer than self-adhesive rubber ones. Just measure the edge of your door (where it meets the frame) to find the right size strip and nail the strip along the edge. Find Ace’s here or talk to your hardware person about what’ll work for you.

5. Regularly Scheduled Programming
Forget to turn off your heater before heading to work? Let a programmable thermostat remember for you – just install one like the Hunter Set and Save ($22), and program it around your schedule so it turns off when you’re out and turns on when you’re in. It can save you up to $150 and chip away at about 1,800 pounds of CO2 each year. It’s pretty easy to install too (30 minutes tops) – if you’re up for DIY, grab a hammer, screwdriver, and drill (or someone who knows how to use ‘em better), and follow the instructions here (PDF) after you get one here.

Read the complete article at Ideal Bite.

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