BEING GREEN. SAVING SOME GREEN. AND, STAYING WARM THIS WINTER...
Some simple tips for saving on energy bills and staying cozy at home.

Infrared Inspection Technologies LLC
Serving Ohio and Western Pennsylvania

There are some common sense and easy to manage solutions for dealing with heat loss in any home or building. Particularly when preparing for winter, preventing loss of heat from air leaks - whether cold air coming in or hot air leaking out - can significantly help to lower your oil or electric heating bills. Many of these "traditional air leaks" are easy to find and deal with. The majority of "winterizing tips" are simple enough for the average homeowner to do before the cold weather sets in. Taking a little time to accomplish your winterizing can reap a number of huge rewards. Besides lowering your heating bill and staying warmer for less, you can share the satisfaction of knowing you are part of growing number of people with a "greener" outlook on daily life with a practical ecological appreciation of our available natural resources.

FACT: A small reduction in your households temperature can make a difference in your fuel use. For every 1 degree Farenheit reduction you make, you can save 3 percent in total energy use – savings that will surely be welcomed during the winter season.

Energy prices are up dramatically from last year, and many U.S. households are taking a closer look at how they can blunt the impact of that increase by cutting down on their energy consumption. While you can't stop heating your home, there are many things you can do to cut back on how much energy you use.

SEAL AIR LEAKS
You can reduce your heating costs by up to 20 percent by using caulking, weather strippig and insulation to block leaky parts of your house.

BUY A PROGRAMMABLE THERMOSTAT
You can save up to 10 percent on your heating costs by using a thermostat that automatically lowers the temperature when you're not home.

MAINTAIN YOUR HEATING SYSTEM
Clean or replace furnace filters and consider a yearly professional tune up of the system to make sure it is working efficiently.

When it comes to taking a look at your home economy and expenses, especially when addressing your home energy use, the old saying, "Penny wise and dollar foolish," oftentimes rings very true. The the fact of the matter is – a professional thermal infrared inspection can offer significant savings when compared to simply "going it alone," or guessing where your heat loss is originating.

Infrared Inspection Technologies welcomes the opportunity to produce a thermal thumbprint of your home. We can identify your problem areas with pinpoint accuracy. Our inspection reports become your leverage in making the most cost-effective decisions for making your house energy-efficient and safe.

In addition to heating and cooling analysis, our reports highlight a variety of potential (or existing) problems which can turn into major expenses in the future. These can include home electrical and wiring issues, appliance safety and efficiency, unseen water or building damage, as well as many roof and structural issues.

"Can a window equal a house?" To the surprise of many, a typical home thermal infrared inspection costs about the same (sometimes less) than the replacement of a single window in your home. All things considered, it becomes hard to think of a better dollar-wise alternative to lower home energy costs.

ABOUT HOME DRAFTS. Drafts can occur if your windows don't fit properly or if they are old. Consider replacing older windows with double panned, custom-fitted windows. If this is not in your budget, you can get inexpensive kits to cover your windows with plastic. This may not be your idea of beauty and style but it really does work. Another related area that we must deal with is filling in any gaps that may exist. Gaps usually can be found around doors, pipes, dryer vents, and electrical fixtures. You can fill these with silicone or caulk which is inexpensive. Larger gaps such as around the door can be filled with foam filler. All of these supplies can be purchased at any local home improvement store without breaking your budget.

Winter, especially in the northern states, offers the most efficient time to do a home energy audit. A variance of 20 degrees between internal and external temperatures is idea. Especially in Ohio and Pennsylvania, with the colder seasons, the decision for a professional infrared inspection simply makes sense. As an Energy Star Partner, Infrared Inspection Technologies strongly endorses conservation and energy-savings practices. For those who may not be ready for a formal inspection, we recommend doing your own home energy audit. Although your results and savings may not be as dramatic as a professional audit, every household can achieve savings by following some simple guidelines. Do feel welcomed to contact us with any questions you may have.

Be sure to read: Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Audits. Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Energy.

Infrared Inspection Technologies LLC. PO Box 1623 Mentor, OH 44060. USA Tel. (440) 255-4355. Serving Ohio and Western Pennsylvania. IIT offers state-of-the-art thermal inspection services within the greater Cleveland-Akron area, including: Akron, Youngstown, Erie, Lorain, Mansfield, Canton, Toledo and Cleveland. We offer professional infrared and thermal inspections for residential, commercial, manufacturing and industrial buildings. © 2005-2009 & Continuing, All Rights Reserved.