MINNEAPOLIS — Before the deep freeze settles in, this is the perfect time to make sure your home is prepared for what's to come.
KARE 11’s Alicia Lewis had the Home Energy Squad stop by her home to show her some easy money saving hacks that will help with the energy bill during the winter months.
The Home Energy Squad is a team of two energy experts that walk through your home and identify opportunities to install some energy saving measures. They help homeowners better understand their home's energy use and then fix it right then and there.
“They'll replace lightbulbs with LED's, they will provide weather stripping for doors and attach hatch openings, they'll look at your insulation levels, help out with your water heater,” said Drew Quirk from the Home Energy Squad.
The experts say a quick fix for any water heater is putting a foam pool noodle around the pipes, keeping the warmth in and the cold out.
The experts also do a blower door test checking your home for any air leaks. They also use a thermal imaging camera to find other hidden cold spots throughout the house.
“Sealing up all of those doors and windows where you feel air coming through, looking at your thermostat settings, we recommend anywhere between 65-70 when you are home and setting it further back when you’re not home really helps you save energy,” said Quirk.
So how much does it cost and how much does the average customer end up saving?
Alicia says she spent $70 bucks on the home energy squad with a rebate from her city.
The overall savings the average customer sees is around $600 bucks from the products used to your energy bill.