What are the basic steps that should be taken by every homeowner? First, tighten the building envelope. Picture your house as a box. The rooms inside the box that you generally heat and air condition form the “building envelope”. An effective caulking, gasketing and weather stripping process of the building envelope can have a noticeable impact on air conditioning and heating needs and comfort. Although some of these steps can be taken by do-it-yourselfers, professionals using specialized equipment will more thoroughly identify the air leaks and will have a wider variety of proven products to treat them. Choose the right professional and you may be able to take advantage of rebates that are offered by utilities, state funds and the Federal government. The payback for this small but important job is usually fairly short.

Add high performance insulation: I call it putting a “hat and boots” on, just like Mom always said. Cellulose or foam insulation in the attic (the hat) prevents heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer. High performance insulation at the top of the basement walls (the boots) blocks a major source of air infiltration into your home, reducing heating and air conditioning needs and simultaneously helping prevent that basement smell we get in the summertime. Although high performance insulation is more expensive than fiberglass, it is very effective and has a reasonable length payback period.

What else? Have your equipment maintained seasonally every year—before the cooling season and before the heating season to identify problems and maintain maximum operating efficiency. Seal and insulate your ductwork so the air will go where you want it to and not out the sides of the ducts. Every 10 years, have your ductwork cleaned by a reliable professional. Install and set up programmable thermostats. These few steps will have a favorable impact on your energy use year round. Many homeowners realize 10-20% savings or more. Start now and you can be ready for next winter, too.

When you are thinking about saving “green”, don’t forget water conservation. Use less water inside your home by installing low-water-use fixtures and letting less water run down the drain. When you are gardening this summer, incorporate drought-resistant plants and rain gardens and plan ways to capture rainwater on your property. You will lower your water bills and help the watershed, too.