eco-strata

The cheapest and cleanest energy is the energy that you don’t consume. Air sealing keeps the cold out and improves comfort. It’s also a cheap and fast energy-saving measure. Check for air leaks by holding a lit candle or incense near doors, windows, cracks, joints and light fixtures. The smoke will reveal any drafts, which can then be corrected. A more comprehensive approach involves contacting a home energy advisor to undertake an energy audit of the building, which usually includes detecting drafts and checking for air leaks.

Caulking

Caulking is ideal to fill any crack or opening that should be permanently sealed, between surfaces that do not move relative to each other. Caulking can be used inside to prevent heat from escaping and outside to prevent moisture from entering the building. Siliconized caulking is suitable for smaller cracks and spaces. For larger ones, use expanding insulation spray foam.

BC Hydro offers further details on caulking, and provides advice on proper caulking techniques.

Weather stripping

A complement to caulking is weather stripping which is installed in mobile joints — typically around door and window frames — to get an airtight fit. It usually comes in rolls of adhesive-backed foam tape available in various widths and thickness, but can also include door sweeps that create effective seals between the bottom of the door and the threshold.

More weather stripping and air sealing techniques can be found here.

Pipes

Warm air contacting uninsulated cold water pipes can cause condensation and dripping. Hot water circulating in unprotected pipes can cause heat loss. An easy fix to accessible pipes is to install preformed foam wraps or sleeves around the pipes. These pipe insulators are widely available in hardware and plumbing stores and can be mounted in seconds.

Pools and hot tubs

Pools and hot tubs are big energy users, and evaporation is the largest source of heat loss. Keep the heat in the water with floating pool and hot tub covers. For even better heat retention, add a thermal blanket as well. They can reduce heat loss by 50% for an indoor pool, and by 70% for an outdoor one. Another energy conserving measure is to decrease the water temperature of hot tubs and pools in the summer; in fact, you may even wish to turn off the hot tub entirely.