Sustainable Middleboro gives advice to stay warm while saving cash

MIDDLEBORO — Cold winter weather can be a good time to sleuth for air leaks in homes, Sustainable Middleboro reports. 

Air leaks account for 25 percent to 40 percent of the energy used for heating and cooling most homes. Sealing those leaks can significantly lower energy bills, the organization reports. 

Matt Perry, a Lakeville resident who grew up in and still works in his family’s insulation business, suggests looking for places where you feel drafts or can see daylight on exterior walls, around windows and doors, and from the attic or basement.

Perry recommends several measures homeowners can do:

Use a caulking gun to seal up any place where building materials meet, such as under window trim or the edges of your attic.

Replace weatherstripping and door sweeps, which last only 8 to 10 years, on exterior doors.

Bulkheads leak a lot of air and heat. Make sure there’s a door or foam board at the foot of the bulkhead. It doesn’t have to be custom or fancy, but make sure it’s well-insulated.

Attic access is another big leak source. For pull-down attic doors, purchase a lightweight dome to seal it. For walk-ups, weatherstrip the door.

Go to sustainablemiddleborough.org to see Sustainable Middleboro’s weatherization guide and watch the All About Insulation workshop with Matt Perry.

Once leaks have been sealed, the most effective place to start insulating is the attic. Consumers can lay down insulation themselves or hire a contractor. 

More than half the housing stock in Middleboro was built before 1960, which likely means they have no insulation. 

Homes built in the 1960s and 1970s typically are under-insulated with only one- or two-inch fiberglass batts in the walls and six inches in the attic. Today attics should have 15 inches, with walls completely filled.

Winter is also a good time to start the process of hiring contractors for spring or summer and accessing financial incentives, a process that involves multiple steps that can take weeks or months.

The first step is to get a free home energy assessment provided by Middleboro Gas and Electric. The assessment is required to qualify for rebates and zero or low-interest loans. This can also help plan energy measures over several years to get the most from tax credits. 

Free assessments can be scheduled at free assessment at 888-772-4242 or ene.org/hea. 

Sustainable Middleboro’s Weatherization Navigator, Hayden Kane, is available to guide homeowners through the entire process.

He can also educate homeowners about the local, state, and federal incentives Middleboro and Lakeville residents are eligible for. He can be reached at 774-419-5250 or navigator@sustainablemiddleborough.org.