Most homeowners are tired of skyrocketing energy bills, year after year, particularly during seasonal changes. When air enters the home from its exterior through air ducts, for example, the air conditioner spends more time trying to regulate the property’s temperature. Eliminating air drafts throughout a home will keep hot air from entering and cold air from escaping during the summer.
Most homeowners begin this process by addressing their exterior doors. And while this is an excellent step to take, one of the most overlooked, and simplest, methods for creating a more energy efficient home is installing insulated electrical outlets.
How can a homeowner tell if there is a draft coming from electrical outlets? By touch- If a hand is held over a chosen outlet, a slight draft may be able to be detected. This should be repeated over several outlets both inside and outside of the property. This is most noticeable when there is a temperature variance between the home and the outdoors (i.e. summer when your air conditioning units are turned on, or during the winter months when your home’s heater is running).
Alternatively, a match that was lit and blown out can be held over the outlet to see if smoke movement results by an air draft entering through the outlets. If a home is experiencing drafts, it isn’t as efficient as it should be, ultimately costing the homeowner money.
Insulated Electrical Cover Plates
A simple solution for cutting air draft down from outlets is to install insulated electrical cover plates. These wall plate insulated covers are available in standard switch sizes, including single, double and triple plate covers. These insulated products are made of a thin foam, designed to fit snugly under the outlet covers, providing much needed outlet insulation.
Homeowners can insulate light switch covers, plug outlets, cable outlets and phone outlets. While a first thought may be to address the outlets within your home, exterior covers should be addressed as well. Every small effort made to create a more energy efficient home will be noticed in the property’s utility bills.
To see incremental savings in a home’s energy bill this year, install insulating electrical outlets throughout the home, inside and out. This inexpensive solution for any home will add up to significant household savings year after year.
This article was written by Julie Verville, an expert in the Home Repair category at www.yoexpert.com