First we will  make a list of obvious air leaks (drafts). The potential energy savings from reducing drafts in a home may range from 5% to 30% per year, and the home is generally much more comfortable afterward. We will check for indoor air leaks, such as gaps along the baseboard or edge of the flooring and at junctures of the walls and ceiling. Check to see if air can flow through these places: Electrical outlets Switch plates Window frames Baseboards Weather stripping around doors Fireplace dampers Attic hatches Wall- or window-mounted air conditioners. We will look for gaps around pipes and wires, electrical outlets, foundation seals, and mail slots. Check to see if the caulking and weather stripping are applied properly, leaving no gaps or cracks, and are in good condition. Inspect windows and doors for air leaks. See if you can rattle them, since movement means possible air leaks. If you can see daylight around a door or window frame, then the door or window leaks. You can usually seal these leaks by caulking or weather stripping them. Check the storm windows to see if they fit and are not broken. You may also wish to consider replacing your old windows and doors with newer, high-performance ones. If new factory-made doors or windows are too costly, we can recommend the best type of low-cost plastic sheets over the windows. On the outside of your house, inspect all areas where two different building materials meet, including: All exterior corners Where siding and chimneys meet Areas where the foundation and the bottom of exterior brick or siding meet. We will identify areas that should be caulked around faucets, pipes, electric outlets, and wiring. We will look for cracks and holes in the mortar, foundation, and siding, and suggest how to seal them with the appropriate material. We will check the exterior caulking around doors and windows, and see whether exterior storm doors and primary doors seal tightly. When sealing any home we are aware of the danger of indoor air pollution and combustion appliance "backdrafts." Backdrafting is when the various combustion appliances and exhaust fans in the home compete for air. An exhaust fan may pull the combustion gases back into the living space. This can obviously create a very dangerous and unhealthy situation in the home. In homes where a fuel is burned (i.e., natural gas, fuel oil, propane, or wood) for heating, we will identify that all appliances has an adequate air supply. Heat loss through the ceiling and walls in your home could be very large if the insulation levels are less than the recommended minimum. When your house was built, the builder likely installed the amount of insulation recommended at that time. Given today's energy prices (and future prices that will probably be higher), the level of insulation might be inadequate, especially if you have an older home we will check your insulation. If the attic hatch is located above a conditioned space, we will check to see if it is at least as heavily insulated as the attic, is weather stripped, and closes tightly. In the attic, we will determine whether openings for items such as pipes, ductwork, and chimneys are sealed. While we are inspecting the attic, we will check to see if there is a vapor barrier under the attic insulation. The vapor barrier might be tarpaper, Kraft paper attached to fiberglass batts, or a plastic sheet. If there does not appear to be a vapor barrier, you might consider painting the interior ceilings with vapor barrier paint. This reduces the amount of water vapor that can pass through the ceiling. Large amounts of moisture can reduce the effectiveness of insulation and promote structural damage. We will make sure that the attic vents are not blocked by insulation. Checking a wall's insulation level is very difficult.  We will  select an exterior wall and turn off the circuit breaker or unscrew the fuse for any outlets in the wall then remove the cover plate from one of the outlets and gently probe into the wall with a thin, long stick or screwdriver. If we encounter a slight resistance, you have some insulation there. With your permission we could also make a small hole in a closet, behind a couch, or in some other unobtrusive place to see what, if anything the wall cavity is filled with. Ideally, the wall cavity should be totally filled with some form of insulation material. Unfortunately, this method cannot tell you if the entire wall is insulated, or if the insulation has settled. Only a thermographic inspection can do this. If your basement is unheated we will determine whether there is insulation under the living area flooring. In most areas of the country, an R-value of 25 is the recommended minimum level of insulation. The insulation at the top of the foundation wall and first floor perimeter should have an R-value of 19 or greater. If the basement is heated, the foundation walls should be insulated to at least R-19. We will check to see your  water heater, hot water pipes, and furnace ducts are insulated. When you have a forced-air furnace we will  check your filters, Generally filters are changed once every month or two, especially during periods of high usage. If the unit is more than 15 years old, you should consider replacing your system with one of the newer, energy-efficient units. A new unit would greatly reduce your energy consumption, especially if the existing equipment is in poor condition. We will check your ductwork for dirt streaks, especially near seams. These indicate air leaks, and they should be sealed with a duct mastic.We will check Insulation on ducts or pipes that travel through unheated spaces. An insulation R-Value of 6 is the recommended minimum. Lighting, Energy for lighting accounts for about 10% of your electric bill. We will examine the wattage size of the light bulbs in your house. You may have 100-watt (or larger) bulbs where 60 or 75 watts would do.