Save money and energy by checking your home for air leaks at seams, cracks, vents, and some other places you might not think to look.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Energy Saver Tips section offers this idea as a way to begin the process:

Test your home for air tightness. On a windy day, carefully hold a lit incense stick or a smoke pen next to your windows, doors, electrical boxes, plumbing fixtures, electrical outlets, ceiling fixtures, attic hatches, and other places where air may leak. If the smoke stream trav-els horizontally, you have located an air leak that may need caulking, sealing, or weatherstripping.

Where is money leaking out of your house?

Photo courtesy of U.S. Department of Energy.

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