It's Water-Wise Wednesday with Frannie the Fish {Saving Energy, Saving Water: Part 3}

According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE, energy.gov), "Heating and cooling account for about 48% of the energy use in a typical U.S. home, making it the largest energy expense for most homes." Furthermore, the DOE estimates that reducing air leaks in your home can save 10% on heating and cooling costs!

For this reason, Frannie wanted to spend this week focusing on saving energy and saving water by reducing air leaks in her home. To do this, Frannie researched easy ways she could insulate areas of her house that were a bit drafty.

First, Frannie noticed a draft coming through the bottom of one of her doors. To fix this draft, she installed a rubber door sweep. Frannie required the help of an adult to install a door sweep. If you don't have an adult to help you install a door sweep, you can achieve the same effect by rolling up a towel or blanket and placing it against the drafty area of the door.

Second, Frannie noticed another draft coming from her electrical outlets! Frannie was surprised to find a draft coming from her outlets, but after some quick research she discovered that this is a common problem in many older homes. She also found that the solution to this problem was quite simple! All she had to do was place a foam outlet insulator within the outlet. You can purchase these foam insulators at your local hardware store.

Finally, Frannie noticed that some of the windows in her home were also a bit drafty. To reduce the draft, she decided to place a plastic seal on them for the winter. To do this, she purchased a kit from her local hardware store and sealed the plastic with a hair dryer!

All three of these projects were quick and easy fixes for Frannie, and she is excited to see how much energy and water she will save! Now, she wants to challenge all of her Girl Scout friends to search for drafts in their own homes, and to save energy and save water by fixing the drafts! You can share how you have fixed drafts in your own home here.