Week Five of Green Boot Camp focuses on appliances–first laundry room appliances, then kitchen appliances. Check it out.

I was just reading an article in a recent Wall Street Journal about energy audits which came out of one of the paper’s reporters having paid to have a professional energy auditor, well, audit her home. Her article explained how these energy audits work and what they’re supposed to uncover–energy leaks in your home that, when fixed, should cut down on your energy bills.

One thing that the article mentioned was that you have to pay for an energy audit and big bucks, too–up to $700. I realize that I should have figured this out, but for some reason I always assumed that energy audits were something that your energy company did for you for free to help you save money. But when you think about it, why would they?

My energy company has a vested interest in making sure that I pay the most for my electricity. Why would PECO want me to pay less for my energy? Also, the reporter pointed out that many professionals who market themselves as energy auditors actual sell the so-called energy-saving devices and services that they’ll eventually recommend to fix your energy leaks. Hmm, isn’t that a little like the fox doing a security audit of the chicken coop and then suggesting that the chickens need a security detail of foxes each night?

If you do enough common-sense thinking about energy leaks in your home and a little bit of research, I’m guessing that you can do your own energy audit for free. And come up with solutions that work for your home and your budget.

Let’s start with draft windows and doors. Stores sell kits of plastic film that you can install over your windows to create a barrier against the drafts. These are great, if you don’t intend to open your windows ever. I’m a bit claustrophobic so the idea of sealing myself in my house with these plastic kits makes me want to ring up a therapist. However, I know that using tight-fitting window treatments can have a similar effect, and I can throw them open in the morning to let the sun shine in–a great free way to warm your home. But seriously, if you’ve got an old house with old drafty windows and you can’t afford to replace your windows (read: big bucks), these film kits available at home improvement stores are probably a good idea.

With regard to drafty doors, there is weatherstripping that you can stick around the door’s frame so that when it shuts, it shuts tightly. Sometimes those nasty drafts come from underneath and you can easily put a draft stopper there. You can make one of these if you’re the crafty type (it looks like a long fabric snake) or pick one up at a craft fair or home store.

If you’ve got an attic, there is a simple visual test that you can do to determine if you need more attic insulation: when you’re up in the attic and you look at the floor (assuming the floor isn’t completely covered and you can see the joists), does the insulation come up to the top of the floor? If the pink stuff sinks below the wood, then you need more insulation.

What bums me out is that I could have used this advice on my own home before December 31, 2007. That was the government’s deadline for receiving tax credits on energy-saving changes you make to your home. I wonder if the government will come up with a way to offer similar savings in 2008 and beyond, especially now that oil has hit the $100 a barrel mark?

Probably the easiest way to to keep your energy costs low is to remember these two tips: keep your thermostat at 68 degrees instead of a balmy 72 degrees. And if you’re cold, put on a sweater or a pair of socks or wrap yourself in a blanket instead of turning up the heat. We have blankets and throws in our living rooms and family room, and this way, no one is ever left shivering.

What are some creative ways that you keep your energy costs low in your home?