(WXMI) — Furnaces all across West Michigan have been working overtime this winter season to keep you shielded from the frigid temperatures right outside your walls.
But no matter how much hot air it pumps out, it can only do so much in a home that's not sealed up tight.
Lurking in the nooks and crannies of your home are all kinds of ways you may be losing money, from poor insulation in the attic to questionable air filtration in the basement.
Jose Goncalves, manager of Energy Efficiency at DTE, walked us through a home showing us where their customers tend to lose the most in energy efficiency.
"Because it is very impactful, not just in the immediacy of what your bill, usage and your cost might be but to the comfort that we feel every day," says Goncalves.
From your windows to your front door, professionals have tools that can show you where you're losing heat down to the degree.
"That's going to be really around your windows and your doors," says Goncalves.
DTE recommends having a contractor do a home energy assessment. They can use tools like infrared cameras.
DTE has a list of these tips and tricks to maximize usage and also offers rebate programs for customers who adopt energy-efficient practices.
The easiest steps to take involve updating weather stripping around doors and windows.
"For most windows, ceiling around it, caulking if you need to, if you want to use window film, if you're not utilizing the window in the winter time, that is a really excellent solution," says Goncalves.
Make sure your furnace filter is replaced as recommended, and maybe add insulation in your basement on exposed exterior walls — particularly what's called the rim band joist.
There are indications of energy loss to look out for. An obvious marker can be condensation in your windows and cobwebs.
"You can clean it and come back two weeks later and they'll be back. Why? Because cobwebs are formed where air flow is taking place, because that's something to catch their bugs," says Goncalves.
Also consider the melted patches of snow on your roof.
"You see roofs that are covered in snow, and all of a sudden, one house has patchy levels of snow. That is an indication that heat is escaping through the house, right into that unconditioned space, and therefore melting that snow at a faster rate," Goncalves explains.
These tips apply to when things start heating up and you start trying to cool your home.
If you do an energy assessment, now would be a good time when there's a major difference in the temperatures inside and out of your home.
DTE has rebate programs for insulation and HVAC improvements and a marketplace to buy some of those quick fix items.
If you are struggling to pay your energy bill, there are resources to help you pay your electricity and utility bills.
The Michigan Energy Assistance Program has a list of programs like state emergency relief and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program. The Heat and Warmth Fund can also help with heating costs.
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