Dachshund Draft Guard

I too started at the DOE website for a do it yourself home energy audit. I read what they said and was pretty frustrated.

They focused on home insulation, locating air leaks, your heating and cooling equipment and lighting.

If you are a renter like I am chances are even if you do find the leaks and cracks, there is not too much you can do about it. well no, you could get the dachshund draft guard. (I am not endorsed by them!) I just think the options for renters are not so realistic. In my house I would have to line the entire wall of the kitchen with dachshund draft guards, as well as the front and back door, and have them along all window sils. And really, that's just not an option for me.

And another problem I think doing this in Boston is 90% of all leases start on Sept 1st. You go to check out this apartment sometime between May-Aug probably. Its kind of difficult to judge if the house will be drafty until the winter months roll around.

I should have known when I went to look at my apartment last year when it was 90 out and it was cool in the apartment that it would be cold in the winter.

I personally put plastic up over all the windows this winter and bought 3 of the thermal curtains, and hung one in the living room on a window that is directly above the heat duct, one on the window that is right by my bed and one on the oh so "charming" stained glass window in the kitchen. I thought this would save some energy, and I'm sure it did.

I feel I did what I could as a renter to save energy. I never turned the heat higher than 65 and would keep it at 60 at night.

We closed off the second bedroom all together.

And yet still our gas bill would be between 160-200 a month for a 900 square foot apartment.

Basically where I am going here is there needs to be policy in effect that forces landlords to re-evaluate their homes, it should be mandatory. Then we can work together to save energy in the home.