Most homeowners are tired of skyrocketing energy bills, year after year, particularly during seasonal changes. When air enters the home from its exterior through air ducts, for example, the air conditioner spends more time trying to regulate the property’s temperature. Eliminating air drafts throughout a home will keep hot air from entering and cold air from escaping during the summer.
One of the most overlooked, and simplest, methods for creating a more energy efficient home is installing insulated electrical outlets. You can tell if there is a draft coming by touch. If a hand is held over a chosen outlet, a slight draft may be able to be detected. This is most noticeable when there is a temperature variance between the home and the outdoors (i.e. summer when your air conditioning units are turned on, or during the winter months when your home’s heater is running).
A simple solution for cutting air draft down from outlets is to install insulated electrical cover plates. These wall plate insulated covers are available in standard switch sizes, including single, double and triple plate covers. These insulated products are made of thin foam, designed to fit snugly under the outlet covers, providing much needed outlet insulation.
Homeowners can insulate light switch covers, plug outlets, cable outlets and phone outlets. To see incremental savings in a home’s energy bill this year, install insulating electrical outlets throughout the home, inside and out. This inexpensive solution for any home will add up to significant household savings year after year.
This article was written by Julie Verville, an expert
in the Home Repair category at www.yoexpert.com
How much energy savings are possible?
Hi Sam. Approximately 2-5% of home energy loss can be prevented by insulating electrical outlets and switches on exterior walls.