uploaded to flickr.com by tbridge
The sudden cooler weather this past weekend was a welcome respite to the heat of the summer, but it was also a reminder that colder temperatures are on the horizon. With the cold comes higher heating bills. Between air conditioning season and heating season is a great time to air out your house and weatherize to save money on those energy bills and reduce fossil fuel consumption. Sealing and insulation exterior walls are simple ways to weatherize, but sometimes less-obvious fixes can have large impacts on efficiency. Replacing or insulating ductwork or replacing heating units can have significant returns on investment in the form of energy savings.
WeatherizeDC is a grassroots organization focused on peer-to-peer education of local homeowners. After learning how to weatherize a home, residents can connect with local businesses to provide services that tighten the building envelope and streamline mechanical systems, keeping heated air inside and this reducing the amount of energy required to keep a home (or business for that matter) comfortable. WeatherizeDC also promotes local businesses that have pledged to hire residents with barriers to employment or individuals from neighborhoods with high poverty rates. Anyone can take advantage of WeatherizeDC’s services — including doing an energy audit — and anyone who is passionate about these issues is invited to join the group.
The organization has recently started a Capitol Hill neighborhood group, and they are looking for volunteers to help educate fellow homeowners on ways to save energy and money through weatherization. If you are interested in learning more about WeatherizeDC and about ways you can get involved, contact Meghan Blickman and note you’d like to know more about the Hill project.