Weathering the storm of home energy costs

Families living in older homes could cut their energy bill in half by weatherizing their homes.

Weatherizing a home means making a home more energy efficient by putting insulation around doors and windows; installing new heating, air conditioning and ventilation systems; revamping electrical systems; and more, according to Think Progress. Weatherization works best when done throughout the home instead of piecemeal.

Think Progress reports that in Philadelphia, a family of four living in a home built in 1960 pays, on average, $2,941 in energy costs each year. If those families fully weatherized their homes, they would save $1,612 each year. The energy upgrades result in immediate savings and can fully pay for themselves within 10 years.

In 2010, individual families in the U.S. saved $437 a year on cooling and heating costs. Across the nation, families saved approximately $2.1 billion combined.

According to Think Progress, even though home energy expenses could be cut drastically by weatherizing, many Americans have decided not to do so because they can't afford the upgrades, or they think they can't. But through the Weatherization Assistance Program, low-income families can obtain financing to make their homes more energy efficient, according to Think Progress. WAP gets federal money and gives it to states, which use it for people who qualify for the program.

Read the full article at thinkprogress.com.