The Home for Life offers plenty of ideas you can adapt to your present home to make it a place you'll want to stay for many years to come.

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During the winter months, a roaring fire can keep you warm when you’re sitting directly in front of the fireplace. Unfortunately, your fireplace probably is letting much of your home's heated air go up the chimney.

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Some are things you can do right now, but others will take a little planning or time.

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Most homes – unless they were built recently with energy efficiency as a top priority – can benefit from energy-saving improvements. In fact, compared to most investments today, efficiency improvements to your home can provide a pretty favorable financial return by reducing your monthly power bills by 5 to 30 percent per year. As a bonus, your home should feel much more comfortable too.

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The advent of air-conditioning replaced these time-tested methods of staying cool during summertime temperature spikes. But with quick relief from stifling heat also came higher electric bills. Now, the U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 9 percent of Americans’ household energy costs are dedicated to cooling – and that number probably is a little higher for many Iowans. But you don’t have to sacrifice comfort and convenience to save on your bill. All it takes is smart planning, a little elbow grease and dedication to beating the heat – and high power bills.

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Manufactured homes often log disproportionately higher energy bills, compared to traditional wood-frame or modular homes. Here are some steps you can take to identify the most common energy-wasting culprits and remedy them.

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In many homes across the state, air infiltration causes drafts and a chilly feeling in some rooms during the coldweather months. Adjusting your thermostat won’t stop the drafts, but sealing hidden cracks and openings will.

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If you discover a large cold air leak where the caulking is missing around a window or door, along the siding or around your foundation, you don’t have to wait until spring to x it. But you will need to use special application techniques to do the job right.

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