The government’s new Home Star program (known colloquially as “Cash for Caulkers”) is drawing lots of attention to a cause that Doctor Energy Smart has always championed: investing in improving the energy efficiency of our homes to add long-term value and save money.

The new federal program is still in its infant proposal stages, but is already garnering lots of attention. Home Star provides homeowners with incentives to weatherize and insulate their homes in order to save energy. Formally speaking, the plan would reimburse for upgrades that include air sealing and insulation, new light bulbs, and energy efficient appliances.

Saving Money

Aside from making our homes more comfortable, weatherization and insulation (like spray injection foam) help us lessen the burden we put on the earth when we burn fossil fuels for heat and use high amounts of electricity for cooling and appliances. We use less, and, in turn, spend less each month on utility bills. Efficiency First reports that the improvements covered by Home Star can account for a 20-40 percent reduction in home energy waste. That’s huge!

Making Jobs

Other benefits of the Cash for Caulkers program include the creation of some solid jobs in the construction sector that could put hundreds of capable hands back into the workforce, from installation to the manufacturing of weatherization products.

President Obama spoke in Savannah, Georgia today, March 2^nd, about Cash for Caulkers and energy in general. During his speech, he discussed retrofitting homes with weatherization products and techniques, saying “It will have some costs on the front end. You buy a new boiler, or you get some insulation, or you get some new windows, that’s going to have an initial cost…but it’s what’s right to plan for our future.”

Learn more about Cash for Caulkers from the Home Star Coalition.