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CORRECTION: In the original version of this story, an error was made stating there was a rebate available for upgrading appliances through the Alaska Housing Finance Corp., or AHFC. There is no rebate available through AHFC. There have been federal tax credits available for improving home energy efficiency, most of which expired Dec. 31, 2007. For more information about federal tax rebates for home energy improvement, visit the Energy Star Web site at http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=products.pr_tax_credits.

FAIRBANKS — Home-heating fuel costs $4.69 per gallon, two dollars more than September of last year.

With winter creeping closer, building and energy professionals are busy trying to get Fairbanks energy healthy, and some residents are taking matters into their own hands by attacking energy inefficiencies at home.

“I was up in my attic sealing the bypass around the wood stove chimney, blowing 25 bales of cellulose into the attic and putting a new bathroom fan in,” said Rich Seifert, professor of energy and housing at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

“It’s dirty. It’s dusty,” he said. “Hellaciously bad working conditions, and those are the kind of places that people will need to go.”

The extreme climate and high energy demand of Fairbanks residents coupled with soaring energy prices have ignited a nearly universal interest in home energy efficiency this year.

To the tens of thousands of residents looking to make their homes more efficient, experts recommend a subsidized energy audit as the one and only starting point of the process. Since they accept that not everyone can or will schedule an audit before this winter, they are trying to disseminate low-cost, do-it-yourself knowledge so people can at least take steps toward efficiency.

“Everybody’s going to be pressed for time. They’re just going to dive right in,” Seifert said.

Anticipating the rush, building professionals have produced a ream of handbooks, consumer guides and checklists designed to help people understand their unique energy inefficiencies. Public workshops offered by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Cooperative Extension Service begin this month where experts will break down the complexities of building science to equip homeowners in insulating, air-sealing, tuning mechanical systems and protecting indoor air quality.

The public can sign up for the classes, contact energy raters and learn about weatherization and rebate options at the Portal on Retrofits, Training and Loans, a public outreach program created by the Alaska Housing Finance Corp., the Cold Climate Housing Research Center and the Fairbanks Economic Development Corporation.

Experts chant about energy audits because they establish a list of priorities and outline the most economical order of operations. The priority list, for example, would avert the waste of time and money that could result from insulating before air sealing the attic. But what can people do now, before winter arrives that doesn’t cost too much?

Here’s what the experts have to say.

Plug those holes

Sealing cracks in between the ceiling and attic ranks high, if not first, on a general priority list, said Michael Musick, an energy-efficiency consultant at the Cold Climate Housing Research Center.

A vapor and air sealant will prevent warm indoor air from leaking into the attic, known as the stacking effect.

“Your house becomes like a chimney. If air is leaking out the ceiling, then it must be replaced,” Musick said.

Cold outdoor air replaces heated indoor air. Furthermore, people inside breathing, cooking and bathing saturate the air and create a lot of water vapor.

“That leaks into the attic space and rises in temperature, turns back to liquid and freezes, causing an ice buildup in the attic itself or in vents,” Musick said.

Slowing down the biggest leaks in the ceiling nearly eliminates the stack effect, he said. While caulking the obvious holes in the attic, space around the attic hatch and around ductwork is easy enough to do, locating smaller leaks requires more technology. A main feature of an energy audit is the blower-door test, a fan-like device that sucks the air out of a home to pinpoint cracks in floors and ceilings.

Adding insulation to the attic floor and outside of the basement wall is often the next step in suppressing heat loss.

Spray foam and cellulosic insulations can fill in small cavities, but moisture problems can occur in crawl spaces if water has nowhere to escape, according to an insulation guide released by the Cooperative Extension Service. Spray foam insulation, which is sold in different expanding levels for doors and windows versus floors and other structures, costs from about $7 to $11 for about 12 ounces.

Blue and pink foam insulation boards, made out of extruded polystyrene, run roughly $34 for a 2-inch-thick, 4-by-8-foot board. The material excels at blocking water vapor, and the guide cautioned that moisture problems could result if the boards were not properly installed.

The same basic wisdom applies to log cabins, Seifert said. Air sealing floors and attics and Permachinking will tighten up a cabin.

“Permachinking is a kind of putty you place in the beams between the logs inside and out,” Seifert said.

The finish blends in with the color of the wood without harming the aesthetics.

Small leaks need attention, too.

Weatherstripping the door, which runs about $10 to $20, can help block drafts and boost indoor comfort and offers the most energy savings in old, leaky homes.

The user-friendly kit needs to match a specific door frame type and includes three pieces that fit snugly to the side and top door jambs, often made out of vinyl or foam.

Keep things covered

Self-installing a water-heater blanket, which costs about $20, is relatively easy and can reap a quick payback, Musick said. Wrapping a water heater and hot water pipes in insulation helps slow the cooling of sitting hot water. Beware with a gas water heater, he said, which requires leaving some areas uninsulated for combustion air supply.

“Turn the water heater down to 120 degrees, and wrap it with a blanket,” Musick said.

Covering windows helps trap heat indoors, reduces condensation buildup and blocks drafts, Musick said. A $15 window-insulation kit includes a shrink-wrap film that adheres to the inside window frames using a hairdryer or other heating device. While the shrink-wrap is only durable enough to last about one season, he said, it can have a huge payoff for single-pane windows in particular.

“If you can stop that condensation and frost that inexpensively, it’s very well-worth doing,” Musick said.

A heavier plastic sheeting, which costs about $1 per foot, can be stapled to the outside of the window and fastened around the edges.

Those electric bills

Switching incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescent bulbs, which last 10 times as long and use 75 percent less electricity, also brings instant savings on electric bills.

Using appliances efficiently can also save money, Seifert said. Wash clothes in warm water but rinse them in cold water, he said.

“Restrict the shower flow head because hot water is a big expense,” he said.

Draining one or two gallons from the water heater each month keeps rust from gathering on the bottom. Rusty water heaters are less efficient and durable.

“It’s a good way to enhance the life of your water heater,” Seifert said. “Any appliance not replaced since 1995 will be nearly twice as efficient now as they were then."

Setting the thermostat back at bedtime and when the house is empty, or delegating that task to a $40 programmable thermostat available at hardware stores, can put a dent in the heating bill.

Where to go

To get started, check out “Tips on Insulating an Existing House,” a detailed, free online guide from energy experts that walks you through the technical process of insulating and air sealing your home. The summer issue of Alaska Building Science News, also available online for free, explains and simplifies the process of applying for income-based weatherization and programs that rebate up to $10,000 for making energy improvements. An oasis of information and free advice from energy professionals is available at the Portal on Retrofits, Training and Loans, open 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday at 326 Driveway St., Suite 100, directly west of the News-Miner building. The Portal also streamlines the process of scheduling an energy audit and signing up for do-it-yourself courses offered by Seifert and the Cooperative Extension Services.

“It’s a big education challenge to get people aware of what they should do,” Seifert said. “These are exciting times, no doubt about it. The great juggernaut is just starting to roll.”