" She moved into the century old house in 1994, and like any other citizen of the city, she worries about heating and electricity bills. So yesterday, she received a free energy audit from the Center for Ecological Technology in Northampton to find out what she can do to save on her utility bills. "

" "Not too bad, but there is room for improvement," said the center's auditor Matt Kozuch after examining wall insulation, refrigerator efficiency, depth of attic insulation and the home's general air tightness. "

" His recommendation is for 6 additional inches of cellulose insulation be blown onto the attic floor so that the attic joists, which can leak a lot of heat, are fully covered. And, two hours work by a center air sealer, who can sniff out where there are air leaks in the house and close them off. "

" Higgins was pleased. The tiny home was built in 1906 as part of quirky housing community that was a religious camp. Energy efficiency was probably not the builder's primary concern. "

" "I don't think the house is particularly efficient. There is no basement, and it sits on a rock. However, the house was insulated when I moved in, and it had had a fair amount of work done by the previous owner," she said. "

" Mark Newey, director of energy programs for the center, said that a homeowner probably will get the "biggest bang for the buck" with insulation. "

" "Any time that a home has any part of it that is not insulated, such as the attic or walls, it is very cost-effective to insulate. The cost to put in insulation
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