Last week I called Free Lighting Corp on a tip from a friend. They came out yesterday and did a free blower door test on my home, as well as an a/c duct blower test. They took off every a/c register, sealed with foil tape and mastic, as needed, installed foam insulation plates behind all switches and plugs on exterior walls, and weatherstripped the exterior doors. It was all free!

They did a relative's house and mine yesterday morning. It took about four hours to do both. My relative's home had more air leakage than mine, surprisingly, since it is smaller and newer. The guys said if you have a 3000SF home, you'd want the number to be close to 3000 for the blower door test. Too low means the building doesn't breathe enough and it will cause mold/moisture issues inside, too high and you have too much air leakage.

The poles and wires companies pay for this service and you can only do it once every 10 years. I'm in the Texas-New Mexico Power area, and they have funds and openings available. I believe the wait is longer for Centerpoint customers.

If you're interested in greening your home and saving some money on electricity, read more about it at www.freelightingcorp.com or call to schedule your appointment. 1.866.484.3519.