Q: "What kind of energy savings am I likely to have if I replace my standard outlet covers with the ones that slide open and closed? I've noticed cold air coming in through the unused outlets in cold weather."--Jerry
Answer: Reducing air leakage would immediately improve your comfort. To get a dollars and cents number, you'd need to figure in costs of natural or propane gas, oil, etc. Get a professional energy audit: you may need more than outlet covers for significant savings. CareCovers will reduce leakage, though, as I personally learned.
I do recommend using either CareCovers or paintable
CoverPlugs which fit over existing unused outlets. CareCovers were tested using the Minnesota Blower Door Test that showed a 15% decrease in air leakage with Carecovers. Family Handyman magazine in 2008 recommended CoverPlugs.
I quickly installed CareCovers on all my exterior wall outlets several years ago when I felt cold air coming through outlet holes one January day. (My house was built in 1990 with insulation updated in 1994). There was an immediate increase in comfort without raising the thermostat.
Unlike insulating gaskets installed around outlets, CareCovers's gasket is around the exterior of the plate itself. In 1988, a house was tested twice using the Minnesota Blower door test, first with standard outlet covers and then with each outlet covered with a CareCover. (The test uses a large calibrated fan being mounted in a house door to determine amount and location of air leaks.) Air infiltration was reduced 15%. For its energy efficiency, the Care Cover received a Department of Energy Award. On October 4, 1988, The Secretary of Energy announced the Care Cover won the United States Department of Energy, National Award for Energy Innovation.
If you have other questions, please contact us.
Sincerely, Barbara