One of the areas where the most energy is wasted in a home, regardless of where you live or the type of climate you live in, is right through the walls. Without proper insulation, heat readily escapes a home when it's cold outside, and readily warms a home when it's hot out. Insulation for your Los Angeles home is a key part to saving energy and preventing your house from wasting energy trying to fight the elements outside.



Los Angeles' Unique Climate

Situated in a Mediterranean climate, Los Angeles' median annual temperature of 66 degrees Fahrenheit, in comparison to other coastal cities that are the same distance from the equator, is much warmer than might normally be expected.

The winters are mild, while summers range from warm to hot with an average high of 84 degrees F during the hottest month of July, though it often creeps into the 90's and has even broken three figures on occasion. Although the winters are mild, the temperature does dip into the 40's during January, and has even been known to drop below freezing.

The winters are typically described as being "somewhat wet," which mostly refers to the rain. Snow is quite rare. What this all means is that during the warmer summer months and colder winter months, you're likely to be putting your climate control system to work to maintain comfortable temperatures.

Ways to Conserve Energy

This section of the article will focus mainly on how to keep warm air in the house when it's cold outside and how to keep cool air in when it's warm out. Doing so means that your air conditioning and heating will have to work less to maintain a comfortable temperature, thereby saving energy and resulting in a lower heating and cooling bill for you.

The very first step is to make sure that your house is sealed up to prevent warm air from leaking out or cool air from sneaking in. Leaks are most common around windows and doors. Make sure that your windows are sealed properly, and have them resealed if necessary. This is a relatively easy and inexpensive task.

For doors, you night need to redo the lining if it is deteriorating or non-existent. If the door is poorly aligned, a full on replacement might be the best choice.

Next, make sure you have plenty of insulation. Los Angeles insulation, thanks to the city's mild climate, doesn't need to be heavy duty, but just having it should produce quite a noticeable difference in your energy usage.

Double pane windows also help. If you can't afford to replace your windows, you can tape a roll of plastic over the window during the colder months to act as a temporary second pane. If you plan to replace your door, make sure that the new door is a good fit and that it is also insulated.