Cut my Calgary utility bill by $42 a month with one dumb change

Last winter I was paying close to $180 a month for electricity and gas in my 1950s bungalow in Calgary, so I finally got around to sealing the rim joist gaps in the crawl space with spray foam and a caulk gun. It took me two weekends back in March, and now my July bill dropped to $138 even with the AC running on those hot days. Has anyone else seen that big a swing from just air sealing, or should I keep looking at my attic insulation next?

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sanchez.blake2d ago

Funny thing about that swing, most people focus on the attic but the crawl space is where the real draft comes from in these old houses. My buddy did the same thing on his 70s split level and saw almost the exact same drop, but he also found the dryer vent duct was leaking air like crazy through a gap in the floor joist. Might be worth checking your bathroom exhaust fans too, those cheap plastic flappers let a lot of air move when they're not running. That July number is solid though, especially with AC, so you're probably not leaving much on the table with the attic unless you've got old fiberglass with no baffles.