DIY vs. hire a pro

Doing it yourself needn’t mean going it alone. The Department of Energy’s Energy Star and Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) programs are a mouse click away.

Both Web sites feature an online Home Energy Saver program, which helps you tailor weatherizing projects to your ZIP code, the age of your home and its systems, and insulation. The Energy Star Web site (www.energystar.gov) has step-by-step guides with photos and illustrations for laying insulation and sealing gaps. The EERE site (www.eere.energy.gov/informationcenter) shows how to perform a home-energy audit and tells you what a professional energy audit should include. EERE also allows you to contact home-energy experts by phone or e-mail.

Some projects, such as blowing in insulation or adding recessed can lights that may contact insulation, are best left to a pro. At www.energystar.gov, click on the Home Improvement link and use the Home Performance program to find contractors prequalified by state agencies, local nonprofit groups, or utilities to perform energy audits. You’ll find links to other energy programs on both sites.