The cost of home heating oil in Maine inched up again last week to an average of $3.76 per gallon, according to the Governor’s Energy Office, which reports that current prices are 25 cents per gallon higher than at the same time last year.

There’s no doubt that a fuel bill like this is overwhelming: 750 gallons of oil, plus 6 cords of wood, plus all the electricity it took to power an inefficient old water heater.  The homeowners knew they needed to do something to control costs and make their home more affordable to live in long-term – but like many households, they didn’t know where to start.

If you want to make buildings more energy efficient, you have to understand how those buildings work.  That’s why Jessie Davis, a Building Analyst certified by the Building Performance Institute, was at the Island Institute’s Energy for ME Summer Institute.