- All homes experience wear and tear. Whether your home is five or 50 years old, chances are good that it can benefit from cost-effective measures to improve its energy efficiency. Wind, vibrations, sunlight and seasonal temperature changes can loosen up a tight home, increasing air leakage; windows may no longer close tightly, and ductwork can spring leaks, wasting huge amounts of heating or cooling energy. Furnaces, air conditioners, and water heaters that have been running for years gradually lose efficiency, especially if regular cleaning and maintenance hasn't been done. All these things add up - Technologies change. While your manufactured home may have been built to the energy standards of the time, dramatic progress has been made over the past few decades with high-efficiency mechanical equipment, insulation, windows, and so forth. Our understanding of how to retrofit manufactured homes for energy savings has also improved through years of experience-as has our knowledge of how to prevent moisture problems.- Energy costs are going up. Whether you use electricity, natural gas, propane, or oil, many experts believe that prices will continue to rise. Improving your home now guards against future increases, and rolls back the costs you're paying today.