We have pretty energy-efficient windows here at our new house. Not quite as nice as the ones at our old house, but similar, and pretty tight.
I was reading a Mother Earth News article the other day on ways to save energy. Most of it was stuff I already knew and had already done or one-upped, but I found a tip on reducing heat loss through windows that was just too good to pass up — especially in light of the fact that it involved one of my favorite substances on earth.
Bubble wrap.
Sheets of bubble wrap, cut to size and stuck to the windows, will insulate the glass itself while allowing light to pass through, thus preserving solar gain while reducing heat loss.
I bought a couple of rolls of bubble wrap tonight at Staples and gave it a whirl.
After I cut the sheets to size — by far the most time-consuming part of the project, largely because I was too lazy to go find a tape measure so I could do the job efficiently — I spritzed the glass with plain tap water and slapped the plastic up there like Colorforms.
This is what it looks like from the inside. A little strange, but we usually have the blinds down anyway. I didn’t bother taking a picture outside, because the screen obscures the bubble texture so much you can’t even see it.
We’ll see how well it works. I can already tell a difference: The panes were cold to the touch when I put up the bubbles, but now they’re room temperature.
Not bad for $6.49 per 25 square feet.
Emily
Red Fork Hippie 
Just for clarification… did you put the bubble wrap on the inside of the windows or the outside of the house?
Inside.