Before spending money on bigger items like a new heat pump, furnace or air conditioner, one of the best and first things to consider when looking for ways to save energy at home is weatherization. Weatherization includes a variety of improvements that all do the same thing: they keep air from coming in or out of your home through gaps, cracks and other openings. That means your heating and cooling system uses less energy to keep your home comfortable.
Weatherization can include small but effective steps like sealing leaky air ducts, replacing caulk or weatherstripping around doors and windows , and larger projects like adding insulation and installing new windows . These actions can make a very big difference. If you add up the gaps and cracks that leak air in a typical home, it’s almost as if you’re leaving a window open year-round.
“Proper sealing and insulation allows your heating and cooling systems to operate efficiently, saving you energy and lowering your bills,” said Jose Benitez, a home performance manager with HomeRx and a member of Energy Trust’s Trade Ally Network . “The most important spaces to prioritize are attics, crawl spaces and walls, especially in older homes built before building codes required specific amounts of insulation.”
Homes built before 1978 typically have about 75% less insulation than homes built to today’s standards. Evaluating and updating your insulation is especially important for those older homes.
Along with lowering your energy bills, these changes can make your home more comfortable and protect the quality of the air inside. By preventing air leakage in windows and doors, for example, it can also lower the chance of air pollutants like car exhaust, outdoor allergens, and molds from getting inside your home.
Weatherization also makes energy-efficient heating and cooling systems even more effective. For example, research from the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy found that a weatherized home with an energy-efficient heat pump can save you between $500 to $800 more per year in energy costs than homeowners who install a heat pump but don’t weatherize. Weatherization can help bring down the lifetime cost of owning and operating a heat pump by as much as $11,000. Similar savings and cost benefits apply to other heating and cooling systems installed in weatherized homes.
To lower the cost of weatherization improvements, Energy Trust of Oregon , a nonprofit that helps people, businesses and organizations use less energy, offers cash incentives that can be combined with new federal tax credits . Here are some good places to start:
• Insulation
• Energy Trust offers incentives for insulation, saving you $0.50-$1.50 per square foot.
• Federal tax credits of up to $1,200 are available to offset the costs of insulation.
• Windows
• Energy Trust offers incentives for windows to lower upfront costs with savings up to $10 per square foot.
• Federal tax credits of up to $600 are available to offset the costs of new windows.
For information, check out Energy Trust’s DIY resources or find a contractor in the Trade Ally Network who can connect you to incentives and services.
About Energy Trust of Oregon
Energy Trust of Oregon is an independent nonprofit serving people in Oregon and Southwest Washington. It’s our responsibility to provide clean, affordable energy resources that help communities achieve their goals so they can thrive and be ready for the future. Learn more at http://www.energytrust.org/residential/incentives.
By Scott Leonard
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