Energy Assessments Can Make A BIG Difference!

What are you doing and why is it important?

You can have a free energy assessment of you home! Improvements implemented as a result of a home energy assessment can make a big difference in your home energy use. Nicor and ComEd customers have opportunities to reduce the energy usage in their home through their free Home Energy Assessment Program. By contacting Nicor at 888-652-2955, you can have a free “walk through” energy assessment of your home. During your home energy assessment, you will uncover opportunities to save energy, after which you can find a contractor to implement some of the identified energy efficiency projects and improvements to your home. During your home energy assessment, where needed, you will receive free installation of CFLs, low-flow showerheads, low flow aerators in bathroom and kitchen sinks, and hot water pipe insulation and a programmable thermostat. You will also learn about rebates you can receive to help cover the cost of any energy efficiency improvements you choose to implement. These rebates may be for thermostats, high-efficiency HVAC equipment, air sealing, insulation, duct sealing and other energy reducing items. These rebates are usually funded on a first-come basis, until that year’s funds are used up, so it is wise to act soon.

In conjunction with this program, we had a home energy assessment performed on our home during December 2012. This included a detailed analysis of energy use as influenced by insulation, light bulbs, appliances, water use, and air leaks in our home. This program included free installation of CFLs, low-flow showerheads, low flow aerators in bathroom and kitchen sinks, and hot water pipe insulation. We already had programmable thermostats, or they would also have installed those. The free items performed during our energy assessment were valued at a total cost of $117.66 and with an annual savings of $114.00. This energy assessment indicated that we could reduce our energy use by at least 10% by adding some additional attic insulation and by targeted air sealing, even with the 95% high-efficiency furnace which we had installed a few years prior. However, before we could have the targeted air sealing performed, we would also need to install a fresh air ventilation system. Fresh air ventilation systems are being installed on new construction where the homes are very tightly sealed. As result of our assessment, including the free items added during the assessment, the added insulation and the targeted air sealing, we have reduced our energy use, i.e., our carbon footprint by over 15%.

Thomas R. Roose