What does your ideal energy-efficient home look and feel like, and can you really afford to improve your homes performance? According to the Maryland Department of Clean Energy Center there are low interest rate loans available to homeowners that have been designated specifically for home projects that are designed to help improve your homes’ performance and make it more energy efficient.
Loans range from $1,500 to $20,000 with an interest rate of 9.99%. The loans can be used specifically for upgrading your homes insulation, HVAC system, or water heater.
If your builder truly understands the building envelope of your home they understand that air could potentially leak through your home’s envelope − the outer walls, windows, doors, and other openings – which wastes a lot of electricity and increases your utility costs. As a result the cost of electricity skyrockets and the financial impact can personally affect you each and every month.
Energy Efficiency
Updating your homes insulation helps keep your home cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter. With rising summer temperatures coming it’s important to keep that cooler air trapped inside of your home instead of letting it filter out of the home because of a simple little leak. Up to 35% of a homes heat loss during the year is due to un-insulated walls and at least 25% of your homes energy is lost through the roof and attic areas.
According to news.energysage.com the average home owner should expect to electric cost to increase by 4% this summer. If you’re a home owner in the local Washington, DC / Baltimore Maryland region you can expect your monthly electric bills so skyrocket during the summer months if you’re using a lot of power.
Utility companies have been known to increase their utility rates during the hot summer months because of people using their air conditioning units at a higher capacity. Air conditioners are generally the biggest power consuming appliances in a home, and with about two-thirds of American homes using air conditioners, it should come as no surprise to learn that they account for about 5% of the electricity produced in the US every year.
Now that you’re aware of the facts why not give your air conditioning a break this summer and think about making some improvements around the home by air sealing the attic area of your home to prevent waited energy from occurring. Air sealing in the attic is generally a challenging project, but the benefits can be substantial. The attic is usually where you can find some of the largest opportunities to save power throughout the home.
Home Performance
Nearly 67% of American home owners surveyed cited comfort as the top reason for making upgrades to their homes. Some home owners may not care about what the r-value of their homes insulation is or bother to understand what thermal bridging is and what purpose it serves. They only care about living in an environment that’s comfortable and doesn’t inconvenience them. After all nobody wants to live somewhere where it feels like a sweat box or a walk-in freezer simply because their home is either too hot or too cold.
Some suggestions for improving your homes overall performance include, making sure your attic and walls are properly insulated, using solar panels, or consider hiring a professional to maintain your heating and cooling systems.
Energy Audit
Do you know what a home energy audit is? An Energy Audit is the first of many steps to helping you assess how much energy your home consumes and to evaluate what measures you can take to make your home more efficient. An audit will show you problems that may occur, when corrected, and save you significant amounts of money overtime.
For those of you interested learning more about improving your homes performance, reducing saving money, and making your living space a more energy efficient environment contact us at Cameron Home Insulation today by calling us at (443) 290-5182 to get your free quote or schedule you’re home energy audit by completing our home energy assessment form.
