Cost of Energy Efficiency

Q: I'm planning to build a new home, and would like to make it as energy efficient as possible, but how much more will it cost to implement energy saving strategies?

A: When the topic of energy saving strategies is approached, one of the most commonly asked questions by anyone building a new home is "yes, but how much will it cost?" Energy efficiency expert Doug Rye is fond of emphatically saying: " Energy saving strategies cost you nothing, they make you money!"

As improbable as it may sound, it's actually quite true.

He uses the following example to illustrate his point: A couple wants to build a $150,000, total electric home, using conventional construction methods. The mortgage payments will be $1250 a month plus $200 for electric utilities ($1450 total monthly expenses) If the same house is built using energy saving strategies, it will cost approximately $7000 more up front. This sounds like a lot, but figured into the mortgage, the monthly payment is only $50 more each month. However, since using these strategies can decrease the utility bill as much as $100 per month, total monthly expenses would only be $1400. Now which home sounds more appealing - $1450 a month for a non-efficient home, or $1400 a month for a comfortable, efficient home?

Doug Rye points to three elements that are key to maintaining comfort and saving energy in a new or existing home:

1. Good insulation is a must- products like cellulose and foam will effectively seal openings easily missed with fiberglass installation.
2. Caulk is your best friend-use it to fill every gap you can find and
3. There is no substitute for Low-E glazed windows.

Rye also mentions other simple techniques to give you additional savings on your utility bills including this tip on how to get more out of your old water heater. Many water heaters sit on a concrete slab in a basement or in a garage. Oddly enough, for many years water heaters were not insulated on the bottom. If you have an older model, your water heater is not only heating the water to a toasty 120 degrees inside the tank, but much of the energy it uses is going out the un-insulated bottom and heating your 55-degree slab.

To fix this energy drain, just place a piece of rigid insulation under your water heater. Then any energy used by your water heater is used for the sole purpose of heating your water, not your concrete slab. How much will that cost? Off the top, a few dollars for the insulation, in the long run, nothing- it will make you money when your water heater is using less electricity day after day after day.

You can get more easy energy saving tips when you attend one of the REMC's New Home & Energy Efficiency Seminars. The information is great for anyone who is buying, remodeling or just wants to improve the performance of his or her current home. A complete schedule for the 2005 New Home Seminars is listed in the "Events" section of the Harrison REMC Web site.