Prioritizing Your Projects After That Home Energy Evaluation
If you’re looking for ways to minimize energy costs in your Florida home, a home energy evaluation is the best place to start. You’ll find out where costly inefficiencies lie and what’s necessary, in terms of time, effort and expense, to address these problems. However, if your evaluation has yielded a long “needs improvement” list, figuring out just where to start can be a challenge. Prioritizing your energy-saving to-do list based on your own personal abilities, comfort needs and budget concerns can help you approach the task of maximizing energy efficiency one manageable step at a time.
Chances are, if you’re in an older home, the issues your home energy evaluation reveals likely will range from simple, inexpensive ones to more extensive projects that will require a significant investment of time and money. Those small, easy-to-fix issues can lead to substantial improvements in energy efficiency, so getting them out of the way first often makes the most financial sense. Among the tasks that can yield immediate energy savings are:
- Sealing minor air leaks around window frames, door frames and electrical outlets with spray foam insulation or caulking (depending on the situation).
- Replacing weatherstripping around doors and window sashes.
- Installing a programmable thermostat
- Replacing incandescent light bulbs with energy-efficient CFLs.
Once you’ve taken care of those simple improvements, it’s time to consider more substantial ones. These tasks generally require some professional help to complete, but can have a significant impact on energy efficiency for a reasonable price:
- Add attic insulation.
- Have ductwork inspected and sealed.
- Insulate ductwork routed through unfinished areas of the home.
When you’re ready to tackle those larger projects, prioritizing them in terms of return on investment makes sense. Among projects that typically have the greatest impact on energy costs are:
- Replace old, drafty windows.
- Install high-efficiency HVAC equipment.
- Replace older appliances with new, energy-efficient ones.
Working through that list of improvements is well worth your time and trouble over the long run, given the ever-rising cost of energy. If you need more information on improving energy efficiency in your home, please contact us at NisAir Air Conditioning and Heating. We’ve been serving homeowners in Martin, Palm Beach and Indian River counties since 1973.
