Insulation in the attic-appears a cheap alternative to many new "green" innovations.
Good old simple insulation in the attic really works!
Two years ago, we purchased a 10 year old home built by a tract builder.
We bought the home because it appeared it was move in ready, and was everything that we needed, wanted and desired was there. Cosmetically, the house was in good shape and the back yard had a pool and looked like a resort-an expense we did not want to undertake.
Living in North Texas is brutal in the summer-with temperatures typically in the 90's and many days in the 100's. To say the least it is HOT! And boy did I underestimated the difference in the electric bill between a two story and a one story home-which is what we had lived in the last 7 years.
That first electric bill was an eye-opener. My typical bill (in the one story) was about $300 for the whole month in the summer. My first bill in the two story for the month June for ½ a month was over $300! I should have foreseen the future right then and there. The summer of 2008, the bill averaged about $650 a month. In 2009, the bill average was around $700 per month from July through September-and that was with only one unit running and set at 80°F. On top of that the previous owner did not cover several upper decorative windows which, of course, faced West and East-so we caught both the morning and the evening sun. I was able to cover the East facing windows with simple reed blinds on the outside which definitely helped to reduce the inside heat. I still have not covered the west facing windows which I must focus on this year.
After much discussion about what we should do, we explored several options.
The first option was a sprayed on coating on the under mount side of the roof-radiant barrier. It sounded good and after three estimates ranging from $2500 to about $5500, we discovered it did not qualify for the tax credit for energy efficiency improvements.
The second option was solar screens and that estimate was also around $2500-which we have not yet ruled out entirely.
The third option was insulation. So we did our homework, and because the Department of Energy states it is the single best thing you can do to cut down on energy bills, we called for estimates.
We always go through the Better Business Bureau to find contractors, so we found a company with a very high rating. I called and the estimate was $1087 to insulate the entire home with R50 insulation. We used a product that was a blown in product and was pure as 100% cotton. The process took less than a half of hour.
After the first bill came, we knew we had done the right thing. Our kWh usage went from 3150 to 1590, and the previous month's bill-which was for December 2009-- was $448.66 and dropped to $277.06. I would say that was a significant savings.
This is one home improvement project I would highly recommend and there are still a few more in store for this old house.
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