Tips For Buying An Energy Efficient Home- PART II
Some utility companies will perform an abbreviated version of the Energy Efficient Home Raters™ audit. Most utility companies upon request will provide information concerning the past usage/consumption of prior customers on an annual basis and sometimes they will break it down monthly. Either way this could be an ominous task and very expensive as you look at numerous homes that you may consider owning or living in. It is also important to note that information produced by a utility company is not considered valid certification of a home’s energy effficiency for mortgage lending purposes as is an Energy Efficient Home Raters™ audit.
When you ask a builder what is the most energy efficient thing you can do for a house they may mention the most obvious key factors: windows, doors, and insulation. The Energy Efficient Home Team™ has developed over the past 40 years this simple yet not so obvious list of items to look for. There are always exceptions and value added choices that one makes that may amount to pennies but add up to large amounts of dollars over time. The real keys to great energy efficiency in a home are all the little things that add up to being equal to the obvious things.
The following is a list of obvious things one needs to look for when purchasing a home. These are things your eyes should be able to catch immediately.
· Single pane double hung windows
· Metal sliding windows, single pane
· Louver Windows
· Buildings with crawl spaces under the floor verses a basement (neither being insulated)
· Block basement walls that have not been insulated
· Roofs in the winter where snow has quickly melted off
· Interior walls in the winter that feels cold to the touch
· Entry way doors that have no weather stripping attached to the door or jamb
· Lots of windows facing north
· Side by side double door refrigerators that are more than 15 years old
· Large boilers/heater systems that are more than 25 years old
· Electric baseboard heaters
· Fireplaces
· Recessed Light Fixtures (Can)
· Incandescent Light Bulbs- replace with Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) and save 4 times the energy over a regular incandescent light bulb.
When you ask a builder what is the most energy efficient thing you can do for a house they may mention the most obvious key factors: windows, doors, and insulation. The Energy Efficient Home Team™ has developed over the past 40 years this simple yet not so obvious list of items to look for. There are always exceptions and value added choices that one makes that may amount to pennies but add up to large amounts of dollars over time. The real keys to great energy efficiency in a home are all the little things that add up to being equal to the obvious things.
The following is a list of obvious things one needs to look for when purchasing a home. These are things your eyes should be able to catch immediately.
· Single pane double hung windows
· Metal sliding windows, single pane
· Louver Windows
· Buildings with crawl spaces under the floor verses a basement (neither being insulated)
· Block basement walls that have not been insulated
· Roofs in the winter where snow has quickly melted off
· Interior walls in the winter that feels cold to the touch
· Entry way doors that have no weather stripping attached to the door or jamb
· Lots of windows facing north
· Side by side double door refrigerators that are more than 15 years old
· Large boilers/heater systems that are more than 25 years old
· Electric baseboard heaters
· Fireplaces
· Recessed Light Fixtures (Can)
· Incandescent Light Bulbs- replace with Compact Fluorescent Light (CFL) and save 4 times the energy over a regular incandescent light bulb.
posted by Siti | 2:07 PM
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