Has anyone had the $50 energy audit by Columbia Gas? They install a programmable thermostat and low-flow showerhead, and give you recommendations about insulation, weatherstripping, etc. Then gas company rebates pay for a good part of the insulation (possible tax credits, as well). I'm curious about any homeowner's experience with this.
Energy Audit Columbia Gas
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I'm interested in this, and was not aware of the program.
We have the programmable thermostat and low flow shower head, all the same we REALLY need new insulation.
Heck, can anyone make some insulation recommendations?
posted by OhioKimono on Jan 13, 2011 at 02:30:11 pm #
We had this done in December. The energy audit was quite comprehensive and we had the recommended insulation done by an approved contractor (EnerSol). With all the rebates, the cost was pretty reasonable and we still have the tax rebates to factor in yet.
Best part is how much warmer the house felt right away.
Didn't those tax rebates end on Dec 31?
posted by Linecrosser on Jan 13, 2011 at 03:13:33 pm #
Insulation is a big problem. Most people just let contractors or cultural norms choose their insulation, which is a mistake.
We're talking about suppressing the flow of heat by conduction (through material), convection (through an air-transport mechanism), radiation (through space) and overall airflow (where air flows in or out of the building, carrying heat or cold). You have to understand all these factors before you can select the insulation that is the most effective purchase.
Some things cannot be helped. Notice those cathedral ceilings that people like to build into new homes? Those are a huge mistake in our climate, since it allows convection cells to form, efficiently transporting your heated air up to the cold ceiling for subsequent conduction to the outside.
But some things can be helped, like adding another layer of rolled insulation in an attic space.
The good news is that once you feel you have a good understanding of the conduction, convection, radiation and overall airflow problems in your building, selecting insulation is a trivial follow-up task.
When you break the problem down into those parts, you at least broke the problem itself into parts, which are easier to handle.
We had a customer that had it done a few months ago. She had a minor mishap (insulaters filled her furnace with cellulose), but they were out to fix it ASAP. She said that she noticed a difference almost instantly. They insulated her walls, attic, and installed a programmable thermostat. The company that did the insulation was an out of town company that I had not heard of.
If you have a choice, Enersol is a great company. I use them all the time for larger jobs.
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