Halting home air leaks can cut electricity costs
NEW YORK — That precious cooled air that leaks out of your home every summer is money leaking out of your checkbook.
Electricity prices are expected to rise faster this year than they have since 2009, to a record average of 12.5 cents per kilowatthour, according to the U.S. Energy Department. And prices are highest in the summer, just when you need more power to run the air conditioner.
But many residents are paying far more than they should to cool their homes because cold air is leaking out and hot, humid air is getting in. The air seeps through obvious places, such as under doors, and not so obvious places, like cracks around plumbing that you can’t see.
“We accept a much higher level of bad performance in our homes than we would in our cars. You shouldn’t be uncomfortable,” said Jennifer Amann, director of the buildings program at the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy. “Homes don’t have to perform badly.”
To see if your home is a bad performer, try a thorough home-energy audit. They are offered through utilities and local contractors and are often subsidized by state energyefficiency programs.
Columbia Gas customers can schedule an audit by calling 1-877-644-6674. The audit costs $50 and includes a programmable thermostat and water-saving shower head. For details, enter the search phrase “home energy audit” at www.columbiagasohio.com.
American Electric Power offers a similar service for customers who heat their home with electricity. A basic home-energy assessment costs $25 and a four-hour audit costs $50. Both AEP services include up to 12 compact fluorescent light bulbs and one light-emitting diode night light.
To schedule one of the AEP services, call 1-877-856-2454 or search “in-home energy program” at www.aepohio.com.
Energy audits can lower both summer cooling bills and winter heating bills by finding leaks and other sources of wasted energy.
How much you save depends on how much repairs cost, the size of the leaks found, how big your home is and your electricity price.
Knowing whether you need a home energy audit — and whether it will pay off — is tricky. Amann said you should get one if you feel like you are paying too much for electricity, and she suggests talking to friends and neighbors. Some utilities are making it easier to see how your usage compares with others, either as part of your bill or with online tools.
If you opt for an audit, Amann suggests using a contractor who participates in the Department of Energy’s Energy Star performance program.
A thorough audit — more than just a walk-through of your home — will include a blower door test, in which a device is attached to your front door that sucks air out of your home, allowing leaks to be detected.
Some repairs will be clearly cost-effective, such as adding insulation or closing up cracks with caulk or weather-stripping. Others might not be. Windows and central cooling and heating systems are so expensive that the savings might not justify replacing them if they are still working well.
Dispatch Reporter Jim Weiker contributed to this story.