Need we say more? Maybe. For posts on weatherization, see: Should you replace your windows? What’s a closed crawl space? Weatherizing rental properties Feeling hot hot hot! Need new windows? Need new air-conditioner? Nope! More on windows How we’ve made our 100-year old home energy efficient, part 1. Part 2. Part 3. [...]
The 2012 Ms. Green Energy Quiz – Do you know your energy efficiency facts? Readers, Ms. Green feels like she’s always hammering you over the head with the same basic information about energy efficiency, and yet she is worried that while many of you nod your heads when reading her informed and charming responses to [...]
Dear Ms. Green, I just bought an older home and its energy bills seem high. I’m thinking of getting new windows to help with the bills. What can you tell me about replacement windows? –Cold in Carrboro Dear Cold, Here’s what Ms. Green thinks about replacement windows: contrary to what the window replacement industry [...]
Here’s the answer: We posted this image from energysavvy.com a while back, but after taking a close look we decided we needed to revise it. Original figures had weatherizing 75000 homes at $1 billion. That puts the average weatherization job at more than $13,000. That seems REALLY HIGH to us! Way, way more than our [...]
The White House blogged yesterday that Home Star, the energy efficiency/residential retrofit/weatherization/home improvement program where homeowners can get rebates for energy efficiency improvements, is still being promoted by the White House. Here at Home Performance NC (and dare I say, in many of the homes/offices of people doing our kind of work) we kind of [...]
Dear Mr. Energy, What are some things I can do to my windows in lieu of replacing them? Breezy in Burlington Dear Breezy, So glad you asked that question! If you’ve read any of Mr. Energy’s earlier columns, you’ll know that I do not consider window replacement as a top priority for most homeowners who [...]
Dear Mr. Energy, What is a closed crawl space? Do I need one? –Crawling around in Chapel Hill Dear Crawling, A closed crawl space is a crawl space (the area found underneath your house and which is typically floored with dirt and vented to the outdoors) that has been air-sealed. A closed crawl can provide [...]
Dear Mr. Energy, You give a lot of advice for homeowners who want to save energy and money on utility bills, but as a renter, what can I tell my landlord? My bills are really, really high and I want to find a way to convince my landlord that energy efficiency improvements won’t only benefit [...]