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 [...]
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 will give me the best return on my money: replacing my single-pane windows with double-pane low-e windows, replacing my traditional hot water heater with a solar hot water heater, or sealing my attic and adding more insulation? –Perplexed in Pittsboro Dear Perplexed, Mr. Energy loves a no-brainer. For, neighbor friend, this [...]
Dear Mr. Energy, Last year I had an energy audit, just like you always suggest, and I made several of the improvements my auditor suggested. I’m not seeing the results that I thought I’d see. What gives? Why aren’t I saving more money on my energy bills? –Disgruntled in Durham Dear Disgruntled, First, let me [...]
In a previous blog post I wrote an explanation of how replacing your windows was not the smartest way to spend your energy efficiency budget. Green Building Advisor, a wonderful, comprehensive website on all things green-building related, has published an article that backs me up on it. Here’s what they say: Window replacement isn’t the [...]
Whenever I tell people that my husband and I own a company that specializes in energy efficiency, they almost always respond by telling me about their home’s windows. Either they’ve just replaced their windows and so they think they’ve done all they can do, or they are saving up for window replacement because they’re convinced [...]