Dear Mr. Energy, Are there any new tax credits or rebates for energy audits or weatherization for 2011? I really want to work on making my house more energy efficient this year but I want to make the most of my money. –Budget conscious in Bonlee Dear Budget, The answer is yes! And no. Yes, [...]
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 [...]
Occasionally we’ll get calls or e-mails from people wanting to know if we clean ducts. We’ve also seen plenty of ads for companies that do duct cleaning, claiming to rid the home of allergens and musty smells and mold. Some people swear by it, but… we don’t. We don’t clean ducts, nor do we think [...]
Up until now we’ve been telling you that an energy audit and subsequent weatherization will pay for itself in 2-3 years. We have years of data from Energy Star and the Low Income Weatherization program to back this up. But now it’s time to give you real examples of ways that our clients have saved [...]
This is a re-post of something I wrote last fall, but it is totally worth it to re-post it in case you didn’t read it before or if you somehow have missed what an AMAZING deal Progress Energy is giving to its customers in the Carolinas. Out of all the energy companies that serve central [...]
Dear Mr. Energy, Do I really have to change my home’s air filters every month? –A little bit lazy Dear Little bit, Yes. You do. Quit being lazy! It’s not very hard to do and it’s pretty cheap, and your home’s HVAC system will thank you for it. The air filters control the quality of [...]
Dear Mr. Energy, I want to make energy efficiency improvements to my house, but I have less than $1000 to work with. What can I do to make the biggest impact? –Champagne tastes on a beer budget Dear Champagne, You’re in luck! Between rebates, tax credits, and basic maintenance to your home’s systems, you can [...]