Older homes provide much of the charm of living in New Hampshire, but staying comfortable in one year-round can be a challenge. Insulation might be inadequate or non-existent, windows and doors might be drafty, and ventilation might not circulate air optimally. These and other scenarios could be responsible for high energy bills, and in many cases, homeowners aren’t aware of how much these shortcomings are costing them.
Fortunately, it’s easy to find out how well a home is weatherized through a home energy audit. The audit will identify problems that allow for heat or cooling loss and items that draw excessive amounts of electricity. Many of those issues are relatively easy and inexpensive to address. Knowledge of bigger problems allows homeowners to plan for fixes down the road if they cannot be done now.
Home energy audits are inexpensive, usually a few hundred dollars. The NHSaves program
charges $100 for an energy audit, and the fee may be credited toward work done to address
inefficiencies (bit.ly/4qwVN6Q ). The program also offers low-interest loans to qualified
applicants who need financing to address an issue. Eversource offers free home energy
audits for qualified customers based on their heating fuel usage (https://bit.ly/3NixVW1).
These are the most common issues found in energy audits:
Air leaks and drafts: Even well-insulated homes can have localized areas that allow heat or cold to escape, typically around doors and windows. These problems are among the easiest to address with weatherstripping, caulking, or adding insulation.
Leaky ductwork: Air-based HVAC systems can develop loose seams in the ductwork over
time, resulting in inefficiency. Sealing loose seams is another easy fix that provides immediate results.
Water heating issues: Are the hot water pipes insulated? If not, then the water will lose more heat than it should before it reaches the tap. An energy audit will also assess the overall efficiency of the water heater, including whether its temperature setting is too high or the unit has lost efficiency due to age or other issues.
HVAC inefficiencies: An energy audit will assess whether the HVAC system is running
optimally. Problems might be as simple as overdue maintenance, or the unit might be nearing its end of life and will soon need replacing—something that’s better to plan for than to wait for a failure. An energy auditor might also suggest switching from a manual thermostat to a programmable unit, which can control the HVAC system more efficiently.
Poor insulation: Again, many houses in the area were built long before modern insulation
options were available, so they lose too much heat and cold through the walls. An energy
audit will assess how good or bad the insulation is and identify areas in most need of
addressing.
Excessive electricity usage: This is not a weatherization issue, but it typically is part of an
energy audit. Lighting, appliances, and some electronics might be drawing a higher electrical load than they should. An energy audit will identify those loads and make suggestions such as switching to LED bulbs or using smart power strips that shut off electronics that draw phantom loads when not in use.
Solar heat gain or loss: Large sun-facing windows might cause parts of a home to overheat in summer or be cold in winter. (Even the best windows will lose more heat than well-insulated walls if the sun is not shining on them.) An energy audit might suggest solutions such as installing shades or a reflective coating on the glass.
Beware the Energy Rebound Effect
Researchers have identified a behavior of some homeowners who, after weatherizing their
homes or taking other energy-saving measures, change habits in a way that partially or fully negates the efficiency benefits. For example, they might leave LED lights on when not
needed or raise the heat too much.
This is called the energy rebound effect, and I mention it because it’s important for
homeowners to be aware of their habits after improving their home efficiency. I’ve
experienced this myself after installing heat pumps recently. With our oil-fired furnace, we
kept the house at about 64 degrees. With the heat pumps, we first set the heat to 70 degrees. We knocked it down a few degrees after receiving our first electric bill with the new system. (It was higher than expected but still cheaper than oil.)
Button Up Home Energy Workshop
The Peterborough Renewable Energy Project or PREP, is hosting a free Button Up Home
Energy Workshop on Jan. 29, 6:30 to 8 p.m., in the Eben Jones Classroom at the
Peterborough Town Library. Energy Trainer Ted Stiles will present the workshop, which will
cover the process in more detail and provide information on incentives and rebates.
Michael Nadeau is a member of the Peterborough Renewable Energy Project.