With energy bills going up, there are a number of ways to keep your home from draining energy and money.
One of the first things people told me to brace for when moving back into my once flooded, but now renovated house is a higher utility bill.
I’ve already been hit with the right-of-passage sky-high water bill ($300) after months of never receiving one. Now that I’m back in the house, I’m bracing for the first electricity and gas bill.
Installing foam for insulation.
Will it be much higher, the same or slightly lower than before? The reason for the uncertainty is that this summer will be one big test for all those energy improvements I made during renovation. Will those expensive airtight windows, weather-sealed doors and new foam insulation make that big a difference or will the savings be eaten up by higher energy costs?
I’ve asked neighbors who’ve renovated and results are mixed.
Part of the reason is that some upgraded, some didn’t and actual energy costs are higher since the storm. Natural gas, a key source for Entergy’s power plants, has been a lot more expensive—Entergy passes those costs directly to ratepayers
each month in fuel adjustment charges. The other reason is that the neighborhood has far fewer trees, so we’re under the blazing sun all day.
A house built by Tulane School of Architecture students that is insulated with foam.
Insulation Choices
Cooling or heating a house accounts for between 50 to 70 percent of energy usage, according to US Energy Department figures. Experts say you can save as much as
65 percent on your bill by improving insulation and making your house more air tight. And now there are so many options beyond rolled batt insulation.
One of the most hyped trends is sprayed foam, which is a polyurethane-based substance that instantly expands between wall studs, forming a tight seal.
It’s an easy opportunity to install sprayed foam for many who’ve opened walls for Katrina repairs, says Kurt Buchert, owner of Green Bean Foam Insulation in New Orleans. Sprayed foam typically has an R value of 3 to 5 per inch, which is comparable to traditional fiberglass batt insulation. (R value is a rating designating the efficiency of insulation; the higher the number, the better it works.)
The foam advantage is that it’s a much more efficient air barrier than fiberglass, Buchert says.
“Old homes in New Orleans are like leaky wooden crates,” Buchert says. “Foam really seals your house like an ice chest and stops all that air infiltration, which makes up most of the energy bill for a New Orleans homeowner.”
The drawback is that foam costs more to install. A typical foam project can run between $1.50 to $2.50 per square foot, while fiberglass can be less than half that. It is also messy, as crews have to shave it down to size after installation, leaving bits and pieces everywhere once they’re done.
Insulating the Hot Spots
Buchert says the best place for insulation improvements is the attic, which can heat up to 150 degrees in the summer. “Most people have a furnace on top of their house. It can heat up your whole home,” Buchert says I hired a crew to install sprayed foam along my roof line in an upstairs bedroom with cathedral ceilings; the sidewalls on either side are surrounded by attic space. The sidewalls have fiberglass insulation.
On a hot day, both the ceiling and sidewalls feel cool to the touch despite the insulation difference. The only space where you feel heat on the ceiling is along the rafter lines, which get quite hot.
Forest Bradley-Wright, sustainable rebuild coordinator for the Alliance For Affordable Energy, says that installing a radiant barrier is another option for cooling rooms near the roof and attic spaces. Similar to silver shades that cover windshields, radiant barriers reflect the sun’s energy rather than absorbing it. The material is fairly cheap and can be stapled between rafters and along attic walls to reflect heat.
A finished interior wall cavity.
Another place to consider bolstering is the floor. Most old homes in the city are raised on piers, allowing lots of cold air to sink out through cracks between floor boards. Some may be tempted to use rolled fiberglass under the house, but experts caution against it. “The insulation can absorb moisture out of the air and sag,” says Ron Guarino, conservation consultant for Conservation Technologies in Harvey.
That air pocket can trap moisture, opening the door for mold or termites. “You want to avoid ever using fiberglass insulation there,” he says.
Guarino and Bradley-Wright recommend sprayed foam for underneath houses. The product will also keep floors warm in winter.
DIY energy savers
For those who don’t have the budget to reinsulate homes, Bradley-Wright has some do-it-yourself solutions. Check the seals on all doors and windows for light or air flow. Use low expansion foam or caulk to seal up cracks and add weather-stripping to doors. Install foam rubber gaskets behind electrical outlets on exterior walls to prevent air movement. Another option is to reduce the heat output of lights by switching to lower wattage bulbs or compact fluorescents that use 75 percent less energy than incandescent bulbs.
“There are a lot of options and strategies for reducing utility bills and they work,” Bradley-Wright says. “You should select the ones that work for you.”
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