Energy efficient home reaps benefits in lower utility bill

by Paul Schreiber

SBJ Contributing Writer

Each winter, homeowners face the challenge of heating their homes efficiently. Doing so in the most cost-effective manner possible may require a serious look at the individual residence and the way energy is used.

Ann Hall, City Utilities' energy information coordinator, said the easiest way an individual can assess a home's energy use is to review the utility bill.

For a family of four that uses television and major appliances, "an average electrical usage would be 600 kilowatt hours or less," per month she said. "In wintertime, an average home will use about 300 therms of gas," she added.

Often there are areas in a home that need special attention to maximize efficient energy use and heat retention. "Typically, there's five energy-efficiency improvements that give you the biggest return for your buck," according to Mark Viguet, manager of marketing and communications for City Utilities.

He suggested homeowners check their water heaters to make sure they are wrapped, inspect duct work to make sure it's sealed, add attic insulation if necessary, caulk or weather strip to stop any existing air leaks, and use energy-efficient light bulbs.

Cold air infiltration and the passage of warm air to the outside significantly affect a home's living environment and the cost of maintaining it. "The biggest loss is (at) the doors and windows," according to Doug Herrold, store manager for Payless Cashways Building Materials.

Mike Hall, director of the weatherization assistance program for the Ozarks Area Community Action Corporation said the forced-air delivery systems most people use to heat their homes should be checked to ensure all "duct work is tight and sealed up and insulated." He noted that drafts occur when leaks in the supply system allow heated air to escape while cold, outside air invades the house.

"Instead of (recirculating) the warm air back into the system and heating that back up, you're pulling cold air into the system, creating a draft in the house," he said.

CU studies confirm this. Home assessments indicate that one of the best things to do is "sealing air leaks, because that amounts to anywhere between 25 percent and 45 percent of the cost of heating a house ... cold air leaking in from outside," Ann Hall said.

Finding all the ways a home can be winterized may take some research. Library and online resources have information and forms for home-energy assessments homeowners can do on their own, according to Mike Hall.

For those borrowing money to buy a home or improve the energy efficiency of a residence, OACAC has trained personnel who, for a fee, can conduct audits to provide energy ratings for homes and help homeowners get energy-efficient mortgages, he said.

For the past three years, any CU customer occupying a home for at least 12 months has been able to request a questionnaire designed to tell them what they're paying for on their utility bill. This service has been offered to about 55,000 of CU's 85,000 customers, Ann Hall said. CU will also examine a customer's service by doing a "13-month history of your electric, gas and water usage," she said.

She added that Springfield is in an enviable position in respect to its utility service. Residents of the 250-square-mile area that CU covers pay rates that "are basically the lowest in the state," and its 3.5 cents per kilowatt hour charge for winter electricity compares to the national average of 8 cents, Ann Hall said.

Making a home more energy-efficient just adds to those savings.

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