Top 3 Ways Homeowners Waste Money on Energy Saving Home Improvements

In honor of Energy Action Month, Pro Energy is running a campaign aimed to help families decide which energy saving actions are more important than others. In other words, which energy improvements or actions get the GREEN light, and which get a red light?? Today, let's take a look at the most typical improvements that earned our RED LIGHT; families should at least do some research before thinking these improvements will mean big savings.

RED LIGHT IMPROVEMENTS: 

• Windows. Don't get me wrong, old windows can certainly be energy-draining culprits. HOWEVER, we typically see homeowners blaming windows for symptoms (like drafts or high energy bills) they actually aren't related to. Even worse, purchasing new windows for a home can cost thousands of dollars.

• New AC or Furnace Equipment. So, you turn on your AC in the summer, and you feel like it never actually cools down your house. Or maybe just not the second floor of your home. That means you probably need a new, bigger air conditioner, right? WRONG! Again, self-diagnosing what seems to be a logical problem can mean continued high energy bills, comfort problems, and wasted money! And unfortunately, your HVAC dealer may not present the most unbiased opinion.

• Energy-Saving Appliances. Again, we're not trying to say that a new EnergyStar refrigerator isn't more efficient than your 30-year-old pistachio-colored "icebox." Homeowners think investing in new large appliances will be the silver bullet and automatically drop their utility bills. Unfortunately, the savings isn't always as much as they'd hoped. Make sure you do your research on what features actually use less energy than others; just because it has an EnergyStar rating doesn't necessarily mean it is the most energy-efficient (Here's a good fridge article from Consumer Reports).

One more time, we are NOT saying that these aren't energy-saving improvements. We just want you to have the right expectations! We frequently see homeowners who have spent a lot of money in hopes of upgrading their homes, being more comfortable in extreme temperatures, and becoming more energy efficient, but their problems weren't solved after their investment. Just make sure you do your research before assuming the cause of your comfort or energy problems. 

So what are the improvements you should be focusing on? Stay tuned for our next blog post! If you can't wait until next week, you can discuss questions related to this blog post or any other energy-related questions with your local independent energy consultant.