Energy audits help stop home heat loss

From an article by Julie Lawrence posted on OnMilwaukee.com:

The temperatures outside are plummeting. It's winter in Wisconsin and the cozy comfort of our homes becomes our refuge after hours of shoveling and ice scraping. What we're forced to endure in the Midwest could be considered criminal in other parts of the country, but the real crime Wisconsinites face is not adequately preparing their homes for the seasons.

Kent Borden has been an energy audit consultant for Five Star Energy Corp. for close to three years and he's seen homes at just about every level of efficiency. Interestingly, it's not that most people aren't willing to work to limit energy loss, it's that they don't fully understand its source.

Wisconsinites often misinterpret old windows as the major culprit. Borden says not necessarily. While windows are a very visible part of the home, Borden says our notion that they are leaking like sieves is largely thanks to window manufacturers who like to portray that message.

"I don't want to completely refute what they're saying; windows certainly can be a factor."

But, he says, a homeowner planning to drop $10,000 to $15,000 on new windows will never see the payback in energy savings.

So if the windows aren't the biggest energy loss offenders, what are?

Posted in: Energy conservation