Energy Audit leads to savings

by Steve Oakes, local Sierra Club member

We bought a foreclosed HUD home in 2008 and it needed lots of improvements,
but due to the market situation in 2008 we got a tremendous deal and were able to
afford the energy efficient projects.

A few years ago, we did an energy audit. Our post-audit improvements
included new windows, new Exterior Insulated Finish System (EIFS),
programmable thermostat, and blow-in insulation added to our walls and
attic. The insulation improvement alone resulted in a 47% decrease in our natural
gas heating! And we haven’t stopped; I’m currently doing some insulation work in
the basement. Overall, the post-energy audit showed a 55% decrease in air
leakage in our home.

The rebates we used for these improvements were from Missouri Gas
Energy and Kansas City Power and Light for $600 each, which in turn meant we
didn’t have to pay our utility bills for about 2 years!