When considering home energy efficiency and cost, some projects will make a larger impact than others in your York, Harrisburg, or Carlisle, PA home. Even better, energy efficiency programs are making home energy upgrades more cost-effective than ever.
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Here are four categories in which an investment now will pay off for years to come:
1. Energy Audit & IAQ Testing
Did you know indoor air is 2 to 5 times more polluted than outdoor air? Monitoring your indoor air quality (IAQ) is essential to maintaining a healthy home, and an indoor air quality test can help you determine where to begin in improving your home’s indoor air quality.
Maintaining your home’s indoor air quality is a multifaceted challenge because so many parts of your home impact your air quality. Supplementing your indoor air quality test with a whole-home energy audit is the most comprehensive way to understand what improvements you can make now to improve your indoor air quality and reduce your energy bills for years to come.
2. Air Sealing
Air Sealing is essential in that it eliminates cracks or gaps throughout your home. Some of these can be very difficult to see, but can still make a big difference in your home’s efficiency by letting outside air in or letting comfortable, conditioned air out. By professionally sealing your home against outdoor air, your indoor air quality will be higher, and your energy costs will be lower.
3. Improve Insulation and Building Envelope
No other project can improve your home’s performance and energy efficiency like professionally installed insulation. 90% of US homes lack sufficient insulation, which not only keeps winter cold and summer heat out, but also keeps comfortable, conditioned air in.
Insulation is a major part of creating a sealed building envelope. Your home’s building envelope separates your home’s conditioned areas (like bedrooms and living areas) from non-living areas (like your attic). When your home’s envelope is intact, all your systems will run more efficiently, and your air will be healthier and more comfortable. Given the wide range of weather we experience in central PA, you’ll feel the difference—and your wallet will too.
4. Crawlspace Encapsulation
Like so many parts of the home, guidance about managing crawlspaces has changed over the years. Today, we know that a healthy crawlspace is a sealed one. This eliminates problems with drafts, cold floors, mold, and dust infiltrating your home and affecting your air quality. Crawlspace encapsulation is key in maintaining the health, energy efficiency, and comfort of your home.