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Stop leaking cash
Jan 13, 2010
By Van O'Cain
When Linda Butler looked at her power bills last winter, all she could do was cry. "I had a bill for over $500 and another one was over $700," Butler said. It was quite a shock for Butler, a single mother from St. Matthews, whose house is less than 1,300 square feet.
Those tears of sadness have turned into tears of joy. Butler and six other families from across the state were big winners in the Help My House home energy makeover contest from the electric cooperatives of South Carolina.
"Praise the Lord and thank you, Jesus," Butler said upon learning she had won. "I had to do my holy dance."
Winners had plenty to dance about. Each received up to $10,000 in home energy-efficiency upgrades. For Butler, those included a new high-efficiency heating and air-conditioning system and new ductwork. Crews also replaced windows, sealed air leaks, added insulation and installed a cover to insulate the electric water heater.
Huge leaks
South Carolinians use electricity at a rate twice that of New Yorkers or Californians and 50-percent higher than Ohioans. Weather (cold in winter, hot and humid in summer) spurs this level of use. Older homes use more energy than newer ones. It is those older homes that Help My House seeks to improve.
"These winning homes are typical of 80 percent of the houses served by electric cooperatives in South Carolina," said Brent Clinton of York electric Cooperative. "What we've found are homes that leak huge amounts of air. Maybe their heating and air systems aren't working properly. They might have little or no insulation in the walls, ceilings and crawl spaces. Through the contest, we're fixing those problems, and in most cases, we're cutting the home's energy use in half."
Like Butler, Terri Robertson of Little River entered the Help My House contest because of rising power bills. "Our bills were running up in the $400s," said Robertson. "We just couldn't get them down. We tried everything and nothing was working, so when I saw the contest, I thought maybe we'll get some help to make our home more energy efficient."
Help started with a whole-house energy analysis by Kevin O'Neill of O'Neill Bagwell Cooling and Heating in Myrtle Beach. The analysis included a blower door test that showed how much air the home was leaking.
From there, contractors went to work. Apple Blossom Insulators of Concord, N.C., added foam insulation to the home while Budget Heating & Air of Myrtle Beach replaced the home's ductwork and added two high-efficiency Lennox heat pumps. "We really needed it, and we really appreciate it," said Robertson.
Everybody wins
More than 4,000 electric cooperative members entered the Help My House contest. Thousands more watched the seven winning homes get makeovers in November on television stations around the state.
"Not all of us have $10,000 to spend on improving our home's efficiency," said Garrett Gasque with Horry Electric Cooperative, "but all of us can turn off lights, change our air filters monthly, caulk around windows or weatherstrip doors — simple low- or no-cost things to save energy and money. That's the goal of the program, to educate and motivate homeowners."
Some homeowners might be motivated by the incentives available for making energy-efficiency up grades. A federal tax credit covers up to 30 percent of energy-related improvements ($1,500 maximum) through the end of 2010. (A tax credit reduces your tax bill dollar for dollar while a deduction only reduces taxable income.)
Costlier improvements — such as geothermal heat pumps and solar water heaters — are not subject to the $1,500 cap and are in effect through 2016. Visit energystar.gov for more information. This spring, South Carolina will offer a rebate program for consumers who switch to certain Energy Star-rated appliances. For details, visit energy.sc.gov.
Even with incentives, consumers should first conduct a comprehensive energy analysis like the ones performed for Help My House winners. These analyses, which include blower door tests (to help determine a home's airtightness) and Duct Blaster tests (to measure the air leakage in ductwork), reveal energy problem areas and help evaluators find solutions to improve the home's efficiency.
"Blower door and Duct Blaster tests give you the whole picture of what's happening in the home," said Debi Evans with Evans Heating & Cooling in Elgin. "Once we know where the air leaks are, we're able to go in and tighten the house."
Save energy, save money
When electric cooperative members save energy and money, the cooperatives save, too, because cooperatives are not-for-profit, member-owned businesses.
"That's why we're promoting programs that help consumers use less energy," said Mike Couick, president & CEO of The Electric Cooperatives of South Carolina, Inc., the co-op's state trade association. "We know that the cheapest electricity is the electricity that never has to be produced."
Linda Butler, Terri Robertson and the other Help My House winners know it, too. And thanks to the electric cooperatives, they will realize it each month when they open their electric bills.
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