Before we bought our house Ryan and I attended an energy convention in Waterbury Vermont. We met with people from Efficiency Vermont and learned about weatherization improvements to make existing structures less expensive to heat and cool. We also talked with companies providing solar and offering other types of energy services. 

At the time, we were renters in Burlington. I felt like we were lighting our money on fire in the winter with the amount of air moving through the old windows in the house. We paid for oil heat and I was very aware of the balloon-like shape of plastic we tried sealing around the windows from inside. We tacked a Patriots blanket on top of the plastic balloon window in an attempt to reduce the air flow. There was a significant amount of air moving through our closed windows. 

Curious to learn more, I read a lot of library books about weatherization projects, as well as strategies in new construction and descriptions of net zero homes. Speaking with local experts and considering our values in reducing our carbon footprint, it was more economical for us to purchase an existing home and improve it. We felt good about buying a home with construction resources already in place instead of adding more construction waste into the waste stream. We had the intention of working with Efficiency Vermont once Ryan and I found a house to buy.

Making investments in energy efficiency are budget conscious and support local businesses working to reduce energy usage overall. We were interested in both reducing our dependence on oil heat as well as reducing overall energy use which is where an energy audit comes in. We started with an energy audit from the Energy Co-op of Vermont. From there we came up with a plan to improve air quality, air sealing, insulation, and shift resources from oil heat to electric. The project scope included:

• $2,050 for a 50 Gallon Hybrid Electric Hot Water Heater. Price included a $600 rebate from Efficiency Vermont.

• We converted our hot water to electric from oil.

• $300 for the electrical work to install the hot water heater

We purchased two Mitsubishi Heat Pumps:

• $3,800 for a 15,000 BTU unit for the bedrooms side of the house

• $4,300 for a 18,000 BTU unit for the Kitchen, Living, Dining side of the house

• Unit prices included $600 in rebates from Efficiency Vermont and Green Mountain Power.

In total, we paid $10,150 for the hybrid electric hot water heater, and two heat pumps. Bonus, the heat pumps include air conditioning and dehumidify functions.

Part of the energy audit scope for air leakage reduction included:

• Attic air sealing, and adding loose fill cellulose to increase the R value to 60.

• Venting the stove as well as an existing bathroom fan to the exterior.

• Purchase and installation of two continuous air flow fans for the bathrooms.

• Insulation for an exterior wall in the unfinished part of the basement, R-18.

• Weather stripping exterior doors.

Total cost $11,040 included the blower door tests and application fees to the Zen incentive program.

Read more in the case study on the Energy Co-Op of Vermont Website.

NOTE: We still have oil heat. We use it for the basement and as a back up, as winters in Vermont can be outside the specifications for cold climate heat pumps.