Sharing my energy results

NStar just sent me a Home Energy Report. What is interesting about it, it compared our gas usage from 2009 to 2010. We heat with gas. We put Okna 500 Deluxe Windows in Sept 2009 along with some vinyl siding, so the report sheds some light on our gas usage and what our energy savings were potentially.

We used 38% less gas between Jan-Aug 2009 and Jan-Aug 2010. A lot of the savings has to be new windows and siding. I believe a small amount would be accounted for by the warmer window we had in 2010 in comparison to 2009.

The number surprised me because I didn't think it was that large when we were comparing monthly bills during last winter.

great feedback,thanks for the update. just goes to show how big of a difference a quality window can have on your energy bills.

That is quite a bit less.

Did you use 38% less by volume or by dollar? What was the final tally in terms of dollars?

Volume. $$ are harder given the price changes monthly. Our avg therms went from about 1000 to 650.

What percentage of your home did you install vinyl siding on? What type of insulation did you use? How much of the drop in utilities do you attribute to the siding and insulation?

Vinyl on 100%. It went over the existing t-111 with some rigid r-2 insulation to flatten some areas. But insulation was limited to providing a flat surface. The windows replaced were double pane aluminum with broken seals on just about all. It is really hard to have any clue how much of a difference the siding vs windows.

th siding with R2 insulation board would not of helped that much. sounds like the windows made most ,if not all of the improvement.

The insulation value of the siding install wouldn't be a tremendous factor, however it is likely that a lot of penetrations were sealed in the process therefore making a good contribution.... That is a very nice gain overall. It's always a plus when you are able to see the fruits of your investment.

Yes I'd have to agree that a huge percentage was due to reduced air infiltration, given what we've been taught about it's dramatic effect on energy efficiency lately.

Agreed. I have seen more savings with a properly installed house wrap and window flashing than an R2 fan fold.