Home Energy Costs from a Realtor Point of View

Aug 10, 2011

Reblog posted by Greg Slater

I’ve been collecting energy costs for two homes now for 7 months.  When I have a full calendar year of data, I plan to break down the cost differences of the two homes I am following. One is a new home by Piedmont Realty and Construction built to its Earth Friendly standards. The other was built-in 2000 before energy efficiency became a trend in housing.

To recap, see original post here.

EARTH FRIENDLY HOME A: Built 2010, 3400 finished sq ft, Two zone Trane HVAC, (Zone 1 gas furnace), tankless gas water heater. This home also has a finished space over the detached garage with its own electric HVAC system not run full-time.

NON-EARTH FRIENDLY HOME B: Built 2000, 2995 finished sq ft, one zone electric HVAC system, traditional electric water heater.

I look forward to the results but felt compelled to share the findings of the last 30 days. It has been really hot.

Earth Friendly Home A: Average thermostat setting 74. July Va Power bill $171

Non-Earth Friendly Home B: Average thermostat setting 80. July Va Power bill $345.

One of the points I try to make with people interested in this topic is that this is not just about saving money. It’s about the overall comfort of the home. A more comfortable home is more enjoyable on a daily basis. Home A is larger and was kept at a much cooler temperature for the month and had half the power bill of Home B.

It’s also not just about the insulation. It’s about the windows, and maybe most importantly, the quality and sizing of the HVAC system.

To contact Greg:

Cell: (434) 981-6655
Office: (434) 817-9800
[email protected]

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