March 9, 2021
Imagine sitting down to dinner at a fancy restaurant where the menu doesn’t include the prices. You look at the options, and there is only one meal that seems to be enough to sustain you for the evening, so you order it. But then the bill comes.... and it was way more expensive to simply sustain yourself than you thought!
That’s how an unexpectedly large energy bill can feel for many Massachusetts homeowners that are simply trying to keep their homes comfortable. You take a trip to the thermostat during a cold snap or a heatwave, hoping to keep your home comfortable and safe from the outside weather. But when the electric bill comes, you realize doing so cost you way more than you thought it would! So what is causing these high energy bills, and how can you fix the issue?
The Most Common Culprit Behind High Energy Costs
Since your air conditioner and furnace, boiler, or heat pump are providing the conditioned air you need to stay comfortable, they often take the brunt of the blame for high energy bills. However, a common cause for your high energy bills is most likely how much energy your home can lose, not how much energy your appliances can use!
As your HVAC system works in tandem with your thermostat to keep your home at a steady temperature, your home itself is tasked with keeping all of that conditioned air inside. In theory, a well-built and high-performing home should keep the heat from its furnace inside during the winter, and during the summer, it should keep the sun's heat out. However, lapses in two primary systems of your home performance can lead to energy loss. Those systems are:
Insulation
Insulation is installed throughout an entire home, and it is tasked with slowing down the loss of heat that can happen through your home’s construction materials. Insulation is most important in the attic, where heat is likely to escape, and in the basement or crawl space, where cold outside air is likely to infiltrate your home. If your home does not have enough insulation, or if your existing insulation has deteriorated over time, upgrading your insulation with a trusted insulation installer near you can save you on energy throughout the whole year!
Air Sealing
Not only can your home lose energy through the materials it is constructed with, but it can also lose energy through the tiny holes and cracks that develop in hidden, hard-to-reach areas of your home. Sealing up these holes with an expanding spray foam material is the process of “air sealing” your home, and doing so will prevent unwanted temperature infiltration, moisture infiltration, and more importantly, energy loss.
Save On Insulation & Air Sealing With a Energy Save Energy Assessment!
You now know what can cause your high energy bills and how to fix them, but what about the middle step of a home insulation assessment to see how much insulation you actually have, and how many holes are going to need to be air sealed? With a virtual Home Energy Assessment from Mass Energy Experts, you will gain access to all this and more.
Through this Energy Save home assessment, if we discover your home is in need of air sealing upgrades, we’ll then air seal up these holes at zero cost to you, thanks to the complimentary air sealing service that is subsidized by the State Program.
Additionally, your Mass Energy Expert will walk you through the results of your assessment, how your no cost home energy assessment will save you in energy costs, and inform you of your options for upgrading your insulation upgrade. This can include up to 75% off your insulation work, also thanks to the rebates from the State Program. Plus, there are many other complimentary perks, like a package delivered right to your door containing energy savings devices, like LED lights, power strips, and water-saving fixtures - depending on what your home needs to become more energy efficient.