Energy Tips by Emerald Coast Energy Solutions

By Chris Balzer

If you do a search for “things we insulate” you will see the majority of sites and images are of attic spaces, walls and windows. However, we insulate much more than our homes. In fact, we are constantly looking for that right beach cooler or cup to keep our drinks and snacks cold and cool.  YETI has become very popular and on the scene of just about every beach, boat or fishing outing. Just look around, if you don’t own a YETI, your neighbor most likely does. One video on YouTube about what’s inside a YETI has more than 7.2 million views. That’s more views than the entire population of Tennessee and that’s just one video. It’s no secret we care about insulating things and pay a little more for efficiency.  So why when it comes to our biggest investment- our homes, we fall short of upgrading our homes’ efficiency and insulation? A former President once said during a press conference on renewable energy that “Insulation is sexy stuff,” and that if you haven’t upgraded your home yet, it’s not just heat or cool air escaping, it’s energy and money that you are wasting. Based on a study conducted by NAIMA, the majority of US homes are under insulated, wasting energy and money and decreasing comfort for homeowners. Unless your home was specifically built for energy efficiency, you can benefit from energy upgrades. Dr. Levy, Professor of Environmental Health at Boston University stated that if all US homes were fitted with insulation based the 2012 IEC code, residential electricity use nationwide would drop by 5% and natural gas use by more than 10%.  That’s an impressive number and a positive impact on our environment. I know getting an energy upgrade costs more than a cooler or a cup. So let’s look at this slightly different. On average, an energy upgrade today costs around what a good living room couch costs. The difference is, the couch will start to lose its value the moment it is delivered and the energy upgrades immediately starts to save you money. Energy upgrades will see a full return in few short years based on energy savings. The couch, after several years can become worn and sometimes uncomfortable due to the settling of the batting or filling. Your energy upgrade continues to add value to your home and increases comfort. Getting a proper energy upgrade can also help with reducing dust and decreased humidity in your home. I don’t know if I would call getting energy upgrades sexy, but I do know getting energy upgrades saves you money, increases comfort and is positive for the environment.  So the next time you are putting ice in your cooler, sipping something refreshing from your cup or sitting on your couch, think about getting an energy upgrade for your biggest investment and remember our most sustainable energy source is not Solar, Hydro or Geo Thermal. It’s you.

Chris Balzer is Founder and President of Emerald Coast Energy Solutions and resides in the Santa Rosa Beach area with his wife and 3 Children.  For more information on how to save this summer and become energy efficient schedule an inspection by calling (850) 588-2870, visit www.trusteces.com or email wecare@trusteces.com and Beat the Heat.

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