By Chris Balzer

According to NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) December was the warmest December on record since recording temperatures began in 1880 by the administration.  So what does that mean?  There are many different thoughts and ideas on this subject and I will let you make your own conclusions.  What I do know is we all enjoy being comfortable.  We buy jackets in the winter and breathable clothes in the summer.  In February, I would run the heat in the morning and AC in the afternoon, just to stay comfortable.  If you do a search for “things we insulate,” you will see the majority of sites and images are of attics, walls and windows.   We insulate much more than our homes.  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 on just about every beach, tailgate 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 cup has more than 8.3 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 being comfortable and pay a little more for quality and efficiency.  So why when it comes to our biggest investment, our homes, we fall short of upgrading our home’s efficiency and comfort?  A Former US President once said during a press conference on renewable energy that Insulation is sexy stuff and that if you haven’t upgraded your home, 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 (North American Insulation Manufacturers Association), the majority of US homes are under insulated, wasting energy, money and decreasing your comfort in the home.  To increase comfort, there are simple solutions like weather stripping doors and caulking windows.  Properly weatherizing your home and adding insulation will increase comfort, reduce pollutants in the home, control moisture and help your heating and cooling systems work more efficiently.  Dr. Levy, Professor of Environmental Health at Boston University stated that if all US homes were fitted with insulation based on the 2012 IECC (International Energy Conservation 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 don’t know if I would call adding insulation sexy, but I do know adding insulation saves you money, increases your comfort and has a positive impact on the environment.  So the next time you are putting ice in your cooler, sipping something refreshing from your cup or running the air conditioner, think about getting an energy upgrade for your biggest investment- your home and remember our most sustainable energy source is not Solar, Hydro or Geo, it’s YOU.

Chris Balzer is Founder and President of Emerald Coast Energy Solutions which is a Smile Provider Company.  We provide smiles to our customers after installing our high energy efficient products, increasing comfort and lowering energy bills.  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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