My utilities bill has slowly gone up over the past 3 months and last month it finally went over the $300 mark - which was the last straw. I live in a 2200 square foot 2br, 2.5bath house. My bill was always in the $125-175 range, and in the past 3 months it has skyrocketed. I'm with Green Mountain Energy and my rate is about 15.5cents/kwh - seems cheaper than other options on powertochoose.org or whatever the site is So I've decided to install solar screens on the myriad of windows in my house - after i installed blackout curtains in my bedrooms - which did nothing to alleviate the utility bill pain - but has helped me sleep in a lot easier on weekends (and weekdays - <gulp>) So - anyone in Houston have recommendations for a good company to get custom solar screens from? A quick google search provided a few names of Houston-based companies - but I'd rather go with a recommendation.
Me and my fiance live in her parents garage apartment and they just installed solar screens on all the windows. Makes a big difference with the heat for sure... Ill have to get the company they hired to do it for you tomorrow.
I'm pretty sure I've read in the past that one of the best (and cheapest) ways to get your bill down is to add extra insulation in the attic. Another great and somewhat cheap way is to get a digital thermostat. You can set it to adjust when you aren't home, and it is a lot more reliable than a regular one. What I mean by that is, when you set a temperature you know you're getting that tempterature, nothing over or under. Something a lot of people don't know about are energy saving programs some companies provide. What they do is shut down appliances for short times, usually during peak hours. A friend of mine does this and he said it has been great for them. Have you switched to the fluorescent bulbs? They last a lot longer and generate very little heat, which will also help keep your bill down. Supposedly some brands have 5 year warranties, if you save your receipt and the paper that comes in the package, you can get it replaced for free. What my friend does is send 1 back and he usually gets a coupon for $12 worth of bulbs. That definitely covers more than just the 1 he sent back. Sorry, none of this has to do with solar screens, but I thought it may help you out a bit. Pugs
Thanks Pugs I actually went out and bought 2 Honeywell 5-1-1 programmable thermostats to replace my 1980s dial-a-stat. I'm hoping that will help at first. I'm not a D-I-Y'er - so installing them tonight will be interesting to say the least... I actually had to buy a drill and level for the installation b/c i don't own them. I went out and read my meter last night - and green mountain's reading seems to be accurate - so it is my 25 year old house that is the problem.
It definately helps. Set the temp higher during day time whne you are gone and after 11 or 12pm when you are asleep.
we had insulation put into the garage attic then had an inspector from the company (Honeywell) come out a week after it was installed to make sure they did the job correctly... he gave his approval but we didnt notice a difference at all with the heat. We have 9 windows on a 15'-20' room. Sunlight 14 hours a day.
If your walls are poorly insulated, insulating the attic won't make much difference. The easiest energy saving, home owner "Mod" I've done was to intertwine the hot side return line for an air conditioner and water line going to the hot water heater. It's free, but I guess if your AC and hot water heater are on opposite sides of your house it is probably more trouble than it's worth.
I made solar screens for the west side of my house which unfortunately has a lot of windows. They seem to help. I would recommend paying a little more to have someone do it. A neighbor had a handyman from the local ACE hardware install his, you might check that out. attic radiant barriers and ridgevents also help a lot
I'm setting up an installation appointment for solar screens with Silver Lining Windows & Siding in Kingwood. They were recommended to me by a neighbor who said they did quality work. Their website is mywindows911.com. Hope that helps.
Has anyone use that tech sheild that goes in the attic? I've seen newer houses seem to come equiped with them.
Awesome! Thanks so much. Please let me know how their work is. I won't be getting any estimates until late next week at the earliest. (going to be out of town)
Not a problem. I'm hoping they can come out this weekend but it might be early next week. By the way, they have a clean record with and are members of the BBB.
I thought about getting solar screens on my house, but make sure you'll like the look of the house with them on. I've seen some houses look weird with those dark windows. I've also read some people say the inside of their house looks like a cave after having them installed. I may still put some on my backyard windows, but I doubt I'll put them on the front of my house. Good luck!
Thanks for the tip... the front of my house doesn't have too many windows - it is the back of my house with 2 rows of 3 HUGE windows each that are in the living room and shine straight into the living room, kitchen, dining room, and game room that are causing massive heat issues in my house and what I surmise may be the cause of my increased utility bill... by the way - just finished installing both digital thermostats... took 30 minutes total - piece of cake for this neophyte of DIY repair...
