2300 sq ft 13.2 cents/kwh $197 for June amigo energy i think i did pretty well but my goal is to be under this for july.
The only thing I hated about the foil radiant barrier when I researched it was that its effectiveness went down the dustier it got. Gee, I wonder if it's dusty in the attic. As it is, it may take years to recoup the cost of the thing itself, but then its effectiveness goes down as the years go by? Hmm...
2900+ sq. ft. Coserv in Dallas 5/13/09 bill date : $115.64 6/12/09 bill date : $173.45 I should be getting the next bill soon... I'm scurred.....
great point. that was other big "con" against the foil - i saw that unless you have an awesome ventilation system in the attic (which I have a standard fan - nothing great) - the dust reduces the effectiveness of the foil... for me... cost + reduced effectiveness > 25% more radiant blockage
i believe there is a $1500 tax credit for the radiant barrier - so that is $1,500 against your tax liability - not a deduction that reduces your taxable income. so it seems like, technically, i'm "making money" off the deal. but i haven't researched the applicable internal revenue code sections that relate to this credit. there are probably some stipulations to claim the credit that i'm not aware of.
while we're on the subject - does anyone have a recommednation for a good handyman to come in and install weatherstripping around doors that are leaking hot air into the house - and thus increasing energy costs? since i can see sunlight coming in around my front door and the door that accesses my garage - i assume a lot of hot air is coming through the cracks around the door frame. same goes for the attic ceiling door to access the ladder - you can see some decent size gaps around the frame. all places for hot air to leak into the house. thoughts? anyone good? i just used houston.homeconnections.com to put my needed work up for bid amongst contractors. i had never heard of this site until i did a google search this morning. anyone use it before? thoughts on the site?
I think it was my fiance staying home when he got laid off early June but he went back to work last week so hopefully, it's not going to be $300 again! If it is then it might be the insulation in the house, old windows and two sliding doors.
Just got my bill today - $162 for 2741 Kw used for a 2400 sq ft (Gotta thank the Big Man for average billing) I work from home and keep both AC's in between 78-80 I purchased a home in October and by the time April hit, the second story was already like an oven because there was next to no insulation in the attic (unfortunately my office and recording studio are upstairs) EAS fortunately had a special going where they applied the spray on Radiant Barrier for $1200 and included R-32 insulation for free. Side note: The service techs who installed it even threw in 5 extra inches for $80 bucks.... Just had to ask what they could do for me It pretty much pays for itself with the Tax credit so it's a win win all the way around
Wow. I just got my energy bill for last month. $400 for a 2200 square foot house where the f*$#(ing AC is on 83 all day and 78 all night. My home is an energy nightmare. I can't wait to get this radiant barrier and additional insulation installed.
1200sqft $122 last month. My usage is way down from last year, but I have no idea of what we started doing differently. In fact my usage in February was much higher than for June. Our thermostat has pretty much stayed around 73. We'll see what my bill is for this month to see if the trend continues or if I was keeping the thermostat higher for most of the last cycle.
