Homeowner Takeaways from their BGE Energy Audit

The attic areas were under insulated and the two crawl spaces were major sources of their comfort problems and high energy bills.

The crawl space had missing insulation, open vents and an ineffective vapor barrier, making encapsulation a smart choice.

A large plumbing chase at the attic floor directly corresponded to an area below that the customer pointed to as particularly uncomfortable was identified as the culprit.

Long-Term Problems if Left Unchecked

HVAC will have to run much longer shortening lifespan.

Comfort around the home suffers and different areas of the home only get used during certain times of the year.

More room for insect intrusion and other unwanted pests when gateways to the outside from the inside exist.

Higher energy bills that will not amount to better comfort.

Poor decision making on how to fix (buy new HVAC, purchase new windows)

Check Out Two Videos from this Energy Audit Turned Home Performance Project

Video 1 - A disconnected duct in the crawl space was discovered during the project.

Video 2 - Before and after the crawl space encapsulation.

Video 1 - Disconnected HVAC Duct in Crawl Space

Video 2 - Before and After Crawl Space Encapsulation

How an energy audit typically helps a homeowner with this type of home:

-This energy audit was able to guide this homeowner towards encapsulating the crawl space to gain the many benefits that come along with that method of treatment such as brining the ducts into a more friendly environment.

-This customer realized that sealing the top of the house, rather than the side of the house would help much more - drawing on his own experiences with studying physics.

-This homeowner was able to gain incredible amounts of efficiency and comfort with two ducts that were reconnected after being discovered as a result of the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR Program in Columbia for BGE customers.