New Year's Resolution In Home Improvement and Replacement Windows

Everybody does it.  We make a New Year’s resolution’s on January 1st to ensure the new year is more successful than the last, but for some reason we let it all fade away through the year.  Why? Maybe it’s because we set unrealistic goals or we make a resolution that takes daily time and energy and then we lose interest.  Whatever the reason, it’s time to set ourselves up for success with New Year’s resolutions this year.  Choose a resolution that matters to not just ourselves, but those around us.  Choose one that has goals set throughout the year that are attainable and where we can see immediate and future benefits from this resolution.
One such New Year’s resolution is to make your home more energy efficient.  Making this a priority in the new year can not only improve your curb appeal but also the comfort level in your home.  This goal is broad enough to cover many different price ranges depending on your financial position and gives you an immediate return on investment.  Feeling this reward immediately will help keep you on track to continue to make those improvements that matter.

Here are 5 projects to accomplish this New Year’s resolution of increased home energy efficiency in ascending order of the magnitude of energy savings.

1 - Lighting and Electrical
There are several small practices that you can do today to make your home more energy efficient and start saving money immediately.  

• Changing your light bulbs to Light Emitting Diode (LED) and Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) bulbs will save utility dollars, as these bulbs utilize about ⅓ of the electricity of a traditional light bulb.  
• Unplugging electrical appliances when not in use will also cut down your electric bill.  According to the DOE, anywhere from 5% to 10% of residential electricity is used by devices that are plugged in 24 hours a day (TV, coffee maker, DVR, electrical gadgets like iPods, etc.)  Unplugging these devices, or if you use a powerstrip - switching it to the off position when not in use, will eliminate this expense.  
• Whenever old appliances are in need of replacement, choose an Energy Star rated new appliance to reap additional energy savings.

 2 - Energy Audit

An Energy Audit provides a comprehensive assessment of the overall efficiency of your home, as well as pinpoints the exact areas where energy loss occurs.  The auditor will create a customized, professional air sealing and insulation strategy to increase your home’s efficiency, decrease heating and cooling costs, and maximize your return on investment.  Some DIY measures, such as caulking or weather stripping, will also keep energy dollars from flying out the windows.  In addition, because it is a relatively inexpensive home improvement, the ROI is high since utility bills are often immediately and significantly reduced.  

3 - Air Sealing and Insulation
Once the energy audit is complete, you can prioritize those areas that will have the highest impact from professional air sealing and insulation.  Investing in air sealing and insulation will be a little more costly than a bit of weather stripping, but according to the EPA, this improvement reduces annual heating and cooling costs by an average of 20 percent.  Tackling this project will save you money year round by reducing the heat demand in the winter and decreasing air conditioning expenses in the summer.  These energy and cost savings will keep your New Year’s resolution right on track.

4 - Replacement Windows, Entry Doors and/or Garage Doors
It’s now time to get serious with your New Year’s resolution with replacement windows and doors.  As much as 10 to 25 percent of your central heat is can be lost through old, leaky windows and doors.  There are several measures you can take to help prevent this energy loss.  Caulking around the leaking areas is a best practice that can save you money in the very long term, but the results may not be enough to see a dramatic change in your energy bill and the comfort level of your home.   Replacing the old windows and doors with Energy Star rated replacements will not only save money immediately on energy bills, but according to the  Hanley Wood and Remodeling Magazine’s Cost vs. Value Report,the ROI for replacement windows and doors is between 71% and 78% at resale.

5 - New Siding
New siding gives curb appeal a big boost by making a fresh first impression. In addition, carefully selected siding can improve the energy efficiency of the home, resulting in a more beautiful, comfortable and cost effective household.  Advancements in technology and manufacturing have given homeowners several types of siding from which to choose.  Vinyl and foam backed siding should net up to 77.2% ROI, while the ROI of fiber cement siding could be as high as 89.7%.  HGTV ranks siding replacement as the #1 project to add value to a home.   

These 5 energy efficient home improvements will make your home more beautiful, efficient and comfortable - all while saving you money on energy bills.  Prioritizing based on project costs and ROI will keep this New Year’s resolution realistic.  To discuss which project makes the most sense for your home, contact the experts at Windows on Washington  today.  We offer an array of services that include: custom replacement windows, siding, roofing, entry and garage door replacement, energy audits, air sealing and insulation.