 | Home Fast Facts |  | | • Built in 1982 • 1,087 square foot ranch-style home • Cement slab with an attic • 3 bedrooms, 1 bath • Six (6) occupants • Average monthly electric bill: $300 - $330   
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The Wise family of Rock Hill has always been conscious of their carbon footprint and has tried to upgrade their home as much as they could afford. Despite their efforts to save energy, it seemed like they were fighting a losing battle because their old, inefficient heat pump, leaky duct work and poor insulation made their home an energy hog.
How The House Was Helped
Heating and Air Conditioning• Comfort Systems Heating and Cooling of Rock Hill replaced the home’s original 1982 two-ton, 6 SEER (seasonal energy efficiency rating—think gas mileage for heat pumps!) air source heat pump with a Lennox two-ton XP14 heat pump with a CBX27 air handler which gives the system a certified ARI rating of 15 SEER. • The old manual thermostat was replaced with a programmable, touch-screen thermostat.
Ducts• Leaky ductwork in the attic was torn out and replaced with a specially designed new air-balanced system. • The new system includes metal duct trunk lines, mastic sealed and wrapped with R8 insulation, and all supply lines made of R8 flexible duct with movable louvered grills.
Sealing and Insulation• Apple Blossom Insulators conducted a comprehensive energy analysis of the home, and they caulked and sealed to stop air leaks around plumbing, baseboards and other areas. • In the attic, Glenco Insulation addressed the home’s too-low R-13 level of blown cellulose attic insulation by installing an additional layer of blown fiberglass insulation to bring the level up to R-30, the current building code standard for new homes. • Also, Comfort Systems added an Attic Tent, a product that seals the attic’s drop down stairwell and prevents cold or hot air from passing through the opening, and they installed a new dryer vent cap on the outside of the home.
The results are in, and the Wise family is enjoying significant savings on their monthly energy bills. Their bill for December: $180. Their bill for the same time last year: $258. That’s a savings of $78.
Those initial monthly savings — and a 29 percent reduction in the home’s energy use versus the December 2008 bill — resulted from a more than $10,000 home energy efficiency makeover provided by York Electric and partner co-op Lynches River Electric in Pageland.
"It’s been a great experience for us, and we’ve learned a lot about the home," said Janet Wise. "York Electric said we’d see a drop in our power bill, and they were right."
Investment• New heat pump system with ductwork, thermostat, attic tent, and more.............................................................. | $ | 12,545 | • Sealing and comprehensive energy analysis.............................................................. | $ | 1,250 | • Electrical............................................................................................................................ | $ | 927 | • Attic insulation to R-30............................................................................................................................ | $ | 520 | Total estimated value of weatherization efforts in this home.............................................................. | $ | 15,252 |
NOTE: The value of the work on this home exceeded the $10,000 per-home cap set for Help My House! energy makeovers. Why? Because the statewide and local sponsors and installers who donated their time and materials on the project insisted on doing the job right. In their judgment, the additional effort and expense were necessary to weatherize this home to their high standards. |