In 2012, we moved into a wonderful, if a bit drafty, house built in the 1950's. In 2014, we got a free home energy audit (subsidized by the state energy authority). The initial estimate of work they wanted to do was way out of our price range, so we negotiated with the weatherization contractor. We qualified for a program where the state would pay half the cost of upgrades up to $10,000. (I made our $5k, which we didn't have, an absolute cap for the contractor, and asked what we could DIY from his recommendation). We took a loan for our half, which just about killed me - I hated to do it.
They blew in 18" of cellulose insulation into our attic, sealed gaps with expanding foam, and tacked foil-backed foam board to our coldest basement walls. We insulated under the eaves ourselves, and used canned expanding foam to seal them up.
We haven't refilled our fuel oil tank since then. The work finished in early 2015, and a month later the fuel oil delivery company knocked on our door. "Just call us when you need a refill. We won't come automatically anymore." We haven't filled the tank since. We use 4 space heaters in the winter and 1 small AC in the summer. I brought a space heater camping (in a cabin. Glamping, I guess) and it didn't warm the cabin up at all! ( Edit - in comparison with our toasty house, which we keep at 68.) We used to spend $800-$1000 twice a winter on fuel oil. (Edit- usually right around Christmas time, too.)
There are still some things to be corrected. I'm considering going from 18" insulation to 30". There was a cold spot I noticed during the home energy audit. The guy had a cool thermal camera and walked around seeing all the cold spots and drafts. During the recent cold snap I decided to investigate that cold spot and found an uninsulated space above our garage door. Less than $100 at home Depot, and the cold spot is gone.
I'm so sold on insulating and sealing drafts. Our house is less expensive to live in, and more comfortable.
January 22, 2019 at 10:00PM
