Home inspections could hold key to housing market recovery

The energy industry is always attempting to find ways to make homeowners more aware of ways in which they can generate savings in their monthly utility bills. Many current homeowners have been living a certain way for many decades and they may not even be aware that their actions could be unnecessarily boosting their energy consumption.

This explains why initiatives like the one we detailed yesterday – the drive-by energy assessment – could be invaluable in helping homeowners to better understand how their actions directly affect their monthly bills.

But, before improvements can be made, industry experts must first be aware of where gaps in homeowners' knowledge exist. With that in mind, nonprofit energy efficiency advocate SmartPower sponsored an Earth Day quiz that showed homeowners have many of the same problems when it comes to being aware of even the most basic tenets of home energy efficiency.

For example, when consumers were asked where houses lost the most energy – plumbing, windows and doors, ducts or ceilings, walls and floors – only 10 percent correctly said that the last item in the list is the largest drain on energy. Meanwhile, 70 percent of consumers answered that windows and doors are the biggest culprits.

The danger of this incorrect knowledge is that many homeowners may be ignoring walls, floors and ceilings when they try to make their homes more energy efficient. Ultimately, these resources could be wasted.

"This is alarming, as houses are an even larger source of carbon dioxide than cars – another commonly missed quiz question – making it extremely important that homeowners understand not only how much energy their homes are wasting, but also where they are wasting energy," SmartPower CEO Brian Keane told The Huffington Post.

Tri-State consumers who work with a D.C. energy inspector can gain the knowledge they need to make savvy home reforms, including improving their heating and insulation.

More homeowners would be likely to work toward home energy efficiency if only they knew where to get started. A Massachusetts company may help them do just that, as some consumers will soon be able to see – as clear as day – which parts of their home could use immediate attention.

The new company, known as Essess, has sent out a cadre of five vehicles that have been cruising around the country taking pictures of homes using advanced thermal cameras. As the process continues, homeowners will be able to see – in picture form – specific areas of the home that are least efficient.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimated in 2009 that the average American home devotes at least a quarter of its annual energy expenditures toward heating and cooling their homes. The average cost is about $600 annually, but with energy costs rising and some parts of the country experiencing particularly extreme temperatures, these costs could be even higher in isolated areas. This explains why programs like Essess' could be so valuable.

"The challenge is to do something about it," energy consultant Rob Bell told CNN. "With gas and electricity prices only looking like they are going in one direction, the amount you can save is also upwards as well. The headline figures around how much you can save could be the catalyst to get you from being aware to doing something about it."

Until initiatives like this become more widespread, homeowners will be on their own when it comes to assessing their home energy consumption. That is, unless they work with a Washington, D.C. home inspector who is capable of helping them analyze information about their homes that could otherwise seem foreign to them. This energy professional will be able to conduct an energy audit and then sit down with a homeowner to go over the results and begin to formulate a plan to cut utility bills.

As with any purchase, homeowners who are considering energy upgrades to their home must always conduct a thorough cost-benefit analysis before coming to a final purchasing decision. Some home energy efficiency products are cheaper than others and some provide much more bang for a homeowner's buck. That being said, not all improvements are wise for all homeowners, given different weather patterns throughout the country.

Geothermal temperature moderation systems could be one of these upgrades, which one homeowner in Virginia was fortunate to find out before she installed such a device. Arlington homeowner Mary McCutcheon has been chronicling her home demolition project for The Washington Post and her newest entry into the series included a discussion on how she plans to make the teardown, and subsequent rebuild, as energy-efficient as possible.

She had wanted install a geothermal system in her new home, but was dissuaded by a home energy expert after he told her it could cost up to $70,000 to install the elaborate underground network of pipes and tubes. He also warned McCutcheon that new homes, which are typically much more airtight than existing homes, can experience moisture problems related to geothermal systems.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, geothermal pumps are used by homeowners to moderate the temperature of their homes by taking advantage of the relatively stable temperature just below the earth's surface, which rarely strays far from the 45 to 75 degrees Fahrenheit range. On the hottest summer days, the ground will remain cool, while the opposite is true during the winter months.

Homeowners like McCutcheon are generally attracted to these systems because of the nearly nonexistent costs of maintaining a comfortable home living environment, especially relative to the costs of even the most energy-efficient heating and insulation. Cheaper and more efficient energy upgrades may be available to homeowners in the Tri-State area, but they should first discuss their options with a Washington, D.C. home inspector.

All across the world, people celebrated Earth Day this weekend, as countless events promoting awareness about the environment were held. But, it's possible that many individuals either tuned out the day's events or are no longer as interested as they once were in the movement toward home energy efficiency, assuming a new poll is correct.

The newest Harris Poll regarding Americans' attitudes toward the environment, which has been conducted since 2009, shows a drop in the feelings of many respondents. Americans are about 3 percent less likely to buy food in bulk, reuse old items, use less water and purchase organic products. The survey does not mention homeowners' attitudes toward home energy efficiency, specifically renovations designed to lower a property's energy use.

Although researchers did not speculate as to the reasons consumers have turned away from energy efficiency, it is possible that worldwide economic turmoil has caused many to use their money for more immediate concerns, since many of the benefits of energy efficiency are more long-term in nature. Still, if more individuals knew that some ways of cutting their energy bills – such as purchasing CFL bulbs – were actually quite cheap, they may be more willing to do so. The money saved could be well worth it.

Another reason Americans may be turning against the energy efficiency movement could involve a perceived high degree of difficulty in making energy-efficient homes. Green energy improvements could appear challenging if homeowners are unfamiliar with the best strategies for cutting their energy bills. But, by working with a certified D.C. home inspector who can conduct an energy audit, homeowners can be assisted throughout the process and have no difficulties improving their properties.

Would you ever recycle used plastic bags, refuse to purchase products based on how they were made or go dumpster diving to avoid purchasing brand-new clothes? These practices, considered by some to be commendable tenants of green living, may be frowned upon by many Americans.

In the last several years, a wave of green living practices has swept across the country, allowing homeowners to simultaneously slash their energy bills and help save the environment. From using CFL bulbs to more extreme reforms like installing bamboo floors or purchasing $20 LED bulbs, most homeowners have embraced some degree of energy efficiency. But, at what point do green practices cross the line into making life more difficult?

A new survey by CouponCabin.com determined that nearly three-quarters of consumers considered reducing showers to save water and searching in dumpsters for reusable products to be excessive green practices, while about half of respondents frowned upon reducing their laundry practices to save energy and reusing plastic bags. In total, 64 percent said that it is possible to be "too green." Still, long-term savings can result from some reforms.

"The payoff from implementing green methods at home can be tough to measure, but is often a win-win," CouponCabin president Jackie Warrick said in a press release. "Not only are the savings a great benefit, but you're also helping to conserve resources and be friendlier to our planet."

While many of the green actions most respondents cited were related to lifestyle changes, half of respondents said they used CFL light bulbs and about a quarter used a water purifier. Homeowners in the Tri-State area can contact a D.C. home inspector if they want advice on how to make changes to their home that will help reduce their energy bills.

Other than the home itself, few household items are designed to last several decades, especially in today's society, where many products are not nearly as durable as their predecessors from generations before. Philips is hoping to buck that trend with this week's release of its new LED bulbs, which the company claims can last up to 20 years.

Last year, Philips won the U.S. Department of Energy's L Prize for its incredibly efficient LED bulb, which uses about 10 watts of power – a stark difference from the 60 watts used by standard incandescent bulbs. The bulb's efficiency, coupled with the bright colors it emits, have caused it to be priced at around $50.

As this blog reported last month, consumers initially scoffed at the idea of paying that much for a light bulb, after they have spent less than one dollar on incandescent bulbs for most of their lives.

But despite the hefty price tag, the Philips bulb is expected to last 30 times longer than incandescent bulbs and three times longer than CFL bulbs. Still, consumers who are eligible for rebates could pay as little as $22 for the bulb.

"Rather than go out and buy a truckload of them now, I'd wait and see if prices drop a little, especially as we approach the 2014 ban on incandescent bulbs over 40 watts," MSNBC contributor Wilson Rothman said.

Until 2014, consumers may want to use energy-efficient CFL bulbs, which cost as little as $5 and help promote home energy efficiency. Homeowners can also reduce their energy bills by working with a D.C. home inspector who can identify ways to increase efficiency through a home inspection.