Oct 20, 2009 3:21 pm US/Eastern
Survive In '09: Lowering Utility Bills
PHILADELPHIA (CBS 3) ―
-
-
Did the recent dip in temperatures have you dreading when winter arrives?
Did the recent dip in temperatures have you dreading when winter arrives?
Your money team knows that heating your home in the winter and even cooling it in the summer, can take a big bite of your budget.
As we continue to help you to Survive in '09, 3 On Your Side's Jim Donovan takes a look at how some homeowners are looking to lower their utility bills with some help from the government.
In this case it's New Jersey, which is aggressively trying to reduce energy usage by residents in the state.
Dawn Gaghan's utility bills have been through the roof. Averaging $350 in the summer, up to $700 dollars in the winter!
The problem? Dawn lives in what best can be described as a leaky house.
"Most times air is bypassing the house, the living space and escaping in to the attic," said Fred Hutchinson with Hutchinson Plumbing, Heating and Cooling.
After conducting an energy audit of Dawns home, Hutchinson and his team are targeting some windows and several openings in the attic for attention.
"It's just foaming and caulking and stopping the air from moving from the house into the attic," said Hutchinson.
In New Jersey, homeowners can get assistance footing the bill for air sealing through the states Home Performance with Energy Star program.
"The state thinks it's so important they subsidize one thousand of that air sealant. Most houses you can air seal a home and make an impact on it for $1,200 to $1,500. So the state is paying the majority of this," said Hutchinson.
And the long term effect?
"I wouldn't be surprised if she saw a 10 to 12 percent drop in her heating bill," said Hutchinson.
That's goo news for Dawn.
"When it gets colder my bill won't be as high because the heat is staying inside and not getting out and the cold air is not getting in," said Gaghan.
In addition to offering up to $1,000 to help residents pay for air sealing, new jersey also helps foot part of the bill for energy audits too, they'll contribute $175 dollars towards the $300 dollar cost.
And some companies like Hutchinson, will waive the remaining cost altogether.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
Click to enlarge
Officer Involved In Fatal Port Richmond Shooting 34 mins ago 
Stumble It!
Reporting
Comments