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Many people want to live in a green, energy-efficient home but assume that the cost to do so is too high. Even though they realize that many energy-efficient items pay for themselves over time, the significant initial costs of some items keep some people from investing in energy-efficiency. 

Maybe not.

When there is a plan, some energy-efficient remodeling can pay its own way. For example, if you weatherize your home, you can save a certain percentage of your electricity and natural gas/propane utility bills. 

Let's say your costs related to air-conditioning and heat (not related to day-to-day living such as refrigerator, TV, computer, etc.) are $2500 per year. It costs you $700 to have a professional come in and completely weatherize your 2800 SF home (much cheaper if you do it yourself). 

Let's say that weatherization saves a conservative 11% of your air-conditioning and heating costs--could be more, could be less depending upon how well it was or was not weatherized (at least every 5 years) when you started. Since this should be done at least every 5 years and few new homes are completely weatherized, 11% is conservative--see How Much Can You Save here. .    

That is $275 a year or a 39% return on your investment. If that money is saved for another project, you are on the road to energy freedom.  To say nothing of being more comfortable along the way in your less drafty home. 

Or look at it another way,  in about 2.5 years, it pays for itself. Since you have another 2.5 years before it needs to be repeated, weatherization is self-sustaining.

But let's say you do it yourself for 40% of what a professional would charge. That is $280 cost and two full week-ends of your time. However, it saves you $275 a year for five years or $1375 in utility savings, again, assuming utility rates do not increase in the next five years. 

How Much Can You Really Save?

Weatherization will decrease our winter utility bills (energy use related to heating--not our base energy use) by an average of 31% according to the the U.S. Department of Energy, However, this is a nationwide figure taking into account the cold north which builds very tight homes so do not expect this in the south, even in the typical very drafty southern home. Maybe !5%-19% tops in southern homes for winter savings from weatherization. 

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