We've pursued and invested in a number of ways aimed at decreasing our carbon footprint. Not long after we moved in about 15 years ago, we had a home window and energy inspection. Our windows were deemed very good, our attic insulation was poor, so we put that near the front of the list of improvements. We immediately got a programmable thermostat, lower-flow shower heads, and converted our bulbs to LED. We joined the Xcel Savers Switch program (remote AC cycling).We also joined the Xcel Windsource program years ago, so we've been paying a slight surcharge that goes towards investing in wind energy projects (we got some of this surcharge refunded in the last two years as Xcel collected more than they needed) so all of our purchased electricity comes from wind. We've both been driving hybrid vehicles for a number of years- I typically achieve MPG in the 40s. We hope the next cars we buy will be electric.
We've also tried to be intentional about upgrading and improving efficiency:
New and more efficient gas fireplace installed 2007
Additional insulation blown into the attic in 2008
New Samsung HE washer and dryer 2010
Kitchen remodel 2011, more efficient dishwasher and fridge
In 2017, we installed solar panels on our roof
In 2019 we replaced all four toilets to lower flow models
We had motion-activated exterior lights installed outside early on so we wouldn't need to keep the lights on, and also replaced the fixtures of our six exterior lights so they would accept LED bulbs in 2021
HVAC
In Dec 2020, we had both a new HE Carrier furnace and AC installed by Bloomington Heating (furnace model 59TP6B, 96.2% efficient and AC model 24ACC6 16.0SEER/13.0EER). The installed cost for both was $9,970, and we qualified for a $400 rebate from Centerpoint and $550 in rebates from Xcel so a final cost of $9,020. Compared to our old system, we noted lower gas bills in the first winter on the furnace, but we REALLY noticed a difference in cost and performance during the summer. The new AC does a great job of keeping the air dryer, in addition to cool, which increased the comfort, and also means we no longer needed to run the dehumidifier in the basement (another energy savings). The new AC is also so much quieter, which is a really pleasant change.
We've had a programmable thermostat for a number of years, and in the winter we set the day temp to 68 and the night temp to about 60. When I'm working from home near the window this can feel cool, so I wear layers. We regularly adjust the temp when we will be away from home for more than a day or two.
Water heater
Our water heater was 18 years old, and starting to be spotty, so we knew it was time to replace it. This triggered several weeks of research. I'd learned about electric hybrid heat pump water heaters, and it sounded like a great idea. Unfortunately, it would involve an electrician running a high voltage line (and punching a hole in the wall to do it) from our electric panel to the utility room, and the total cost for a Rheem PROPH50-T2-RH375-30 was estimated at $4380 (including $700 for the electrical). As I looked into the performance on the model, I learned that newer models were having a real issue with being significantly outside of spec (50 db) for noise level (given a new supplier on key parts like the blower) and that many buyers were very very unhappy. If we lived in the South and the water heater was in the garage, it wouldn't matter, but since this was just adjacent to a living area, it was back to the drawing board. I started to explore higher efficiency gas models. The pickings were a bit slimmer, but I optimized as much as I could, choosing a Rheem PRO+G40-40N RH62 with an energy factor of .66, for the much lower price of $1895 installed (including an extra anode rod to extend life), which was installed Dec 2021.
Induction Range
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| New All Clad, on the old range |
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