News and Tips

  • Press Release: Leaky House? St. Louis County Offering Low-Interest Loan Program to Help Residents with Energy Effficiency Upgrades

    St. Louis County SAVES Low-Interest Loans Program for St. Louis County Residents

    http://clayton-richmondheights.patch.com/articles/leaky-house-county-offering-low-interest-loan-program-to-help

    Share

  • Self-Diagnosis is Expensive!!!

    As homeowners, most of us have a tendency to self-diagnose our home’s ailments.

    We will likely GUESS the cause, and then call the contractor that can sell us the solution to our problem.

    For example, if a house has a room that won’t heat properly in the winter, a homeowner will likely call either an HVAC company, an insulation company or a window company.

    Any of those solutions might make a difference. But no one of them is likely to address the whole problem.

    The fact is that most home comfort or energy efficiency issues have multiple causes and require multiple solutions.

    The good news is that the solutions tend not to be as big or as expensive as a salesman might suggest.

    The prize that results from an energy audit is having good, solid, objective and scientifically reliable information from which to make decisions.

    Homeowners that have energy audits tend to spend less money improving their homes than people who self-diagnose.

    The information you receive from an audit allows you to make smart decisions that maximize performance and minimize costs.

    Share

  • Beware of Phantom Power!!!

    Phantom power occurs when an electrical device is consuming energy, but the item is not actually being used and this can account for 10% of your energy use.  For example, leaving a cell phone charger plugged into the outlet without the phone attached to the charger. The phone isn’t being charged, but the power cord is still drawing power, which is a waste of money and resources.  Another thing to look for, if you see a light on a device after it’s been turned off, then that device is still drawing power. Unplug it if you don’t use it!

    Share

  • New Home Energy Audit White Paper Available

    Home Green Home has just published a new 12 page white paper that provides a large variety of inforrmation that will be of interest to anyone considering a home energy audit.

    In addition to information about Home Green Home, the paper discusses why people chose to order an energy audit, what the process involves and provides an overview of what the recommendations may be.

    Normally provided to our customers after they order an audit, this paper is also a great way  to understand the benefits and mechanics of the process.

    Want to receive a copy?  Just go to http://www.box.net/shared/y2zo80pzda and you can download a copy.

    Need to know more, just email me at marc@homegreenhome.us .

    Marc Bluestone

    Share

  • Home Green Home gets “Blogged” at Earth Day

    At the recent earth day festival, we were asked to give a quick talk about “Home Green Home” for the “Dangerous Intersection” blog.

    Here’s the result…

    is gratifying for all of us at Home Green Home that more & more people are recognizing the HUGE energy efficiency gains that can be made in most homes.

    Marc

    Share

  • Home Green Home Energy Audit Featured On Channel 4 News

    For the second time this week, Home Green Home has been featured on the television news.

    In this installment, KMOV reporter Kristen Cornett talked with Home Green Home's Marc Bluestone about a home we improved in Webster Groves.

    For this house, the owner complained of high energy bills and was most concerned about an added-on master bedroom that got cold in winter, hot in the summer and had a very cold floor in winter.

    Home Green Home performed an energy audit.  We found significant air leaks and insulation installed so poorly as to make it 100% ineffective.  We then made the improvements that were needed to solve the homeowners concerns. Improvements centered around air sealing, insulation, caulking and the addition of insulation and a vapor barrier to the crawlspace beneath the add-on room.

    See the telelvsion footage by clicking here…

    We're happy to say that the bedroom now maintains the correct temperature and the floor is warm in winter.  Improvements in energy efficiency should pay for the whole job in 4-5 years.

    Share

  • Home Green Home Featured on Television News

    When KMOV channel 4 needed an expert to discuss energy efficiency tax credits, they reached out to Marc Bluestone of Home Green Home.

    You can see the video by clicking here…

    For more information on federal tax credits and state tax deductions, visit www.dsireusa.org or contact Home Green Home at 314-644-1570. 

    Share

  • St. Louis Realtors Association Features Home Green Home

    When the St. Louis Association of Realtors launched a new initiative to educate realtors on energy efficiency who did they turn to?

    That's right… HOME GREEN HOME!

    In addition to providing technical advice and direction, our President, Marc Bluestone, recently delivered a keynote address to an assembled group of nearly 200 realtors including the President and the CEO of the association.

    We are also happy to be featured in a new video available to realtors and customers alike at the association's new "green" website.

    Click here to see the video.

    Share

  • What Does Your Roof Look Like?

    Of all the tools Home Green Home uses to perform an energy audit, one of the most useful is the thermal imaging camera.  By allowing us to see heat and temperature variations, the camera can help us to identify opportunities for reducing energy loss in a house.

    Today, on this very cold and wintry day, nature is giving us the benefit of a thermal camera without the expense.

    IMG_3779 If you look at your roof, you will quickly and easily be able to tell whether it is covered with snow or not.

    A roof that is covered with snow like the one to the right (click on the photo to make it larger)tells you that there is a good chance that the air sealing and insulation systems installed in the attic are functioning well.

    For most houses, the attic should be the same temperature as outside.  If that is true, then the roof will be freezing inside and outside and the snow will remain frozen for a long time.

    IMG_3784 Or, does your roof look more like this one?

    This roof is telling us that warm air from the house may be leaking into the attic. When the roof is warmed from below, the snow will melt or slide off more quickly.

    Warm air leaking into an attic is a sign that you are wasting energy. Every cubic foot of warm air that leaks out is replaced by a cubic foot of cold air that leaks in. That cold air must then be heated, costing money and energy.

    If your roof is melting in either a generalized or patchy way and your neighbors are not, there is a good chance that your house is leaking energy. If your roof is nicely frozen, you may still be leaking in other places.

    Marc Bluestone

    Share

  • Now more than ever… ENERGY AUDITS make sense!

    Today's big news is that AmerenUE, St. Louis's electric company has been approved for a rate increase.

    In addtion, they have been approved to levy fuel surcharges related to increased costs for natural gas and coal.

    You can read more about these increases at the St. Louis Post website by clcking here.

    Now, more than ever, it makes sense to order an energy audit of your home as a first step toward finding ways of saving electric, gas and water.

    While the price of utilities may be going up, it is relatively easy and painless to implement changes that reduce your home's usage and have a positive impact on your bills.  Energy audits identify these opportunities and represent a road map for achieving a benefit.

    To find out more about energy audits, give us a call at 314-644-1570 or send us an email.

    Marc Bluestone

    Share
« Previous Entries