If you’re looking to make energy efficiency improvements to your home but cost is a big factor, insulation and air sealing will provide the “biggest bang for the buck.” Not only does it make sense to start with insulation before you move on to bigger projects like heat pumps and solar, but the financial incentives offered by MassSave make weatherizing your home, i.e., insulating and air sealing, one of the more affordable actions to take.
Currently, MassSave will cover 75% of insulation work (or 100% for certain incomes) and 100% of air sealing. So what does this actually mean? Here’s a real world example from Green Newton’s Program Manager, Debra, who is having insulation installed with our partner HomeWorks Energy next month:
Debra started with the free energy assessment offered by HomeWorks, resulting in the above recommendations. Let’s break this down a bit:
- Debra’s attic was already well insulated, so no work is being done there.
- She is having insulation blown into the walls of her home where they found there wasn’t any existing insulation.
- She’s also having insulation blown into the ceiling of her garage and underneath a small room that has a crawl space under it.
- Lastly, her old attic ductwork is being sealed to prevent heat and air conditioner leaks.
- Any additional air sealing or weatherstripping will be done the day of the insulation project at no additional cost.
For almost $7,000 worth of work, Debra will pay only $1,500. MassSave sets the pricing of this work for all participating installers, so there is no need to shop for a better price, or worry about installers overcharging.
In addition to saving on the installation, homeowners can also expect lower heating and cooling bills in addition to feeling more comfortable in their homes. Weatherization is a win-win-win!
To learn more, make sure to tune in to Green Newton’s insulation webinar on Thursday, March 3 at 7pm.
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Need Financing for Energy Efficiency Improvements?
In addition to deep savings on weatherization, the Mass Save® HEAT Loan offers 0% financing for home energy efficiency upgrades – up to $25,000 for up to 7 years. HomeWorks can give you more information about these loans.
You can use the HEAT Loan for:
- Heating equipment & water heaters
- Heat pumps / ductless mini-splits
- Insulation upgrades
- Energy-efficient windows
- Removal of barriers like knob and tube wiring*
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