Chic vs. Geek: Are you ready for a Deep Energy Retrofit?

With Earth Day approaching, you might consider doing a Deep Energy Retrofit (DER) of your home to improve efficiency. But it doesn’t come cheap!

CHIC (PEARL)

When you’re looking into a DER, the best place to start is with a Home Energy Rating System (HERS) audit. That’s when a professional energy auditor visits your house to test for air leaks and run other tests to determine your home’s energy efficiency. Based on that report, you can target the most wasteful features of your house for upgrades and get the most bang for your buck.

GEEK (KEVIN)

Doing a DER on a budget can help inspire you to think outside the box and get a little creative. There are tons of tax incentives and government programs to assist with financing the project, and a little research and extra leg work can point you to contractors who make energy efficiency pencil out as part of their mission to protect our environment and build a more sustainable world.

Chic vs. Geek: Have you read your PG&E bill lately?

You might be surprised to learn how much you’re spending on energy compared to similar homes, but it only takes a little to save a lot.

CHIC (PEARL)

Earth Day always seems to sneak up on us, and this year, it made me think about how much more energy Kevin and I use compared to other homeowners — even after taking steps to reduce our consumption. Over the 12 months of working from home during the pandemic, we managed to cut our monthly PG&E bill in half, from over $400 to around $200. But we are still using 4% more energy use than a similar sized home!

GEEK (KEVIN)

The good news is that from our conscious efforts over the past few months, we’re saving money — and the environment. We avoid doing laundry during peak demand hours (4-9pm). We remember to turn off the lights in a room when it’s not in use. And we crack windows to cool down the house as opposed to blasting the air conditioner. Need more ideas for energy efficiency? Have a look at these tips from PG&E.