This winter has been rough. We blew through a couple tanks of oil even despite keeping our home on a strict heating plan. We bulked up on blankets, invested in some curtains, layered up, but still couldn't keep the house above 60 degrees for longer than 15 minutes before our noses would start running. Even the dogs cuddled up close for warmth. We finally decided to reach out to Efficiency Maine and see what our options were for upgrading our home.
After looking through the list of local vendors in our area, Jacob called Evergreen Home Performance and set up our free consultation. Cree came to our house and showed us where we were losing heat: everywhere. None of the walls had insulation, the basement duct work was operating at a pretty low efficiency, and our attic was an embarrassment. After presenting us with our report, Cree proposed the "hat and socks" treatment: they would come in and use cellulose insulation in the attic and blow in insulation in the basement. As a bonus, he would throw in a fan in the bathroom for ventilation! It sounded great, but paying for it was a major concern.
Once we were given the scope of work, we were put back in touch with Efficiency Maine to discuss financing. Since we had only owned the house for eight months, we had very little equity. They could only give us a small loan with a median interest rate that equaled out to about $80/month payment over the next decade. The work proposed to reduce energy consumption by 25% and would be well worth the investment. It would be possible to apply for rebates on the work as well. We agreed to move forward and Cree put together a team on our behalf.
The work begins March 17.
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