By identifying and prioritizing your home’s worst efficiency problems and then fixing the problems that have the quickest payback, we can make you and your family a lot more comfortable while putting more money in your pocket every month if you finance the repairs. That is because the money you will save on energy bills will be more than your loan payments so you get to put the extra cash in your pocket. Imagine that you invest $6000 in repairs and as a result, your gas bill drops $1000 per year. That investment would have a simple payback of 6 years. If you pay for the repairs up front, you won’t be cash positive in the short term but your payback period will be shorter and once you have made your money back, your “efficiency dividends” will pay you $1000 cash every year (more if energy prices increase) for as long as you own your home. It’s like buying a 6 year bank CD, getting the principle back after 6 years and then still collecting interest on the CD forever (or until you sell your home at which time the new owner will realize the dividends, something you want to be sure to advertize at time of sale). And, by the way, your house will have increased in value, will be more durable, will have less dust and critters, and will be safer and healthier. If you decide to sell, research has shown that potential home buyers will pay $20,000 more for a home that has $1000 less utility costs per year than average. On top of all that, the federal government will pay 30%, or up to $1500 of the cost of materials used for qualified energy efficiency improvements made in 2009 and 2010 in the form of a tax credit. That’s what we call “The Ultimate Win/Win Proposition”.
“Wait a minute...you’re
going to put money in my pocket and make me more comfortable at the same
time? You’re kidding me, right? How does that work again?”
Fixing the worst wall, attic
and basement related thermal and infiltration problems (what we call “shell
work”) typically yields a 25% or better increase in your home’s
efficiency. While shell work is a lot less sexy than replacing windows,
doors, and furnaces (10% increase in efficiency typical), shell work is
a lot less expensive. That means you’ll get your money back on shell
repairs 2 to 3 times quicker than spending money on new windows, doors,
or a furnace while dramatically increasing comfort. Interesting enough,
you don’t want a house that is too tight and so having a little leakage
around doors and windows can end up being a good thing. But don’t expect
window, door and furnace salesmen to share that little fact with you. As
opposed to “box salesmen”, we think a big part of our job is to
maximize your profits in the investment you are making in your home. Spending
big advertizing bucks to sell you something you may or may not need is not
in our business plan. We’re different. We want to help you make the
most cost effective investments in your home and then we want you to tell
all your friends and family what a great job we did and how much money you
are saving so that they will want to hire us also. That means we are not
going to be satisfied until you are satisfied.
What we won't do:
We promise we will not try to sell you a window, a furnace or any other
"box of the week" special unless you truly need it. We won't tell
your house what it needs. We let your house tell us what it needs. We sell
comfort, increased building durability, and healthier homes. Take the time
to fix comfort and durability problems and you automatically create a more
efficient home that saves you money by using less energy. Your home will
also create less pollution and greenhouse gases. We want to help you save
money and be more comfortable while reducing your carbon foot print. That
is the difference between ESCS and everybody else.
How we do it:
We take the time to understand the complex relationships of equipment
and component systems unique to your home. Serious building flaws are sometimes
hidden and the causes of many problems are not easily identified using only
visual inspection. Therefore, we utilize a scientific, whole-house approach
to building testing and analysis using advanced testing equipment such as
blower doors and infrared to identify fundamental problems and then help
prioritize repairs. Our motto is "We don't guess, we test". If
you do need a roof, windows or other home components that have failed prematurely,
we identify the root cause of the problem so it won't happen again. That
means you won't be replacing that same roof again in the not-too-distant
future because the same conditions still exist that rotted out the original
roof. That means we can save you a lot of money. You only spend money on
repairs that are going to solve the problem, not on unnecessary products
sold by salesman wearing blinders. Once we know what is really causing the
problems, we can recommend subcontractors that we believe are leaders in
the weatherization & home performance fields. Or you can hire out the
work or do it yourself. We also feel that it is important to teach home
owners how their behaviors can have a substantial positive or negative effect
on building system performance. If you would like us to, we will teach you
how to get the most out of your house for the least amount of money. Many
times, this involves a change of habits on your part. Not to worry, the
changes are simple and the cost benefits are usually immediate and substantial.
The bottom line:
The results of properly implementing recommendations and repairs made
by ESCS are increased occupant safety and comfort, reduced energy costs,
increased building durability and value, and the reduction of indoor and
outdoor air pollution.
Contact us today to talk about your building issues!
"We
don't guess,
we test."
