Weatherizing homes to cut heat waste makes all kinds of good sense — it lowers utility bills, makes homes more comfortable, creates building-industry jobs, saves energy, is both a floor wax and a dessert topping, etc.
Grist has sung the praises of building efficiency so often we’ve taken to recycling our old jokes (and they’re not even good ones). We’re usually looking at the big-picture questions of climate, economy, and jobs. For example, there’s nothing better Congress could do right now than pass a well-designed retrofit program like the Home Star bill, which would save 44 times the amount of energy that spilled into the Gulf of Mexico this summer.
Comfort matters more than pocketbook savings — for some homeowners. Langdon prefers to keep his house cool (60 degrees) but wants a good way to heat up only the living room when he and his wife host guests. That was his main reason for the review. Research on homeowner motivations by the Community Energy Challenge in Bellingham, Wash., found the same thing — financial savings aren’t the only selling point.
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