Madison Energy House Parties Show Ways to Make Your Home More Comfortable

Since Green Madison started organizing energy house parties this past October, 125 people have attended 19 energy house parties throughout the city of Madison.  And many more house parties are scheduled through the rest of the winter and early spring.

Check out this two minute video  to see what happens during an energy house party and consider hosting one yourself.

People at these parties wanted to know why some rooms in their homes are cold and drafty and others are not. Or why they have mold by their windows. Or what they can do to lower their energy costs. Those that attended these house parties were able to sign up for $99 energy audits to get answers to some of these questions,. The house parties and audits provide a clear road map of what is going on in their homes in terms of energy loss.

One person learned a lot while walking around with the energy analyst during the audit.  He was particularly surprised by what they discovered in his basement.  When the company that installed a high efficiency boiler last year, and removed the old one, they left open an 8″ x 12″ vent that led directly to the outside.  Thanks to the audit, this homeowner realized, “we basically had two open windows in our basement for a long time, sucking in cold air.”

Another homeowner learned how to fix a significant comfort issue in her house. Her five year old son’s bedroom and the playroom do not get any heat. She talked with the energy analyst about the insulation work that would improve the heating of these rooms.  But she also learned about an immediate fix she could make until that insulation could be installed: she drilled a hole through the vent in the guest room, and then cut a hole into the playroom so the guest room can help warm the playroom. She no longer needed to use a space heater in the playroom.