BCGR - Family Makeover (Part 2)
By: Chris Whited, KRBC News
Updated: March 31, 2009
We recently introduced you to the Bloomquist family hoping to save money by going green. They wanted to reduce energy bills by making small changes around the house. We visited the family a month later to see if their makeover paid off.
The Bloomquist's wanted to reduce their carbon foot print. They also wanted to save money. They knew their old house was an energy waster.Scott Bloomquist told us that "previously on a windy day, you could see the curtains wafting sometimes from the breeze." That's why the Green Team was called in. In our last report you saw team members caulking and sealing. They did what they could to make the big house more energy efficient. The changes cost about $800.00
Danna Siepel, a Housing Energy Director with the Green Team told us "since we're starting with brisker weather now, they should see a savings within 4-5 months. So by the end of the season, they should probably recoup those costs." We didn't wait four or five months. One month later temperatures had fallen and leaves were dropping. The season wasn't the only thing that changed.
The Bloomquists started to see energy savings. In fact their electric usage was cut in half. Owner Laura Bloomquist noted that "[I] had checked it just a couple days ago and it was only like at 690-kilowatts that we had used when last month it was at 1245." In just a month the Bloomquist's have shaved $80.00from their utility bills. At that rate the improvements will pay for themselves in less than a year.
