With every passing year, more and more homeowners are becoming conscientious of how their home and habits use or abuse energy. Whether wanting to reduce their carbon footprint to help fight climate change, or simply making their home more energy-efficient to reduce monthly utility bills, Flagstaff locals are looking for information on where to start. I was no exception, as my family wanted to determine how and what we could do to both reduce our carbon footprint, and decrease our monthly utility costs. After doing a bit of research, I found that CozyHome was a great place to start!
After contacting CozyHome, we scheduled an energy audit of our home, to determine where and how we could improve our energy efficiency. Michael at CozyHome was out to our home promptly to conduct a complete energy audit. This included a number of tests to determine where our home was “leaking” energy, how efficient our HVAC system was performing, how well our home was insulated, and a variety of other tests.
When all was said and done, we received a fantastic comprehensive report that showed where we could make improvements in our energy efficiency, what the cost would be, and what type of savings on utility costs we could expect after completing them. Needless to say, we had lots of areas that needed improvement!
Based on the finding of their studies, CozyHome was able to then come back and correct the issues they had found. In our case, this included adding insulation, improving the HVAC performance, and sealing up gaps that were greatly depleting the efficiency of our homes entire HVAC system. The work was completed quickly and professionally, and we’ve already noticed improvements in how the AC is running!
We were so impressed with our experience, I wanted to reach out to the owner of CozyHome, Eli Chamberlain, and find out more about their company. Eli was gracious enough to answer a few interview questions below!
Can you tell us a little bit about CozyHome? How long you’ve been in business, etc.?
I started CozyHome in 2012 after working in the construction and energy efficiency fields for 20+ years. Over the years I noticed a big need to make older homes more energy efficient. While there is a great need to improve the way we build new homes, the potential energy savings for all of the older, inefficient homes is incredible. We have significantly improved over 600 homes in Flagstaff which has the equivalent of making 100 homes “net-zero energy”. It would be hard to build 100 net-zero energy homes, and the resources used to build those homes would be tremendous. Climate change has been a driving force behind everything we do at CozyHome, and I feel good about the impact we are making.
What services do you provide?
We perform comprehensive home energy assessments including diagnostic testing for air leakage and duct leakage. After we perform the assessment we can make energy improvements on the home such as adding insulation, sealing duct leaks and sealing air leaks.
What is the most common cause you see for energy inefficiency?
Probably the most common issue we run into is under-insulated houses. Most houses built before 2000 have less than 6 inches of attic insulation and current code is around 16 inches. It’s also very important that insulation is properly installed. We come across many homes that have sufficient insulation but it is installed incorrectly so it’s not really doing its job. We also find leaky duct systems quite frequently.
What are some easy fixes that could have a quick impact on improving a homes energy efficiency?
If you don’t already have one, installing a programable or smart thermostat can save you lots of money on your heating and cooling costs. Also changing furnace filters regularly can really help keep energy costs down.
What is the largest energy use improvement that you have been able to obtain in a home you’ve served?
We have had previous customers report to us that their energy usage has dropped in half or more. Most customers save between 15 and 30 percent.
Some homeowners have the perception of energy improvements being too expensive. Can you tell us a bit about inexpensive ways you help improve a homes efficiency?
You can spend a lot of money by upgrading your homes energy efficiency, but we really try and focus on what is going to give you the best return on investment. There is little sense in spending $15,000 on new windows when you can save the same amount of energy by insulating your attic for 1/10th the cost. For every house we work on, we use an energy modeling computer program which shows us what is going to give you the best ROI. Usually duct sealing, attic insulation and air sealing are the most cost-effective improvements you can make to your home. There are also generous rebates available through APS and the city of Flagstaff to help pay for the improvements.
What types of technologies and products do you see as having a significant impact in energy efficiency in the future?
Improvements in heating technologies such as mini-split heat pumps are making electric heating less expensive than natural gas heating. This is exciting because when you couple that with solar, you can heat your home with 100% renewable energy, greatly reducing carbon emissions and reliance on fossil fuel.
If you’d like more information on how you can improve your home’s energy-efficiency, contact CozyHome!
With more and more homebuyers interested in finding homes that are energy efficient, having a home audit and energy improvements can ultimately make your home more marketable as well! According to the National Association of Realtors® 2018 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers, 84% of home buyers considered heating and cooling costs at least “somewhat important,” with 33% considering it “very important.” Additionally, the newer the home, the more important heating and cooling costs were to home buyers. For instance, of homebuyers of new homes built in 2018, 47% considered the heating and cooling costs to be a very important feature!
Homebuyers also considered other environmentally friendly features “very important.” 29% considered efficiency windows/doors/insulation as “very important,” as well as 21% considering energy efficient appliances “very important” as well!
This trend should continue, so improving the energy efficiency of your home may be great for your home as a long-term investment as well!
According to CozyHome, one of the easiest and most cost-effective updates you can do to improve your home’s energy efficiency is to install programmable or “smart” thermostats. There are many options to choose from and several brands to shop with. Ecobee, Nest, Honeywell, and Lux are just a few brands that homebuyers can compare and contrast to determine the right fit for their home. With features like geofencing and easy phone app integration, these are a great way to keep things running efficiently! Many can even work with your existing Alexa or Google command devices! Prices range from about $80-$300+, but are well worth the investment!
Another easy fix that CozyHome recommends is keeping your furnace filter clean. While a very simple and inexpensive fix, it can also easily be overlooked! For convenience, you can even order the appropriate filter for your home on Amazon as a subscription so that it will show up at your doorstep automatically when it’s time to change!
The City of Flagstaff is also striving to become more energy efficient as a whole. From the City of Flagstaff website:
In 2010 the Flagstaff City Council passed resolution 2010-16 (PDF) promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy at City facilities. The resolution sets requirements based on the City’s electricity consumption. The City is required to meet:
- 15% of the City’s energy consumption by 2012 through renewable energy generation and/or purchasing
- 20% by 2015
- 35% by 2020 and;
- 50% by 2050
Also, for new home construction, in March of 2014 the Flagstaff City Council adopted a Resolution requiring all City-owned new construction and major renovation to achieve certification in one of the three sustainable building certification programs or high performance building code.
Coconino County is also actively involved in encouraging energy efficiency, and sustainable building as a whole! The Coconino County Sustainable Building Program offers fantastic resources on how to build or improve in an energy-efficient, sustainable way. You can find great info on the Coconino County Website to research ways you can improve your home as well!
With demand and awareness of the need for energy efficiency continuing to gain traction, making improvements to your home’s energy efficiency should be something every homeowner should be considering. In my experience with CozyHome, they are a great resource, and a great first step in making your home more environmentally friendly, and your utility bills easier on your wallet!
For more information, please contact CozyHome here, or of course, reach out to anyone on The Elite Team at RE/MAX Peak Properties!