[jeff5may]

Ok, so I have a question considering a different, more common situation. I Know that many veteran ecorenovators have been there and done this, but lots of others have not. I see this a lot more than I should when working on peoples' homes.

Consider a younger, less mechanically knowledgeable citizen who has just purchased a "pre-owned" suburban or urban home. The layout is what they were looking for, within their budget, and passed inspection. It is a "postage stamp" property of less than 1/3 acre in an established neighborhood. The home is in a decent location relative to the owner's lifestyle. It's "where they want to be" for this phase of life.

After moving in and receiving some utility bills, new homeowner realizes the house is not as energy efficient as it could be. They call the local utility company and schedule an energy audit to find out where their home is on the energy-efficiency scale. What they find is confusing as heck to them.

It is found during the audit that the home is "not too shabby for the neighborhood". The envelope has been sealed up to "acceptable" levels and has been insulated to "above average" value. Not quite energy star, but better than most "affordable" site-built homes are being constructed today in the region. In these sections, the home gets a "B" from the utility.

The heating and cooling system doesn't fare so well in the audit. The 80+ year old ductwork was not replaced when the HVAC system was upgraded from a fuel oil or coal burning furnace/boiler in the early 80's. As usual, the upgraded unit was upsized to push enough airflow for the ancient ductwork. From the whistling registers and vents, it is obvious that the air is just flying through the system. The ducts have been gobbed up with mastic to seal up the leaks, but not insulated. Between the high pressure drop and the exposed ductwork, the auditor estimates that duct losses are 40% or more. The HVAC gets a "D".

During the conclusion of the audit, the homeowner sits down at the kitchen table and is given what seems to be a really expensive sales pitch. The auditor recommends to just gut the whole HVAC system and put in something new. A quick tour of the new systems on the market is given, with "good, better, best" systems of increasing estimated cost, naming major components but not much detail. A "top ten" list of local contractors is left with the report, and the auditor makes a hasty exit.

Now that the homeowner has been given all this information, they figure out they can't afford to do it all at once without experiencing financial hardship. The existing system still works properly, but there is much to be gained as far as energy efficiency. Assume a 10 SEER, 2 1/2 ton AC unit and a 50kbtu, 70% natural gas furnace.

What would you guys recommend as a starting point, assuming the homeowner can swing a couple thousand dollars or so today if it will reduce their utility bill?