No I did not get an official audit done..... but a mechanical contractor friend and I went through the house looking for issues.. I knew most of them already, old windows, leaky doors.
but I calculated that if I run my 40,000 BTU furnace constantly the gas bill can only max out at $198 a month. so if I half my energy bill in the coldest month I might save $100 and we only get 2 or 3 months that cold here so I would calculate a annual savings of $500 max per year for a reduction of 50% of usage. to get there though I figure I would have to replace all the windows and doors ($2500) and insulate the walls ($1500) and replace the siding to do the insulation ($1500). This might reduce the usage by more then 50% but the law of diminishing returns would say that 70% reduction is about all I can get. The payback of this major investment is a rather long time (7-10 years). the other issue is that I have to do it all at once so I would have to save up for a year or two to get that cash.... now I am 9-12 years out on payback. I have no idea if I will even live here that long.
how much should I invest into a 1953 home?
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