Home Energy Check-Ups Could Help Keep Cost Down
CBS6 WTVR Richmond Reports Findings
RICHMOND, Va. — Over the past few months, numerous Dominion Virginia Power customers contacted the CBS 6 newsroom about their power bills. The customers complained their bills were higher than typical, sometimes by hundreds of dollars.
Officials with Dominion said record cold temperatures this winter led to record high energy usage in our area; and thus, higher than average bills.
Kia McKensey, who lives in North Richmond, said her electric bill went up by hundreds of dollars this November and continued throughout the winter. Her kilowatt usage spiked as well.
She allowed our crews, Dominion representatives, and experts at Bradley Mechanical to examine her home and calculate its energy efficiency.
After depressurizing the house’s envelope, or exterior structure, crews used infrared camera and specialized air duct “infiltrometers” to examine how much air her home is leaking.
Crews determined the house is losing 50% of its air conditioning capacity and 47% of its heat pump capacity through air ducts. Other tests determined the envelope is leaking at a rate almost three times higher than recommended.
POSTED 6:58 PM, APRIL 2, 2015, BY JAKE BURNS, UPDATED AT 03:35AM, APRIL 3,
http://wtvr.com/2015/04/02/leaking-home-could-cost-you-big-bucks/
