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June 24, 2015

Study: home efficiency upgrades don't pay off

  • One study of 30,000 low-income households found that energy bills didn't decline enough to pay for the upgrades.
    • By JONATHAN FAHEY
    AP Energy Writer

    NEW YORK — Home efficiency measures such as installing new windows or replacing insulation deliver such a small fraction of their promised energy savings that they may not save any money over the long run, according to the surprising conclusion of a University of Chicago study.

    The study, which used data from a random sample of 30,000 low-income Michigan households that were eligible for an Energy Department home weatherization program, found that the projected energy savings were 2.5 times greater than actual savings. As a result, energy bills didn't decline nearly enough to eventually pay for the initial cost of the upgrades.


     
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