Obama's 'Cash for Caulkers' boosts energy efficiency

As President Obama boosts energy efficiency through Cash for Caulkers, home weatherization will receive rebates.

(Page 2 of 2)

Unfortunately, one needs to understand them to understand Robert Matto’s job at Sheep Dog Hollow as well as why I call him a walking, talking advertisement for home insulation. He’s not only done up his own home, but his job is helping other people do it right.

Alexandra Marks

Blogger

Alexandra writes about the "green" and budget-friendly renovation of a 100-year-old farmhouse in south-central Connecticut.

Recent posts

04.27.10
Green renovation: Lessons learned
04.23.10
Sheep Dog Hollow's green renovation is almost finished
04.21.10
How to determine if wind power is for you
04.15.10
Wind power in New England: Is it a good renovation option?
04.09.10
The spacemen cometh: How spray-in insulation creates a leak-free building

Related stories

So here’s his personal experience, which has made him a believer.:

His house was built in 1961 and is just over 2,000 square feet. The only insulation it had was some R-13 rated fiberglass batt insulation in the attic and some R-19 in an addition to the house

The first year he and his wife lived in the house, they burned 1,588 gallons of oil to heat the house. After five years of upgrades, which included an insulation overhaul, new windows, doors, a new roof, a new boiler, and “a whole lot of air-sealing,” his oil usage dropped down to between 425 to 475 gallons a year.

“Insulating my house was probably the biggest factor in saving money, but I did other stuff, too,” he says. “It took me about $18,200 in upgrades to do this, but my payback was in six years. I am still saving at least $2,000 to $3,000 a year in oil savings.”

The Cash for Caulkers program that Obama is touting today will cost about $6 billion dollars and make it possible for qualified homeowners to be eligible for up to $3,000 in instant rebates.

Matt Golden of the Home Star Coalition, which is lobbying hard to get Congress to pass Cash for Caulkers, says his group is also working with various state programs to make loans available to homeowners to help them pay for their upfront costs. [Editor's note: The original gave the wrong first name for Mr. Golden.]

While he, like Obama, touts the amazing green benefits and savings for individual homeowners, he, too, is pushing Cash for Caulkers primarily as a jobs bill. With 24 percent unemployment in the construction trades, Mr. Golden and the president both believe it's vital to get builders back on the job, and what better way than to retrofit and improve current homes?

Robert Matto, our HERS rater, also agrees, but he’s adamant that the program have proper oversight and standards… and not, he insists, just because it’s his job.

“It’s critical that the people administering it are certified – good oversight is the key,” he says. “There’s a lot of potential for people to get ripped off in this. If just anyone can do it, they could go into a house and say, ‘You need more insulation,’ when you really don’t because maybe they’re getting a kickback from an insulation company. ”

But he’s also adamant that a Cash for Caulkers program – properly insulated against fraud and abuse - is vital.

“Of the existing stock of homes, about 130 million of them – the majority of them – are poorly insulated or were built when tightness of homes wasn’t even a thought,” he says. “It could make a huge difference if done right.”

-----