New Countertops or Energy Efficiency?

This is a NY Times article that ran on 12/29, with a fantastic to-the-point quote from the soon-to-be-confirmed Secretary of the Department of Energy, Steven Chu (see below).

From Focus on Weatherization Is Shift on Energy Costs by Matthew L. Wald:

In the forgotten corners of tens of millions of American attics and basements, near the old Trivial Pursuit games and out-of-season clothes, are flaws that waste vast amounts of energy. Buildings often resemble colanders. Leaking ducts bleed heated air into areas outside living space. Cold-air returns suck in dust and mold from attics, or gas and oil fumes from garden equipment stored in basements. Long-neglected air filters clog, forcing furnaces or air-conditioners to work harder.

Mr. Obama’s choice for energy secretary, Steven Chu, told a group in Washington in June that an extra $1,000 could make a new house energy efficient “but the American consumer would rather have a granite countertop.” (Read the full article here)

Has this heating season caused you to rethink your home improvement goals for 2009? If so, remember MLGW has plenty of tools to help:

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The Energy Doctor

Free TVA Kits (Available through 2009)

EnergySmart Memphis