Think your BGE bill is high? Meet the Glaun family of Owings Mills. Their electricity bill last month topped $900. And that was a major improvement over January, when they had to pay a whopping $1,151.
"It's quite embarrassing," said Kim Glaun, who says she turns off lights in empty rooms and lowers the thermostat at night. "We feel like there's a big hole in our house."
Turns out, their house is full of little holes that appeared last week as purple splotches captured by an infrared camera that "sees" invisible cold pockets - evidence that chilly air is invading a home as warmth escapes.
The Glauns have joined a growing number of homeowners turning to energy audits as a way to find leaks that drive up energy use and utility bills. For a fee, they are given steps to seal their homes. And companies that conduct the audits have seen rising demand, which makes home weatherization a rare growth industry.
Business is expected to remain brisk, thanks in part to the federal economic stimulus bill. Maryland officials say the state will receive $173 million over 18 months to boost energy efficiency and develop "green-collar" jobs. About 300 lobbyists, businesses and others attended a Maryland Energy Administration forum yesterday in Annapolis to discuss the likely impact of stimulus funds.
More low-income owners will be eligible for weatherization grants. A revolving loan fund might be started to help owners tighten their homes or install renewable systems such as solar. The funds will also train workers in the burgeoning weatherization field.
"We do not have enough auditors and retrofitters trained in Maryland to do all this work," said Maryland Energy Administration Director Malcolm Woolf. "An unemployed construction worker in a matter of weeks can get retrained so he learns about insulation and ductwork and gets put to work implementing these retrofits."
Home energy audits have gained popularity as BGE bills have nearly doubled. It's hardly just a cold-weather need, as air conditioners can send bills soaring. Home Energy Loss Professionals in Baltimore County has done 23 audits this year, compared with 50 last year and 15 in 2007.
TerraLogos ("Wisdom of the Earth") has seen a similar spike in business even though many families are trying to curb spending: It has conducted about 100 audits this year after doing about 300 last year and 140 in 2007. After an audit, the Baltimore firm recommends contractors that can do upgrades.
