Protect Your Home From Rising Energy Costs

It's getting really cold in Detroit now and those heating bills are just are just starting to come in. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, home heating costs are expected to make double-digit leaps in this winter. Residential oil prices during the upcoming home heating season are expected to increase 31 percent over last year and consumers this year will likely pay an average of $2,644. Natural gas customers also are expected to see significant price increases—about 22 percent over last year with an average cost of $1,059.

With high winter heating bills in the forecast for the Detroit area, you may be thinking about investing in home improvements that can help save you money by reducing your demand for home heating fuel and your home’s overall energy consumption.

Did you know that windows can play a large role in a home’s annual heating budget? Poor performing windows can account for up to 40 percent of a home’s heat loss during the winter. With today’s high cost of energy, that’s money going right out the window.

Replacing old, leaky windows with new, energy-efficient replacement windows can have a big impact on helping reduce your energy bills—making today the perfect time to tackle that window replacement project you’ve been thinking about.

Your decision on what type of windows to buy will be among the most important decisions you will make in terms of energy use. Below is advice for choosing the most energy efficient replacement windows:

• Look for the ENERGY STAR label. Products with the ENERGY STAR label can help you achieve substantial savings on heating and cooling costs.


• Invest in windows with Low-E glass. The state-of-the-art transparent metallic films in Low-E glass regulate and optimize the amount of heat and sunlight that is allowed inside a home - helping to increase energy efficiency.


• Look for the National Fenestration Rating Council (NFRC) label. It means the window’s performance is certified and provides an “apples-to-apples” comparison between products.


• Check the U-Factor. A window with a lower U-Factor has better insulation properties – in colder climates, a factor of 0.35 or lower is recommended.


• Make sure windows are properly installed to provide long-term energy efficiency.
  

Renewal by Andersen windows comes standard with High-Performance Low-E4 glass and is over 14 percent more energy efficient than stringent ENERGY STAR requirements, reducing your energy bills by up to 25 percent over standard dual pane glass.

For more information on replacement windows and energy efficiency, visit http://www.renewalbyandersen.com/.