The cost to heat and cool a home is the lion’s share of a utility bill. Whether you use natural gas, electricity, or propane, the comfort factor is offset by uncomfortable utility bills. Timber frame homes, wrapped in energy efficient insulated panels, offer relief from high utility bills.
While we do take other steps to keep our power usage at a minimum (we use fluorescent lights throughout and all of our appliances are Energy Star rated), we believe that the tight, well-insulated envelope that encloses our home is key in keeping our utilities in check.
We live in a timber frame home in the mountains of North Carolina. We’re told that the past winter was the coldest in 35 years and that the past summer was one of the hottest on record.
Our HVAC system is a fully electric heat pump. We use propane for cooking and for our tankless hot water heater only. We have more windows than most homes and have high ceilings throughout. In theory, our costs to heat and cool should be above average. But…we spend a fraction of the cost of homes of comparable size. The latest reports indicate that our home uses one third (that’s One Third) of the electricity of a similar home in our area.
Our power bills for the last 24 months are shown in this report…
Our costs actually decreased slightly in the past year instead of rising with the colder/hotter temperatures we’ve experienced.
Many people ask if vaulted ceilings will result in higher energy usage. I have to say that we spend much less on heating and cooling than we did when we lived in a conventionally built home of the same size. And that home had 8′ ceilings throughout. Goshen Timber Frames clients have seen similar costs savings in their own timber frame homes.
So, when you plan your new home, remember that these energy savings will continue to save you money each month and will save you even more money as energy costs rise. I know that the proof is in the savings.
