Tips to Avoid Energy-Efficiency Scams

Posted on April 11, 2011 by ACCA Austin

Written by
Rosie Romero Gannett

When it comes to purchasing air-conditioners, insulation, roofing and even air-conditioning services, we homeowners have to do our homework before we start writing checks.

Don’t let a salesperson mislead you into spending too much – or buying an ineffective product – because you don’t have the facts.

Here are 10 ways that sales representatives can dupe homeowners when it comes to energy efficiency:

1. They sell you more than you need. Some companies want to over-insulate your attic to a level of R-60, which won’t save you any more money on heating or air-conditioning bills than what’s recommended in your area of the country.

If you have a newer home, you may not need new insulation at all. Most homes have plenty of insulation, but it’s poorly installed or has been knocked out of place.

Reattaching it to the floors, ceilings and walls it’s meant to protect could save you a bundle of money – both on replacement product and on energy bills.

2. They say you need more than you do. Some ads offer unnecessarily thick insulation, plus ventilation, plus a spray-on radiant barrier for the attic.

They promise to drop the attic temperature during summer, reduce the heat gain from the roof by up to 50 percent and slash your air-conditioning bill accordingly.

Yet no more than 15 percent of your AC bill has anything to do with the heat coming from your attic. This is overkill. All you need is properly engineered ventilation and an adequate level of insulation. Period.

3. They are vague about R-value. Generally, the higher the R-value, the greater the product’s insulating power – up to an appropriate level. Some product sales reps will claim their insulation has a high R-value, but they don’t tell you how thick you have to layer it to achieve that measure. Ask this question: How many inches of insulation will I need to achieve the lowest Energy Star recommended R-value for my area? And how much does this product cost per inch?

4. They mislead you about R-value. The Federal Trade Commission has ruled against manufacturers who claim their radiant barriers or insulation will insulate your attic to a high R-value, when in fact, a product can’t achieve that on its own.

Before you buy, be sure the R-value claim pertains to the product on its own and that you don’t have to buy additional products.

5. They convince you that high-tech is better than common sense. Instead of getting hooked into buying an expensive package of multiple new systems, start your energy campaign by sealing your air-conditioner’s ducts, caulking windows and doors and checking weather stripping. Have an energy auditor determine if your attic is properly and passively ventilated and that your insulation is well installed. That will help you more than investing thousands of dollars in optional equipment.

6. They can’t prove their claims. It’s illegal to say a product will slash energy bills, insulate your attic or reduce heat gain without tests to back up the claim. Ask for the research.

7. They insist bigger is better. This is a common claim when it comes to buying an air-conditioner or furnace. It used to be that bigger homes needed larger units. However, newer homes are so tight that they need far less powerful systems than older homes with lots of air leaks.

Find a rep who will get a lot of information about your house, the weather and your family’s lifestyle – and use a computer to calculate the size of your new equipment. If that’s not happening, find a different contractor.

8. They misrepresent the energy savings. Before you buy, it’s important to know how long it would take to pay a product off with the money you save on energy bills.

If you pay $15,000 to seal your attic and it saves you $400 a year on AC bills, you won’t see an actual return on your investment for 37 years. Go with a plan that will pay for itself within three to five years. After that, the lower energy bill will put money in your pocket.

9. Steer clear of products touting an “equivalent R-value” and those that refer to the potential savings in terms like “nominal” or “approximately” instead of hard numbers.

10. They sell you something new instead of repairing what you already have. Example: You don’t have to replace your air-conditioner just because its ducts are leaking. Instead, have the ducts sealed.

Don’t fall for this “marketing approach” to energy savings. Trust the building scientists – and know what they say. You shouldn’t pay more for energy-saving equipment than it will ever save you in energy bills.