Home Energy Efficiency in Baltimore

Making Your Home Comfortable and Efficient

Here are some stats to consider when making your home more energy efficient.

• The price of electricity from utilities like Pepco Energy Services is around $0.14 per kilowatt-hour, which is three cents higher than the national average.
• Natural gas prices in Baltimore are around $11.25 per thousand cubic feet from utilities like Baltimore Gas & Electric, which is close to the national average.
• As one of the older cities in the nation, the average Baltimore home is nearly 40 years old. Older, historic homes are beautiful, but they can also be very inefficient.
• Baltimore residents see a wide range of temperatures from January lows in the 20's to July highs in the 90's. Regions like Baltimore that have varying temperatures and older homes are great candidates for easy savings through energy efficiency retrofits, especially with measures like added insulation and air sealing.
• The Baltimore area has good solar and wind renewable energy potential. On average, Baltimore receives approximately 4.5 kWh per meter squared of solar radiation daily and its annual average wind speed is 8.8 mph.

Home Energy Audits in Baltimore

Every home's energy efficiency needs are unique, so if you want to figure out exactly what's going on with your home and what the most cost-effective upgrades will be, you may want to start with an energy audit. An energy auditor will test your home as an interconnected system to give you a solid understanding of what's going on with your home.

Energy audits in the Baltimore area usually cost a few hundred dollars. However, this upfront cost can easily be recouped in a year or less through savings on your utilities bills from the upgrades you decide to implement in your home.

If you'd like to find out — for free and within minutes — whether your home is a good candidate for an energy audit and for upgrades, take our online home energy report. We'll give you a home energy score and estimate your savings potential.

Home Energy Upgrades in Baltimore

The following is a list of upgrades your auditor may recommend.

• Insulation & Air Sealing: Adding insulation and air sealing the exterior of your home are measures that act like a sweater and a windbreaker. They keep the air you pay to heat and cool inside your home and unwanted cold and out air out of your home. A tightly sealed home with proper ventilation is something a professional contractor will help you achieve. ENERGY STAR recommends adding R38 rated insulation to attics with only a few inches of insulation.
• High Efficiency HVAC Systems: If it's time to replace your HVAC system, you should look for a new system with the ENERGY STAR seal of approval and a high annual fuel utilization efficiency (AFUE) rating. This will help ensure that you save money on your furnace in the long run.
• Duct Sealing: In order to ensure that your new HVAC system won't have to work too hard, you can seal and insulate your ductwork to help your system run more efficiently. And if your ductwork is more efficient and effective you will save money on your energy bills.
• ENERGY STAR Appliances: Electricity in Maryland isn't cheap, so it's best to have modern, energy-efficient appliances that use the minimum amount of electricity and still perform well. Appliances that are often overly greedy for electricity include clothes washers, dryers, refrigerators, dishwashers and water heaters.
• Solar Panels: If you have already upgraded your older home or recently moved into a new, very efficient home, you may want to consider installing solar panels or another type of renewable energy system. This will allow you to generate your own electricity and help protect you from rising energy costs for years to come.

Have a project in mind? Contact an energy expert to get started.

Energy Rebates and Tax Credits in Baltimore

Home Efficiency Upgrades: Pepco Energy Services offers rebates on energy-efficient refrigerators, room air conditioners and water heaters. Baltimore Gas & Electric also offers rebates on heating and cooling appliances as well as insulation, air sealing, clothes washers, refrigerators, freezers and lighting. Maryland is offering a statewide rebate program with limited funding for ENERGY STAR clothes washers, refrigerators and electric heat pump water heaters. Finally, the federal government offers a tax credit equal to 30 percent of the cost of a bunch of energy-efficient appliances as well as heating and cooling systems, windows, doors and more.

Renewable Energy Systems: Maryland offers a $3,000 geothermal heat pumps grant as well as incentives for solar water heaters, solar panels and wind energy systems. Some renewable energy equipment purchased in Maryland is also exempt from sales tax and added property tax. Depending on where you live, you may also be eligible for a local property tax credit for renewables and energy conservations devices. Finally, the federal government will cover up to 30 percent of the cost of renewable energy systems with no upper limit.

Check out all energy rebates and tax credits in Baltimore.

Home Energy Resources from EnergySavvy

1. Home Energy Report: How efficient is your home? Find out how to improve your home's efficiency and comfort, without spending tons of money, with EnergySavvy's free online home energy report.
2. Energy Rebate and Tax Credit Directory: EnergySavvy's guide to energy rebates and tax credits can help you find all the energy tax credits and rebates that are available locally for you.
3. Energy Contractors: If you've got a project in mind to make your home more energy efficient and comfortable and you'd like to talk with an energy expert about it, we can help. We focus on the relatively small group of contractors nationwide who really understand home energy auditing and energy retrofits.
4. Educational Content: Home energy efficiency is complicated stuff. It's not just as simple as laying some insulation in the attic. We've put together a library of easy-to-read topics that cover the basics of energy efficiency. And if you have a question about anything, you can ask one of our energy experts using our "Ask an Expert" feature.

Last Updated: June 2010

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