Home Energy Efficiency in Seattle

Overview

In Seattle, everyone likes complain about how hot it gets in the summer and how cold it gets in the winter. And we laugh at how the rest of the country thinks that it rains all the time here, right up until November, when it is raining all the time. But what does that mean for energy efficiency?

Making Your Home Comfortable and Efficient

How do we really compare to the rest of the country in terms of our need for home energy efficiency?

It is cold here! For 8 months out of the year, our low temperatures don't get out of the 40's at night, making for cold rooms and cold houses.
It gets hot here! We can get into the mid-90's during summer hot stretches and very few houses have air conditioning, so when it's hot outside, it's hot inside your house.
The average house in Washington State was built in 1977; so we have a lot of houses with poor attic insulation other efficiency problems.
Compared to the rest of the country, we have pretty cheap electricity (around $0.08 per kWh from Seattle City Light) and our natural gas prices are about average (around $1.30 per therm from Puget Sound Energy). However, energy prices have been rising for the past 30 years, and homeowners with inefficient houses will end up paying a lot more to heat and cool their homes in the future.

Home Energy Upgrades in Seattle

So what should Seattle residents be doing to make their homes more energy efficient?

Attic Insulation: If, like most houses in Seattle, all you've got is 3-4 inches of insulation in your attic, you should add more. The experts at ENERGY STAR recommend insulation equal to R38 on top of that much existing insulation for attics in Seattle.
Efficient Windows: A lot of people think about getting their windows upgraded to high-efficiency windows or getting storm windows. These measures will help, though they may be expensive.
Solar Panels: Putting in a home solar system might be a good idea, though Seattle isn't one of the best places in the country for solar power potential. (Maybe all those people who make fun of it raining a lot here are right!) However, if your home is already very efficient, this could be the next step that gets you to the holy grail of energy efficiency, a net-zero home.
Energy Audit: The real answer to the question about how to make your home more efficient in Seattle is that it depends. Every house is unique and your best bet is to get an in-home energy audit so you can learn what the most cost-effective ways to improve your house's efficiency are.

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

Energy Rebates and Tax Credits in Seattle

How do you pay for it all? Energy rebates and tax credits from Seattle City Light, Puget Sound Energy, Washington State and the federal government are all lined up for you to use.

Home Efficiency Upgrades: If you're making upgrades to the efficiency of your house like Energy Star appliances, efficient windows, and insulation, you can use both the Puget Sound Energy/Seattle City Light rebates and use the federal tax credit of 30 percent of the materials cost (up to $1,500). Depending on the rebate handling from the utility, you can "stack" the rebates differently to maximize your money. And the federal government won't tax you on the utility rebates you get.

Renewable Energy Systems: If you're putting in solar panels, you can take advantage of a federal tax credit of 30 percent of the cost of the system's installation, and then get production incentives from Washington State up to $5,000/year for excess power generated by your solar panels and sold back to the grid. And Washington State won't charge sales tax on the panels or installation!

New Energy Rebates... Stay Tuned: There are two more rebate programs to be on the lookout for in the near future. A new federal program for mail-in rebates on ENERGY STAR appliances is expected to roll out in April 2010 in Washington State. Washington will offer rebates of $75 – $100 for energy efficient clothes washers and refrigerators — a rebate that can be "stacked" with your local utility rebates for appliances! "Cash for Caulkers", also known as HOME STAR, is a proposed initiative that will create a larger tax credit from the federal government for making your house a certain percent more energy efficient overall — no matter how you do it, as long as it's testable.

Check out all energy rebates and tax credits in Seattle.

Home Energy Resources from EnergySavvy

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.
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.
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.
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: January 2010