Utility Bill Bailout Winner Renovation
- Overview: The winner of the 2010 JELD-WEN Utility Bill Bailout found relief from a $1,084 heating oil bill, saving 41 percent on oil consumption in the first year, after installing ENERGY STAR® qualified JELD-WEN® vinyl windows and fiberglass exterior doors, as well as JELD-WEN® vinyl patio doors.
- Project Scope: Replaced 23 single-pane aluminum windows, three aluminum patio sliding doors and three exterior doors with energy saving products, including JELD-WEN® Builders Vinyl windows and patio doors and JELD-WEN®Smooth Pro Fiberglass doors.
- Project Team: Thomas J. Walsh Construction, North Salem, NY; Interstate Lumber, Croton Falls, NY; JELD-WEN Windows & Doors, Klamath Falls, OR
After the shock of receiving a $1,084 heating oil bill, new homeowner Jeanne McCabe taped, sealed and caulked the old aluminum windows that were original to her 1,900 square-foot home built in 1971. But when nothing would stop the flow of heat from escaping, she finally resorted to using heavy thermal drapes, sacrificing her picturesque view of Katonah village in New York.
Luckily for this new homeowner, the outrageous energy bill won her top honors in JELD-WEN’s Utility Bill Bailout contest and new ENERGY STAR-qualified JELD-WEN® windows and doors.
The payoff was immediate. In just the first year, despite facing one of the harshest winters on record in New York, McCabe saved 41 percent on heating oil consumption.
“I fell in love with this house because of the view,” said McCabe. “I’m so happy I don’t have to choose between enjoying the view and my heating oil bill.”
A Careful Choreography
When the JELD-WEN team arrived at McCabe’s 1971 ranch-style home, they found poorly insulated original windows and doors throughout. Single panes of glass, which had been glued to the house’s frame, masqueraded as transoms and leaked a tremendous amount of air.
Les Stephens, a product marketing manager for JELD-WEN, was confident that McCabe would see a dramatic improvement in her bills.
“Her heating oil bill was a clear indication that the home was rapidly losing heat. It was apparent that the new energy efficient windows and doors would help Jeanne save money and feel far more comfortable in her home.”
Over the course of a week, the team installed 23 new windows and three patio doors as well as three exterior doors in McCabe’s home.
Revealing the Picture-Perfect View
Like McCabe, many Americans live in homes with unnecessarily high utility bills. JELD-WEN experts say there are more than one billion single pane windows that increase utility bills every month. Upgrading windows is one of the best ways to improve a home’s energy efficiency performance.
For homeowner McCabe, her new windows clearly offer many benefits. “It’s a major improvement,” said McCabe. “The whole house is more comfortable now.”