Tracey and Alex bought their 1930 bungalow in Bend, Oregon, 22 years ago. They raised their two children in the 1,704-square-foot home and now Alex has retired to golf and enjoy the Central Oregon sunshine. While the couple's home looks like it’s shipshape, it actually wastes a lot of energy and money.

"We've known our house needs work, but we really noticed it when my husband retired," says Tracey. "He's home more now, so we've become aware of how freezing cold our house is in the winter and how hot it is in the summer."

Their Home Energy Makeover will include upgrades such as a high-efficiency gas furnace, gas water heater, insulation, air and duct sealing and energy-efficient windows, all provided by the contest sponsors. Tracey and Alex can expect to see their energy costs shrink by as much as 50 percent.

In addition, a Home Performance with ENERGY STAR^® assessment completed in their home revealed combustion safety problems that Tracey and Alex were unaware of with their old gas water heater. A new gas water heater will make their home safer and more energy efficient.

"We’re looking forward to our heating bills being less and having our home feel more comfortable," says Tracey. "We’re really excited. It’s a great old house and now it will be in good shape inside and out."

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Makeover Game Plan

Home Energy Makeover sponsors are providing the following energy-saving improvements for Alex and Tracey’s home:

House Stats

• House size: 1,704 square feet
• Year built: 1930
• Bedrooms: 3
• Floors: Main living level, attic and unfinished basement
• Energy issues:
  • Very old gas furnace
  • Old, unsafe gas water heater
  • Many air leaks
  • Very little insulation
  • Original single-pane windows
  
  

Progress Reports

Check out the energy-saving improvements

See the makeover in action

Meet Alex and Tracey

Energy Advisor Update from Megan Clark: Alex and Tracey’s 1930 home looks great, and has been well cared for over the years. But most of that has been cosmetic. Once inside, we could see the home has a number of energy issues, including some pretty big air leakage areas—you can see through to the outside in areas of the attic. Single-paned windows are also allowing a lot of cold air to come in during the winter, as well as hot air in the summer. Through our Home Performance testing, we also identified some combustion issues with the water heater that can potentially lead to unsafe indoor air quality. So, the improvements we’ll be making can cut Alex and Tracey’s energy costs by up to 50 percent and improve health and safety at the same time.