Kelly and Tina own the 1960s ranch house where Kelly's grandparents lived. While the house always felt cozy when he was growing up, Kelly has learned why his grandfather burned a fire in the woodstove all winter. Without it, the house feels like the Arctic. Chilly rooms in the winter and sky-high energy costs are signs that it’s time to bring the house into the 21st century.

Like his grandfather, Kelly relies on fires to supplement the inefficient baseboard heat in his home. With poor insulation, the drafty 1,466-square-foot house is as costly as it is uncomfortable. An old electric water heater which provides hot water for Kelly, Tina, plus their son, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren—drives the energy costs even higher.

Kelly and Tina's Home Energy Makeover will include upgrades such as high-efficiency electric heat pump, energy-efficient electric water heater, air sealing and insulation provided by the contest sponsors. The Cruikshanks can expect to see their energy costs shrink by as much as 50 percent.

"A few years ago, we were surprised to learn our house has no insulation," says Kelly. "Insulating and installing a heating system that works will change our lives. We hope we'll be able to cut our energy bills in half."

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Makeover Game Plan

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

House Stats

• House size: 1,446 square feet
• Year built: 1960
• Bedrooms: 4
• Floors: Single level
• Energy issues:
  • Electric baseboard heat
  • Inefficient electric water heater
  • Very little insulation
  • Air leaks
  • Moisture issues
  • Two old inefficient refrigerators
  
  

Progress Reports

Check out the energy-saving improvements

See the makeover in action

Meet Tina and Kelly

Energy Advisor Update from Dave Hutchins: Like many homes built in the 1960s or before, this home has virtually no insulation, making things very uncomfortable for Kelly and Tina. Their current baseboard heat can be one of the most costly and least effective ways to heat a home, and it’s really driven up the family’s energy costs. To stay warm in the winter, they’ve had to keep their fireplace burning. We’ll be insulating the house and installing a new high-efficiency heat pump, which will provide very efficient heating, plus summer cooling. We also found a number of moisture issues and air leaks that we’ll correct to ensure the home is safe and comfortable for years to come. Finally, we’ll replace Kelly and Tina’s old electric water heater with a very efficient model. By bringing this home up to today’s efficiency standards, we hope to help this family save up to 50 percent on their energy costs.