KV REMC has the answers for your uncomfortable home

Every home has its little quirks. Maybe it’s a doorknob you have to jiggle a certain way or a strange creak you hear only in the middle of the night. When you move into a home, it takes time to figure all those quirks out.

Kankakee Valley REMC member Ryan Budgin was puzzled by the heating in his family’s new home. The house just didn’t seem to feel comfortable. He heard about our free home energy assessments and decided to see if that would help. “I was surprised that the REMC offered the service,” he recalled, “but I’ve come to see that it fits into the idea that co-ops provide better service because the users are the owners.”

Energy Advisor Darrell Marks walked through the house and asked Ryan questions to learn more about the concern about heating and other comfort-related issues. He used an infrared camera to identify areas that needed to be sealed (and amused Ryan’s son with a photo of the heat coming from his hand). The house was only about 15 years old, so it was generally in good shape, but Darrell was able to point out minor issues.

He also solved the heating problem. “Darrell was able to figure it out in a couple minutes,” Ryan said. “The duct work had dampers and I was not switching them with the change of seasons.” Now the heat is working properly, and the family is more comfortable. “I was impressed with Darrell’s knowledge, his upbeat demeanor, and how he fixed the flow of our heating.” Ryan also performed the sealing Darrell recommended.

Ryan found the assessment worthwhile and thinks other homeowners should do the same. “It’s obviously something that is good to have checked. Bad home energy use is wasteful, and we don’t need to be wasting energy right now.” To learn more about this free service, contact Darrell Marks at 800-552-2622 or demarks@kvremc.com.