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FIND YOUR HHI
 
 
 
Review 1 or 2 years of your utility bills (Excel Energy customers can request a summary http://www.xcelenergy.com/Company/Pages/Contact_Us.aspx)
 
Determine your average annual gas usage either in therms or BTUs (1 therm = 100,000 BTUs).
 
Find the lowest use month (usually July or August), multiply by 12 and subtract that from your annual usage. This accounts for your base uses such as water heating. The remaining is primarily space heating.
 
Divide the BTUs by your homes square footage and by the number of Heating Degree Days (for Boulder that number is 5466) For other locations use:  http://www.huduser.org/resources/UtilityModel/source/select_Geography.odb
 
BTUs/sq.ft./5466
 
example:
 annual gas consumption is 714 therms
 lowest consumption is in August, 11 therms
 annual heating load would be 714 - (12x11) , 582 therms or 58,200,000 BTUs
 house is 2032 sq. ft.
 
58200000/2032/5466=5.24
 
0-3
Well- insulated and airtight
high performance windows and heating system
 
 
3-6
Better than average, good insulation
moderate air leakage, good heating system
 
 
6-10
Average home, average insulation
fairly leaky, adequate heating system
 
 
10-15
worse than average, little insulation
quite leaky, inefficient heating system
 
 
15+
Older home, poor or no insulation
very leaky, poor heating system