Department of Commerce, BBB warn of salespeople pitching energy savings from radiant barriers

Published October 27, 2016 If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. That's the message from the Minnesota Department of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau of Minnesota and North Dakota. They're warning consumers of people attempting to sell radiant barrier products as an energy-saving feature in home attics. Salespeople have been reported to be making high-pressure pitches in Cold Spring and Minnesota Lake. Radiant barriers are a reflective film laid over the top of an attic. They can save customers money in southern US areas, where there's high air conditioning use and little heating, but the products will only save Minnesota homeowners $10-40 per year. If the price to install the radiant barrier is $2,500 and the consumer saves $25 per year, it would take at least 100 years to get a full return on the investment. Getting a home energy assessment through your gas or electric utility is encouraged as a first step to identifying energy improvements that will actually pay off. Consumers can contact their utility to arrange an energy audit. You can find out more in this release from the Department of Commerce's.