Why a Home Energy Audit is a Good Idea

What is a home energy audit, and how does it work? A home energy audit tests your home energy efficiency in a number of ways. What happens is a qualified auditor comes in. They are licensed by the government and have been professionally trained to study your home, and not only assess your energy efficiency, but also give you tips and important information on how you can improve, and where.

In order to get the most comprehensive audit you can, it is important to hire a certified contractor for your home energy audit. They will come and do a thorough inspection of your residence. On the outside he will assess its size, how many doors and windows there are, and if you have a basement, or a crawl space. They will have various kinds of equipment with them; surface thermometers, infrared cameras, and furnace and hot water efficiency meters just to name a few.

Before the contractor shows up for your home energy audit, there are some things you need to do. You will need to do a walk through of your house, and write down any drafts, or cold spots, or where ever condensation forms. You will have to have a copy of the year’s power bills, and write down things like what you set the temperature at during the different times of the year. There will be other questions and each contractor will have some of their own.

What home energy efficiency is, how well your home is insulated, what kinds of appliances are installed, and if they need to be upgraded. He will look at things like how thick the insulation is in the ceiling and walls. They will also look for cracks and leaks, both in the structure, the pipes and wiring, as well as the appliances. Refrigerators, ranges and water heaters can be outdated and wasting energy. Heating and air conditioning systems may need to be upgraded or replaced.

However, that is not all a home energy audit does. Not only does the technician come out and assess the problem, they tell you exactly what you can do to improve your home energy efficiency. It may be a matter of air gap sealing holes with foam sealant in the attic and basement where heated or cooled air is escaping, or adding additional insulation in the walls and attic. It may be also as simple as keeping up on maintenance for the heating or cooling appliances.

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A home energy audit can be a big wake up call for many homeowners, especially older residences. You may be surprised at how much energy loss these homes may be. It is important not only to save you money on utility bills, but these improvements can greatly raise the property values of these homes.

There are many advantages of having an audit as well. Not only can you get tax breaks for these kinds of improvements, you can also get financial help from local government agencies that will help pay some or all of these costs, depending on what you qualify for. It is a good idea to take advantage of all of these opportunities.