Home Energy Solutions

What is a home energy audit?

Home energy audits, also known as home energy assessments, are the first step in analyzing how much energy a home consumes, and what can be done to make the home more energy efficient. Auditing the energy use in your home is a great way to find out any hidden problems, and can help to save time and money on energy expenditures. You can hire a certified professional, or do a simple audit on your own.

Remember, energy audits on their own will not lower your power consumption, you must implement energy efficient changes to increase the efficiency of your energy systems. The Energy Star, is program created by the Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates the nation’s energy standards. Check out this podcast from The Housing Hour’s special series on Energy Star to learn all about the energy audit process.  The Housing Hour's Energy Efficiency expert is Scott Higgins.  You can find out more information about Scott here.

Benefits of a home energy audit

There are many reasons to measure the energy consumption in your home including but not limited to:

• Lower energy bills. Save money on energy costs by making your system more efficient.
• Uncover hidden problems. Many homeowners might not know they are losing money on a potentially easy fix. An energy audit can uncover potentially expensive problems that can be nipped in the bud.
• Increase comfort. Energy audits can identify air leakage problems, or poor air circulation within the home. Fixing these issues can make your house more quiet and comfortable.
• Add equity to your home. In theory, for every one dollar you decrease on energy costs, the market value of your home increases by twenty dollars. So if you cut $200 off your energy costs with improvements, you home’s value will go up $4,000.
• Help the environment. Go green and support clean, renewable energy systems. Help be part of the solution to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions while saving money on costs.

Energy efficient upgrades

After you have looked over all the data from your home energy audit, you’ll be ready to start making energy efficient improvements. There are many great ways to save on costs while adding to your investment.

Insulate the upstairs

It turns out that half the homes in the US are under insulated. Good insulation is meant to keep your house cool during warm weather, and warm during cold weather. Insulation is inexpensive and useful. You can prevent pipes from freezing, or heating systems from dispersing heat improperly with insulation. For more in depth information on energy efficient heating and cooling solutions, check out the podcast below.

Seal the air leaks

Making sure your windows and doors have weather stripping, and controlling drafts can really save on cooling and heating costs over time. Many home owners don’t realize just how much money is lost due to air leaks.

Don’t forget! If you want to get more info and tips on home energy management, listen to all the The Housing Hour’s Energy Star podcasts.

To learn more about Energy Audit's, or to have one done on your home, please visit the website of The Housing Hour's Energy Efficiency Expert and owner of Prudent Energy Sytems, Scott Higgins.