Recently, home energy experts have been providing home energy audits to help homeowners save money and energy.
An audit will typically look at the home’s insulation, heating, cooling systems, windows and doors, appliances, and lighting. These home energy experts can then recommend fixes to reduce homeowners’ monthly utility bills while also improving their home’s comfort levels. At this time of year, many people are thinking about saving money for upcoming holidays or other family celebrations.
Homeowners who invest in an audit from a home energy expert could find more disposable income for holiday shopping or other activities once they see how much they can save on their monthly household expenses by making simple changes around the house.
What Do Home Energy Experts Do?
Home Energy Experts are trained to conduct home energy audits to gauge the energy efficiency of a home. An audit will typically consider the home’s insulation, heating and cooling system, windows and doors, appliances, and lighting. These home energy experts can recommend simple fixes which reduce monthly utility bills while simultaneously increasing home comfort.
Many people wish to assist in-home cost savings for upcoming celebrations or other holidays. Homeowners who invest in an audit from a home energy expert could see themselves with more disposable cash for holiday shopping or other activities after viewing how much they can save on their monthly household expenses by making quick changes around the house.
A home energy audit should be designed to tell you exactly which systems need an upgrade or replacement for better efficiency. Home Energy Experts may also advise you that systems that you thought were adequate still have ways to improve your energy efficiency.
Here are some ways home energy experts may help homeowners:
Find savings
They can inspect a home’s insulation levels and recommend upgrades to help save on heating and cooling costs throughout the year.
Recommend fixes
The home energy expert can check for air leaks around doors, windows, and through the attic area where heat escapes in the winter – all places where conditioned air is escaping from a home’s interior to the outdoors. Other potential areas of loss include crawl spaces under homes as well as cracks in basement walls.
Improve home comfort
Home energy experts offer insight on how to set up home heating and cooling systems for maximum efficiency and reduce home air drafts that cause discomfort. They can also recommend improving home humidity levels to be optimal for the human body’s comfort.
Have more disposable income
Homeowners who invest in an audit from a home energy expert could find themselves with more disposable income for holiday shopping or other activities once they see how much they can save on their monthly household expenses by making some simple changes around the house.
What to Expect From an Audit
An audit generally consists of a few parts.
Homeowner Interview
The home energy professional asks the homeowner questions about how they use their home, for example, if they own pets or have children.
Walk-Through Inspection
The home energy professional inspects the home to evaluate its insulation levels, heating, and cooling systems, windows and doors, appliances, and lighting.
Energy Efficiency Rating
The home receives an Energy Star Rating on a scale of 1-100, with 100 being very efficient. The home energy expert gives recommendations based on what they find in the inspection process, raising or lowering the rating.
Review of Energy Bills
The home energy expert will review the home’s monthly utility bills for a period of six months to a year. This will help them determine what impact home repairs or home improvements have made on the home’s energy efficiency.
Testing
Most home energy experts conduct small tests to check for air leaks around doors, windows, and through the attic area where heat escapes in the winter – all places where conditioned air is escaping from a home’s interior to the outdoors. Other potential areas of loss include crawl spaces under homes as well as cracks in basement walls.
Final Thoughts
If homeowners want to change their homes, they should consider hiring a home energy expert. These professionals can advise homeowners on setting up home heating and cooling systems for maximum efficiency and ways homeowners can reduce home air drafts that cause discomfort. In addition, home energy experts will review home utility bills before making any recommendations and testing to check for air leaks around doors, windows, and through the attic area where heat escapes in the winter.
