DIY Home Energy Audits
While a professional energy assessment provides a thorough picture of your home’s energy use, conducting DIY Home Energy Audits can help you identify key problem areas and prioritize energy efficiency improvements. Here are the main areas to focus on during your audit.
- Air Leaks: Air leaks can undermine your efforts to maintain a comfortable temperature. Look for leaks around plumbing, electrical outlets, and pipes, as well as cracks in the foundation, siding, doors, and window frames. These leaks can let warm air escape. Seal leaks around moving parts, like doors, with weatherstripping, and fill gaps around non-moving parts, such as window frames, with caulk.
- Insulation: Proper insulation is crucial for controlling your home’s temperature. Gaps in your insulation allow outside air to enter, making your heating and cooling systems work harder and raising your energy costs. Check that insulation in walls, attics, and crawl spaces is complete and free of gaps to prevent energy loss.
- Heating and Cooling Systems: Heating and cooling are typically the largest contributors to your energy bills. To keep your HVAC systems efficient, seal air duct leaks with duct tape, insulate ducts and pipes that run through unheated areas, and replace filters regularly. Make sure to have your HVAC system professionally inspected annually to maintain its optimal performance.
Appliances
Home appliances use a significant amount of energy daily. For instance, refrigerators often run continuously, leading to inefficient operation. Older appliances tend to consume more energy than newer, energy-efficient models. When replacing appliances, look for those with the ENERGY STAR label, as these meet specific performance and efficiency standards. ENERGY STAR appliances also feature an energy-saving mode that limits consumption when not in use. Keep in mind that appliances still draw power when plugged in, even if they’re off. Use power strips to easily disconnect multiple appliances at once.
- Water Heaters: On average, a household uses about 60 gallons of hot water daily for laundry, showers, and dishes, accounting for over 25% of energy bills. To improve efficiency, reduce hot water usage by washing clothes in cold water and taking shorter showers. Lowering your water heater’s temperature to 120 degrees can also help. If the heater feels warm to the touch, insulating it with a water heater blanket can reduce heat loss by up to 45% and save up to 16% on heating costs. Water heaters should be replaced every 10–15 years for optimal efficiency.
- Home Lighting: If you’re still using traditional incandescent light bulbs, switching to LED bulbs can significantly lower your energy costs. LED bulbs use about 90% less energy and have a lifespan up to 25 times longer than standard incandescent bulbs. While they may cost more initially, they offer substantial savings over time, making them a smart investment for reducing energy consumption.
Professional Home Energy Audits For Home Energy Audits
While a DIY home energy audit can help identify areas for improvement, a professional assessment offers a more detailed and thorough analysis of your home’s energy efficiency. Professional auditors begin by interviewing homeowners to understand comfort concerns, living patterns, and past energy usage, which serve as a baseline for estimating potential savings. They conduct room-by-room inspections and use specialized tools and diagnostic tests to identify issues like air leaks, moisture problems, and ventilation inefficiencies. Tools such as blower doors, infrared cameras, gas leak and carbon monoxide detectors, moisture meters, and non-toxic smoke pens help pinpoint energy loss. After the audit, they provide a prioritized list of recommended improvements, considering factors like health, safety, comfort, and overall cost savings, to enhance your home’s energy efficiency and reduce utility bills.
Cost and Savings For Home Energy Audits
The cost of a professional energy audit will vary based on the company and the size of your property. Despite being a paid service, the investment in an energy audit and subsequent efficiency upgrades is often well worth it, as you could save between 5% to 30% on your electricity bills. Additionally, some of the improvements you make may qualify for rebates at the local, state, or federal level, further enhancing the value of the service.