Have you ever performed a double take when you viewed your last energy bill? While high energy bills can be the end result of severe weather conditions, repeatedly high bills can often indicate an inefficient HVAC system or your home is using too much energy through other means, including drafty windows or poor insulation.

An easy way to identify whether your home is consuming too much energy is by calling a home service professional to perform a home energy audit, also called a home energy assessment. Keep reading to learn all about home energy audits, including what they are and their key elements.

What Is a Home Energy Audit?

An energy audit is a comprehensive inspection of how much energy your home uses and whether – and where – your home may be losing or wasting energy. An inspector will review previous energy bills while completing an energy audit to figure out where energy is being used and how much.

The overall goal of an energy audit is to help homeowners save money on their energy bills by identifying energy-efficient updates, which may include swapping out your existing HVAC system, putting in new insulation, closing up leaks, or replacing old windows.

During the energy assessment, the auditor performs an inspection of the outside and inside of your home. The auditor performs a blower door test on doorways, windows and fireplaces to find out if there are air leaks in your home. They’ll also inspect your home’s HVAC system, as well as the ductwork, the water heater, and the insulation in your attic. Comprehensive assessments might also include inspecting your current lighting system.

Benefits of a Home Energy Audit

It can be tough for the average homeowner to know for certain how efficient their home is versus other similar homes in their neighborhood. However, many energy companies often provide information about where your home ranks when compared with similar homes and whether it’s more efficient, about average, or inefficient compared to your neighbors’ homes. This could be a good starting point to figure out if you need an energy audit completed.

Several of the benefits of a home energy audit include:

Understanding How Efficient Your Home Is

It’s beneficial to know how efficient your home is and where you’re using up the most energy. For example, if your ducts are leaking air, it will lead to a large increase in your energy bills and excessive wear and tear on your HVAC system because it has to run longer to fully heat or cool your home.

Making Energy-Efficient Improvements

An energy audit will outline where you need to make energy-efficient upgrades to conserve energy and decrease utility bills. This might include replacing worn-down weatherstripping or buying a new energy-efficient furnace.

Enhancing Health and Safety

Enabling air to slip into your home through doors and windows, or because of a lack of insulation can cause extra moisture to appear, which could negatively impact your home’s humidity levels or produce mold. This can cause health problems, especially for people suffering from asthma or allergies.

Increasing Your Home’s Retail Value

Energy-efficient homes are preferred by homebuyers. You can sell your home much faster or for more money by showing possible buyers that it’s energy efficient.

How to Do an Energy Audit of Your Home

Although handling an energy audit by yourself will not be as thorough as choosing a professional, it’ll give you a broad sense of how energy efficient your home is. If you don’t discover any flaws during the DIY test, then you likely don’t need to call in a professional. Try this step-by-step checklist:

  • Examine your HVAC system. Broken ducts can lose nearly 20% of conditioned air, leading to more expensive energy bills and greater wear and tear on HVAC equipment. If you find leaks, use duct tape to seal them. If your HVAC equipment is old and inefficient, upgrading to a new system can save you a considerable amount on your energy bills. In some cases, it can be better to call a reputable HVAC company to inspect your system.
  • Watch for signs of air leaks. Air leaks on average can increase monthly energy bills by 10 to 20%. Inside, look for air leaks in areas where there could be a draft, like along the edge of flooring and close to baseboards and electrical outlets. Outside, you can inspect for air leaks along the home’s foundation, siding and mortar. Plug, caulk or seal any air leaks to save money.
  • Examine insulation. If your home is older, it could mean your insulation is too. If you can see the joists, you likely need more insulation.
  • Check the ventilation. Make sure that all of your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans are functioning properly, and look for evidence of rot or moisture.

Contact PS Cool Heat for a Professional Energy Audit

If you are interested in professional help determining how energy efficient your heating and cooling equipment is, call the HVAC professionals at PS Cool Heat today. We’ve proudly supported the residents of Highlands Ranch with quality home services for years. Contact us today to request an appointment.