They say knowledge is power. But how do you learn what you need to know about your home's energy use? You can get a home energy audit to help make your home safer, more comfortable and more efficient.
Energy efficiency at home lowers bills and improves comfort and indoor air quality. A professional home energy audit is an in-depth, scientific way of looking at all aspects of home energy use to make actionable recommendations for cost-effective efficiency improvements.
Historical data provides a starting point
The audit starts with a homeowner interview to gather the past year's energy bills and establish known problems, such as high bills, uncomfortable rooms or mold problems.
Understand factors that affect your home
Next, a visual inspection gathers information on things like the amount and type of insulation, the number and sizes of windows, and the age and type of HVAC systems, among many other things.
Discover potential hazards in your home
A health and safety inspection assesses things like combustion appliances and electrical systems, as well as potential hazards, such as lead paint, asbestos and radon gas.
Uncover hidden leaks
A blower door test determines how leaky a home is. A lot of small leaks can add up to big energy losses and humidity problems. Sealing those leaks helps the insulation live up to its full potential and can improve indoor air quality by controlling humidity.
Ensure insulation measures up
Not all energy losses happen through air leaks. Infrared cameras can see where heat is conducted directly through building materials and identify areas lacking insulation.
Find hidden leaks in ductwork
A duct blaster tests how leaky ducts are. By sealing duct leaks, more of the air you pay to heat and cool your home gets to the rooms where it's needed.
Prioritize issues based on a report
Energy assessment software crunches this data and provides a comprehensive energy report that shows which home energy improvements offer the biggest bang for the buck.
A professional home energy audit can give you the powerful knowledge you need to save energy, helping make your home safer, more comfortable and more efficient.