Did you perform a double take when you checked your last energy bill? While high energy bills can be the end result of intense weather conditions, persistently high bills can quickly indicate an inefficient HVAC system or your home is wasting energy by other means, like drafty windows or insufficient insulation.

One of the simplest ways to identify whether your home is wasting energy is by hiring a home service specialist to complete a home energy audit, also called a home energy assessment. Keep reading to find out more about home energy audits, including what they are and their advantages.

What Is a Home Energy Audit?

An energy audit is a thorough inspection of how much energy your home consumes and whether – and where – your home might be losing or wasting energy. An inspector will go through previous energy bills during an energy audit to determine where energy is being consumed and how much.

The overall goal of an energy audit is to help homeowners save money on their energy bills by recommending energy-efficient updates, which might include exchanging your current HVAC system, adding new insulation, closing up leaks, or replacing drafty windows.

Over the course of the energy assessment, the auditor also completes an inspection of the outside and inside of your home. The auditor completes a blower door test on doorways, windows and fireplaces to find out if there are air leaks in your home. They’ll also evaluate your home’s HVAC system, including the ductwork, the water heater, and the insulation in your attic. Exhaustive assessments might also include reviewing 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 in comparison to other similar homes in their area. However, many energy companies often provide information about where your home stands when compared with similar homes and whether it’s more efficient, about average, or inefficient versus your neighbors’ homes. This can be a useful starting point to figure out if you need an energy audit performed.

Some of the benefits of a home energy audit include:

Recognizing How Efficient Your Home Is

It’s beneficial to learn more about how efficient your home is and where you’re consuming the most energy. For example, if your ducts are leaking air, it will cause a significant increase in your energy bills and additional wear and tear on your HVAC system since it has to stay on longer to properly heat or cool your home.

Making Energy-Efficient Updates

An energy audit can expose where you need to make energy-efficient improvements to cut back on energy and decrease utility bills. This may include replacing worn weatherstripping or buying a new energy-efficient furnace.

Improving Health and Safety

Enabling air to leak into your home via doors and windows, or as a result of a lack of insulation can cause unwanted moisture to form, which could negatively impact your home’s humidity levels or produce mold. This can lead to health issues, particularly for people who have asthma or allergies.

Adding to Your Home’s Retail Value

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

How to Complete an Energy Audit of Your Home

Although handling an energy audit independently might not be as detailed as choosing a professional, it’ll offer you a generalized understanding of how energy efficient your home is. If you don’t find any problems during the DIY test, then you probably don’t need to call in a professional. Use this step-by-step checklist:

  • Examine your HVAC system. Damaged ducts can lose as much as 20% of conditioned air, leading to higher 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 substantial amount on your energy bills. In some cases, it is better to contact a reputable HVAC company to inspect your system.
  • Check for air leaks. Air leaks on average can increase the energy bills by 10 to 20%. Inside, look for air leaks in areas where you can find a draft, including along the edge of flooring and near baseboards and electrical outlets. Outside, you can inspect for air leaks around the home’s foundation, siding and mortar. Plug, caulk or seal any air leaks to save money.
  • Inspect 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 ventilation. Check that all of your kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans are functioning properly, and check for evidence of rot or moisture.

Contact Aggressive Mechanical for a Professional Energy Audit

If you are interested in professional help figuring out how energy efficient your heating and cooling equipment is, contact the HVAC experts at Aggressive Mechanical today. We’ve proudly serviced the residents of Neptune City with quality home services for many years. Contact us today to set up an appointment.