Is My Home Energy Efficient?

Are you considering buying a new AC or home heating system? Have you evaluated your existing energy efficiency first? Fortunately there are several easy steps you can complete very affordably in order to achieve this, such as hiring an energy auditor or auditing your home yourself, adding insulation, in addition to sealing up your home. Though it may seem like your home is in fact energy efficient, when you get the results of your audit it may be quite surprising how much energy you're actually losing.

Hire an Energy Auditor

An energy auditor is a professional analyzer of how efficiently structures use energy. Of course you can also audit your home yourself, the details of this fix being explained below, but a professional saves you time and will catch more opportunities to save energy. The cost for this service is approximately $500, but it will quickly pay for itself in energy savings.

Insulate

If your insulation levels are below the minimum, you could be losing a lot of energy, particularly if your home is older. You will need to have every part of your home inspected, some of which are a challenge while others are not. The walls are by far the most difficult, and ideally you should find out whether the insulation within them is comprehensive and whether it has settled. Check and make sure your attic vents are not blocked by insulation as well, and be sure to inspect your flooring.

Audit Your Home Yourself

There are plenty of online instructions on how to perform your own energy audit, including on the website of the Department of Energy. You need to inspect insulation, the cooling and heating equipment, appliances, electronics and lighting thoroughly to find comprehensive ways to save on energy each year. If you feel like your home needs to be inspected even in the difficult areas, contacting a professional is your best bet.

Seal Up Your Home

Your own audit, or the audit performed by your energy auditor, should include a blower door test. Finding leaks is one of the most important objectives, and installing a DIY blower door test is affordable at around $50. Simply place a furnace blower in an open window and seal off the excess space. Pressurize the house properly and fill the house with fog from a fog machine -- leaks are located where the fog visibly escapes from the home. Once you find these leaks all you have to do is properly seal them up.