Is it time for an energy audit?

If you’re looking for a way to reduce your monthly energy bill, it might be time for an energy audit. From making your home more eco-friendly to lowering your energy bills, energy audits have a lot of benefits. Here’s a breakdown of energy audits and how they can help you.

An energy audit is a comprehensive test that helps you find the areas of your home that are losing the most energy. And every bit of heating or cooling lost translates directly into lower comfort and higher energy bills. You can do a minor energy audit yourself, but I recommend bringing in a professional auditor for a more thorough test.

Energy audits can also help test your home for safety and health issues. The price for an audit varies based on your region, size of home and the specific tests you order; however, the average cost is about $400. They generally include three parts:

• Evaluation

This is the initial visual inspection, where your auditor will walk around the interior and exterior of your home to look for anything that might cause leaks. They’ll check for visible problems and areas that are likely to hide cracks where air is being lost. On the perimeter of your home, expect them to look at your walls, concrete, cracked, eaves, windows and roofing. Inside, they’ll pay particular attention to the attic, HVAC system, filter, ducts and water heater. (Often you’ll find that even small cracks can cause a lot of trouble. An inch-wide hole in your ducts can cause significant energy loss.)

• Specialized tests

Auditors use a variety of specialized equipment to measure the integrity, health and safety of your home. These have the biggest impact on the cost of the job; the more specialized tests performed, the higher the likely fee.

• Recommendations

In the third part of the audit, your pro will give you their recommendations to fix whatever issues they found. For example, they might recommend that you replace your insulation, fix problems in your roof or service your HVAC system. In some cases, you might get verbal recommendations that day. In all cases, you’ll receive a written report that details their findings and makes suggestions to fix them. Some of the most common solutions to problems that emerge during energy audits include insulation repair or replacement, specific HVAC products to increase efficiency, and caulking or repairs around windows and doors where air is being lost.

Seek out an auditor who has reputable credentials, such as the Home Energy Professional Energy Auditor certification. This is supplied by the Building Performance Institute, which is also accredited by the U.S. Department of Energy.