Now that the heating season is drawing to a close, I'd like to figure out how to improve my home's efficiency so that summer cooling bills don’t knock me sideways. Where should I start?
kt403 03-28-08 11:19 a.m.
Good thinking. A home energy audit is the first step toward energy and dollar savings. lt'll give you a clearer picture of how much energy your home uses and what you can do to improve efficiency. For a do-it-yourself audit, grab five minutes and your utility bills from the last 12 months and click over to the Energy Star Home Energy Yardstick [1]. This online tool will compare your home's energy efficiency with that of similar ones around the country, and give you improvement recommendations for your spring to-do list.
For more specific recommendations, you can arrange an assessment from a professional Home Energy Auditor. A pro will be geared up with a variety of specialized equipment and techniques to expose inefficiencies in your particular abode. Check with your local utility to see if they offer free or discounted energy audits to customers; if not, you can return to the Energy Star site and its Homes Partner Locator [2] to find a local Home Energy Rater to help you.
Links:
[1] http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=home_energy_yardstick.showStep2
[2] http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=new_homes_partners.showHomesSearch