Home Energy Audit

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?

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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?

Our Answer

A home energy audit is the first step toward energy and dollar savings─it’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. 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 professional home energy auditor 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 home energy audits to customers; if not, you can return to the Energy Star site and use its Homes Partner Locator to find a local Home Energy Rater to help you with your energy audit.