Home energy audits help homeowners pinpoint ways to save energy. The audits analyze energy data to paint a picture of your energy usage and can even increase your home’s resale value. Use the guide below to learn all about home energy audits, including how they work and their top eight benefits.
How Does a Home Energy Audit Work?
A residential energy audit typically consists of an evaluation, extensive testing, and the recommendation of specific energy-improvement tactics. During the evaluation, an energy auditor registered within your state will visit your home and perform a walk-through while analyzing certain elements that impact energy usage. These elements tend to include your heating and cooling system, the home’s insulation levels, and all windows and doors.
During the second part of the audit, the testing phase, an auditor will conduct an air tightness test, which is commonly referred to as a blower door test. This test requires the use of an air sealing procedure in which the auditor seals off the doors to the home and puts a large fan inside the house. With the house properly sealed, the auditor will turn on the fan to inspect for air leaks.
It’s also during the testing phase that the auditor will conduct a thermographic scan and use infrared cameras along with surface thermometers to calculate energy use and waste. Furthermore, the auditor will analyze your past energy bills.
With the evaluation and testing complete, the auditor will create a list of energy-saving strategies you can employ to reduce energy waste and increase your home’s efficiency. By following the recommendations and saving energy, you can decrease both energy usage and utility expenses.
Results of a Home Energy Audit
Home energy audits help you become more eco-friendly by identifying the biggest energy consumers in the home. They also reveal certain steps you can take to reduce your overall carbon footprint.
Some of the most common causes of energy waste in a home include:
- Not enough insulation
- Pest problems
- Hot and cold spots
- Inadequate ventilation
- Excessive dust
- Leaky ductwork
- Inefficient appliances
- Inefficient lighting
Top 8 Benefits of Annual Home Energy Audits
There are benefits of annual home energy audits. These include:
Increase Indoor Comfort
You’ll likely notice several hot and cold spots in your home if you have leaky ductwork, especially if multiple ducts have leaks. Leaky ductwork makes it difficult to achieve temperature stability in the home and causes unnecessary strain on your heating and cooling systems. This extra wear and tear can quickly result in costly repairs and replacements.
With an annual energy audit, an auditor can pinpoint leaky ductwork as the cause of the hot and cold spots and recommend helpful solutions. Fixing the leaky ductwork will not only reduce energy loss but also improve indoor comfort by eliminating hot and cold spots.
Teach Children About Sustainability
It’s smart to teach children about going green and sustainable living. This type of education will help them develop lifestyles that don’t harm the environment. When you invest in annual home energy audits, you instill in kids a sense of environmental responsibility and show them how their actions contribute to unnecessary energy consumption. You also teach them how to make better choices that decrease energy waste and promote sustainability.
Save Money on Energy Bills
With an annual home energy audit, it becomes possible to identify energy inefficiencies within the house, like air leaks, out-of-date appliances, and poor insulation. By addressing these inefficiencies, you’ll lower your energy usage as well as your energy costs. Energy Star says the average family residing in a single-family home spends roughly $2,000 a year on energy expenses. Some of the savings may seem minute at first, but over time, they will add up and compensate for the cost of making the efficiency improvements.
Pinpoint Hidden Problems
An auditor will look for hidden problems that cause major energy waste during the home energy audit. Identifying these hard-to-find problems is key to making sure the root causes of energy waste get pinpointed and addressed effectively. It also helps auditors prioritize their energy-improvement recommendations. With home improvements being costly, it’s crucial to spend money on recommendations that matter the most.
Reduce Environmental Impact
Energy efficiency is all about finding ways to accomplish a task using as little energy as possible. By using a smaller amount of energy, you reduce your carbon footprint and overall environmental impact. A home energy audit spots which appliances and lighting in the home use the most energy. You can update these lighting and appliances with more efficient alternatives to reduce energy usage by 70%-90% and leave a smaller carbon footprint.
Increase Resale Value
Are you considering selling your home? If so, you need to invest in a home energy audit. The audit will reveal where and how to make energy improvements, which translates into more value for your home. Instead of potential buyers pointing out all sorts of energy-waste issues, you’ll already have them resolved. A home energy audit can also help you decide whether to go solar. If you choose to, going solar will further increase the value of your home.
Avoid Buying Unnecessary Equipment
You can upgrade all the appliances and lighting in your home to more efficient models, but this won’t prove of any value if energy loss problems go unaddressed. Perhaps you have leaky ductwork, which means upgrading the heating and cooling system won’t reduce energy expenses because you’ll still lose air through the leaky ducts. As a result, the HVAC system will work harder to maintain thermostat settings, possibly resulting in even greater energy loss.
With a home energy audit, you can avoid buying unnecessary equipment because you’ll know which appliances and lighting to upgrade. Our technicians can help you choose the best appliances for your home according to their size, type, model, and efficiency ratings.
Extend HVAC Lifespan
One of the easiest ways to extend the lifespan of your home’s HVAC system is to invest in annual home energy audits. Home energy auditors specialize in air flow. They know how to mark areas for air loss and can find the causes of unwanted air in a home. The recommendations they make will always improve the lifespan of your heating and cooling systems in one way or another.
By making the home more energy efficient, the HVAC system will use less energy to heat and cool the home. The less energy it uses, the less wear and tear it endures, and the longer its lifespan. Some of the most common recommendations that auditors make to help homeowners make their homes more energy efficient include:
- Air seal all doors and windows
- Install proper installation
- Upgrade to energy-efficient appliances
Schedule Your Home Energy Audit Now!
Contact Blue Ribbon Cooling & Heating now to schedule your next home energy audit. Whether you’re new to Round Rock or a long-time resident, we’re here to improve your indoor comfort through a variety of AC installation, heating maintenance, and air quality services.