Energy audit can offer savings
Every homeowner can benefit from a home energy audit — whether you’re looking to combat an uptick in your utility bills or you’re simply curious about improving your home’s safety and energy efficiency. And if you’re in the market for a new home, it’s worth considering an energy audit as part of your pre-purchase inspection as well. What is a home energy audit? A home energy audit is an in-depth investigation into the overall energy efficiency of your home’s interior and exterior systems. The principal goal of an energy audit is to find hidden air leaks. Air leaks cause your heating, ventilating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to work harder, thereby increasing your energy bills throughout the year. A home energy auditor will pinpoint where your home is losing energy and make recommendations to help you save money. An auditor will look for potential health and safety hazards as well.
In a comprehensive energy audit, your auditor should discuss any concerns you may have, as well as your goals for having the audit done. The auditor will then perform a roomby-room inspection of the home and conduct a series of tests, including blower door tests in which a fan is placed in the doorway to depressurize the inside of the home. This test helps locate air leaks and also tests ductwork, humidity levels, air infiltration and insulation levels. Finally, your auditor will perform combustible appliance testing to determine whether gas-fueled appliances are back-drafting poisonous carbon monoxide into your home.
While you want to eliminate air leaks, you also want your house to breathe, auditors say. A fully sealed home can be a health hazard, as it can encourage dangerous gas buildups. So, auditors look at the house as a whole system — looking both at health and safety issues and at ways to improve the overall energy efficiency of your home. How much does an energy audit cost? Energy audit pricing varies, as it’s largely dependent on regional factors and depth of service. Typically, you can expect to spend anywhere from $250 to $650. On the lower end, you’ll receive a visual inspection of your ductwork, insulation, ventilation, doors and windows, as well as your appliances and lighting. This type of audit should take around two hours or so. On the higher end, you’ll receive the comprehensive suite of testing services, including the blower test and infrared scans, in addition to the visual inspection. This type of audit should take around five hours or more.
Some local utilities also offer free energy audits, which you can expect to be more of a visual inspection than a comprehensive testing audit. What are the benefits of a home energy audit? A home energy audit will go a long way in ensuring that your home is safe from dangerous gas leaks and buildups. It will also provide the information you need to improve the comfort and overall energy efficiency of your home. You could save 5 percent to 30 percent on your energy bill by making energy efficiency upgrades identified in your home energy audit, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. What’s more, any structural or equipment changes you make as a result of your audit may be eligible for other tax credits and rebates.