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. audit done. The auditor will then perform a room-byroom 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 gasfueled appliances are backdrafting 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. 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.
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.