Homeowners have become savvy with energy efficiency in recent years, thanks to ENERGY STAR®-certified appliances as well as education by the Department of Energy’s resource simply called Energy Saver.
You may know the importance of purchasing new home appliances with a high ENERGY STAR® rating because they will save you money in the long run.
You may also know of the areas around your home for which you can help to improve your energy costs, simply by staying on top of routine maintenance, such as for your HVAC system.
But do you know how you can assess the energy efficiency of your home?
Home Energy Audit
There are two ways to have a home energy audit performed:
- By a professional: By hiring an energy auditor to conduct a home energy audit, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your audit was done by someone knowledgeable, who will provide great detail in their inspection. Among other tests, the auditor may use a blower door test to determine how airtight your exterior doors are, and infrared scanning which can detect thermal defects and air leakage. Learn more about how to find an energy auditor, and what to expect from an audit.
- Do-it-yourself: Conducting your assessment is more cost-effective in the short term and a good idea for every homeowner when you don’t feel like there could be a significant problem that may need to be diagnosed by a professional. An energy-efficiency self-assessment involves a walk-through to determine possible air leaks, a check for the level of insulation in your attic and crawl spaces, and an inspection of your HVAC equipment, lighting, and appliances. After your assessment, consider the areas in which you think can and should be repaired or improved upon (such as adding extra insulation or swapping incandescent bulbs for CFL or LED bulbs) and make a budget and plan of action.
How can Heat Relief help with your home’s energy-efficiency?
We want to help you have the most energy-efficient home possible, within reason, and within your budget. Through a visit from one of our professional technicians, we may suggest a zoning system may work well in your home to cut down on heating and cooling rooms that are used infrequently.
We may suggest a programmable thermostat would be useful to provide complete comfort control through set-it-and-forget-it programming.
Or, we may guide you to a more energy-efficient water heater that will significantly reduce your water heating costs while providing faster access to more hot water.
It all starts from a call to Heat Relief at (503) 877-1713 to schedule a visit!