Have you noticed that your energy bills keep getting higher every year? The answer probably isn’t rising rates from the energy company, but from your HVAC system. As your HVAC system ages, it becomes less efficient. This is true especially in older homes where the service history is unknown. Having a Home Energy Audit performed on your home can help you find problems with your HVAC unit and fix them so you can save you big money on your energy bill.
What is A Home Energy Audit?
A home energy audit is a professional energy assessment on energy use in your home. Many local utility companies, like Georgia Power, offer free home energy audits. The point of having a professional energy audit is to help save money on utility bills in the future by pointing out where improvements should be made.
The auditor will first inspect the outside of the home and then the inside. They’ll look at your previous utility bills to analyze your energy consumption. During the audit, the auditor will conduct a blower door test on windows, fireplaces and doorways to see how much air leaks from your house. Your auditor may look at your attic, water heater and furnace, too, to assess air leaks.
Preparing for a Home Energy Audit
Before the home energy audit, make a list of problems you have noticed in your house, including drafty rooms or rooms that aren’t being heated as warm as others. An auditor won’t be able to fix these problems, but having regular heating and cooling maintenance performed by the Estes team will help fix these issues.
Have copies of your energy bills from the past year. The auditor might want an exact measurement of the size of your home. Be sure to have fireplaces and attics accessible as those are common places your auditor will test.
The Benefits of Home Energy Audits
At the end of the audit, the auditor will suggest ways you can start saving on your energy bills. An example of a common energy saving suggestion would be switching out old light bulbs for LED bulbs. Simple fixes like that might seem silly, but over time they can add up to big savings on your utility bills. People who have had an audit done notice savings of 5 to 30% on utility bills after completing the upgrades identified in the audit.
Some larger suggestions an auditor could make would be adding more insulation, replacing windows that are causing drafts or repairing or replacing your furnace with a more energy-efficient model.
Better energy efficiency is not just great for lowering your utility bills every season, but it’s also a great way to help the environment. Using only what you need and not wasting what you don’t will keep your home environmentally friendly. You’ll use less energy overall, which is good for the planet as well as your wallet.
Call Estes to Keep Your Home Energy Efficient
Once your audit is complete, you’ll want to start implementing the suggested changes around your home. When it comes to older furnaces, having regular seasonal maintenance done not only keeps your furnace energy efficient, it can help add years to its life.
Sign up for an Estes Family Care Plan today to make staying energy efficient easy. Preventative heating and cooling maintenance from Estes ensures that your system keeps running smoothly and that you stay energy efficient.
