Are your energy bills consistently and inexplicably higher than normal? It may be time to hire a professional for a home energy audit.
You can attempt a self-assessment. However, you’re unlikely to uncover the reason for the higher energy without professional guidance.
What Is a Home Energy Audit?
A home energy audit is an assessment of your home’s energy consumption. A professional home auditor will evaluate the energy usage in your home. The auditor will flag possible sources of energy wastage and recommend steps to improve energy efficiency.
Importance of Home Energy Audit
An energy audit gives you a better understanding of your energy usage. It can help you discover energy-saving opportunities. The audit will also highlight structural problems contributing to higher energy bills and uncover hidden issues with your energy systems.
How to Do a Home Energy Audit
The process of the home energy audit will cover the following:
Initial Conversation
Before the actual home energy assessment, the professional auditor will sit down with you to learn why you requested the audit. During this conversation, you can raise any energy-related concerns you have.
The auditor will ask questions that will help them gain better insight into your energy consumption habits. Is your house always occupied? Do you have a workshop in your garage? Your answers will guide their recommendations after the audit and influence their final report.
Energy Usage Assessment
At this stage, the energy auditor will evaluate your recent energy bills (up to the last 12 months). The analysis will help the auditor establish an energy usage pattern. At that point, they can draw conclusions from the changing figures over time.
Home Assessment
The auditor will thoroughly inspect your home. Their assessment will include the interior, exterior, roofing, ventilation, heating and cooling system, insulation, and more. They’ll also look at the crawl space and attic, noting their findings.
During the assessment, the auditor will perform different energy-usage tests. These tests identify water leaks, air leaks, ventilation, and moisture problems.
Assessment Report and Recommendations
At the end of the home energy audit, the auditor will give you a report of their findings. The report will feature the problems they found during the inspection. They will also highlight what you can do to make your home more energy efficient.
Implementing the energy-saving tips they recommend can lower your costs significantly.
Home Energy Audit Cost
The cost of a home energy audit will depend on the type of audit you order. Small visual assessments will cost around $200 to $300, while comprehensive assessments will cost you around $500 to $1,700. The higher the number of special evaluations necessary for your property, the higher the audit cost.
Some evaluation approaches that can increase the cost of a home energy audit include:
- Blower door test and infrared scanning (to check for air leaks)
- Combustion safety testing (if you use natural gas in your appliances)
- Mold testing
Benefits of Home Energy Audit
The advantages of a home energy audit include the following:
- It can Reduce your Heating and Cooling Costs. An energy audit can highlight areas through which conditioned air leaves your home. Plugging these leaks can reduce the strain on your HVAC system and keep you more comfortable.
- It can Reduce your Carbon Footprint. Using more energy than necessary is bad for the environment. Homes are significant contributors to carbon emissions. A home energy audit is a sure way to cut your emissions.
- It can make your home more Valuable. Implementing the recommendations from an energy audit can increase your home’s value by up to 10%.
- It can make your Home Healthier. Home energy audits don’t just solve energy performance issues. Better insulation and ventilation can significantly improve your home’s indoor air quality. An audit can also lower any allergy-causing pollutants in your home.
- It can help you save money on Appliance Costs. Old HVAC systems, refrigerators, ceiling fans, washing machines, and other such systems consume more energy than modern ENERGY STAR® appliances. Swapping out these systems can lower your annual utility bills by up to 30%.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – Home Energy Audit
What Does a Home Energy Audit Entail?
A home energy audit involves a partial or complete assessment of your home’s energy consumption. The auditors will first evaluate direct energy-consuming systems like your HVAC units and other electrical appliances. Next, they will evaluate the indirect sources of energy loss, such as your home’s insulation.
At the end of the audit, they will recommend actions to lower your home’s energy costs.
Is an Energy Audit Worth It?
An energy audit is worth it. On average, a single-family household in the US spends $2,060 on utility bills. Implementing energy efficiency recommendations following an audit can save you up to 30% of that sum per year, which is $618.
Beyond saving money, implementing the recommendations from an energy audit can make your home more valuable. It can potentially increase your property’s worth by as much as 10%.
Why Would a Homeowner Hire an Energy Auditor?
As a homeowner, you can hire an energy auditor to improve your home’s energy performance. Better performance goes beyond switching to renewable energy systems.
A professional energy auditor will uncover problems in your energy consumption. They can also detect water leaks, air leaks, poor insulation, and more.
Conclusion
Home energy audits can save you a lot of money over the long term. It’s in your best interest to work with a professional home energy auditor for the best results.
End your search for “home energy audit near me” today by choosing Attic Projects. We have years of experience helping homeowners and businesses make their properties energy efficient. Our state-of-the-art equipment can help us deliver a comprehensive review of your property’s energy consumption.
Upon completion of the home energy audit, we’ll draw from our wealth of experience to make energy-lowering recommendations.
Call the Attic Projects San Diego, CA, office at (858) 290-7423 or the Orange County/Los Angeles office at (714) 464-7918 to book an appointment today.
