3 Things To Know About Home Energy Audits
There are many ways in which your home uses energy, which makes determining the best ways to improve your home's energy efficiency challenging. While a few changes can make a world of difference in energy usage, knowing what to change is often the hurdle homeowners run into. A home energy efficiency audit is one way to learn more about your home's energy use. Here is what you should know about home energy audits.
You Can Do-It-Yourself Or Hire A Professional
The first thing to know about home energy-efficiency audits is that there are two options: do-it-yourself or hire a professional. A do-it-yourself audit entails a thorough walkthrough of your home where you look for air leaks, check insulation, and inspect your appliances, among other things. A do-it-yourself audit is a great place to start, but a professional home energy audit will be much more effective at identifying areas that require improvement. In addition, an effective audit involves special skills and equipment that you may not have but that a professional will possess.
What You Can Gain From An Audit
Another thing to know about home energy-efficiency audits is what you can gain from them. During an energy audit, a professional will go through your home top to bottom in addition to looking at past energy bills and usage. The results of an audit will tell you a few different things. For example, you'll know where the most significant areas of energy loss are. Your auditor will also provide a list of recommendations that will increase your home's energy efficiency. If you put these recommendations into play, you will likely see noticeable savings on your energy bills.
How Much Audits Cost
The cost of a home energy-efficiency audit will depend primarily on the size of your home. The greater your home's square footage, the more you will pay for a home energy audit. The average cost of a home energy-efficiency audit ranges from $207 to $662. While a home energy audit can be pricey, the savings you see after implementing a few changes will offset these upfront costs.
A home energy-efficiency audit will go a long way toward helping you understand your home's energy usage. But, before you jump in, there are a few things to know about home energy-efficiency audits. First, while you can do an energy audit yourself, you'll want to use a professional for the best results. Second, an energy audit does more than tell you about energy usage. You also get valuable information on how to improve your home's energy efficiency. Finally, while a home energy audit will set you back a few hundred dollars, you will see savings on your energy bills if you implement a few recommended changes.