A home energy audit is a great way to discover and prioritize areas where you could be saving on energy costs.

Everybody knows that a new, modern water heater is more energy efficient than its obsolete counterpart. A New water heater; however, is just one of the many upgrades you can make that will save you money on your utility bills. As a homeowner, it can be hard to know which upgrades you should be focused on.

water heater needs replacing

A professional home energy audit will include a room by room analysis of your home, as well as a detailed analysis of your utility bills. It may also include a blower door test, which evaluates the airtightness of your home and helps locate any leaks, and other specialized techniques like a thermographic scan.

While a professional home energy audit is the most thorough option, you can also do a DIY energy audit.

To perform a DIY home energy audit:

  • Check your home for air leaks, both indoors and out. Inside your house look for gaps under or around doors, where your walls meet each other and the ceiling, and under your baseboards. Outside your home look around windows, where different building materials meet, and around fixtures and outlets. Seal any leak you find with weatherstripping, caulk, or another appropriate method. While you’re making your home more airtight, keep in mind that if you burn gas or wood for heat, you’ll need to properly ventilate your heater. Soot near your heater could indicate a potentially dangerous backdraft, in which case you should definitely get the help of a professional.
  • Check your insulation. Make sure its thickness is meets the recommended minimum for your home.
  • Check your heating and cooling equipment. If you have a forced air furnace, inspect the filter and replace it if necessary. You should have your heat and A/C systems cleaned and inspected by a professional once a year. If your heater or air conditioner is more than 10 years old, you may want to consider replacing it with a more energy efficient model.
  • Check your water heater other appliances. You can also estimate their energy use. If any of them are old, a bit of research will show you how much money you could be saving every month with a replacement unit.
  • For more information on DIY home energy audits, take a look at the Department of Energy website.

Once your home energy audit is complete, you’ll have a better idea of your opportunities for savings. Whether you need a heat or A/C inspection, cleaning, or upgrade, or a new water heater, give us a call at Polar HVAC!