Have you ever performed a double take when you viewed your last energy bill? While high energy bills can be the end result of extreme weather events, repeatedly high bills can also suggest an inefficient HVAC system or your home is misusing energy through other means, such as drafty windows or insufficient insulation.
One of the easiest ways to figure out whether your home is consuming too much energy is by hiring a home service expert to perform a home energy audit, also referred to as a home energy assessment. Keep reading to learn more about home energy audits, including what they are and their key elements.
What Is a Home Energy Audit?
An energy audit is a comprehensive inspection of how much energy your home uses and whether – and where – your home could be losing or wasting energy. An inspector will go through past energy bills in the course of an energy audit to find out where energy is being wasted and how much.
The general goal of an energy audit is to help homeowners save money on their energy bills by identifying energy-efficient improvements, which might include exchanging your existing HVAC system, adding new insulation, closing up leaks, or replacing loose windows.
During the energy assessment, the auditor carries out an inspection of the outside and inside of your home. The auditor will perform a blower door test on doorways, windows and fireplace