As the temperature keeps rising, energy bills are higher than ever. With beaches and public areas being inaccessible this year, we are left to rely on our fans and air-conditioning units to keep us cool in these record breaking heat. This can be a huge ongoing expense, and so it pays to take steps to make your home more energy efficient. The first step in making your property more energy efficient is none other than an energy audit.
What is an energy audit?
An energy audit is a comprehensive assessment of how energy efficient your property is. During an energy audit, you can expect a professional to come in and evaluate:
- Your appliances.
- Your cooling system.
- Your water heater.
- Your windows and doors.
- Your lighting.
From there, your energy auditor will be able to make suggestions on how to lower your heating and cooling costs. These could include:
- Upgrading older appliances.
- Replacing an inefficient air conditioning system.
- Getting new windows or better sealing your current windows.
- Replacing your light bulbs with energy-efficient LEDs or skylights.
What about savings?
An energy audit can result in up to a 20% reduction in your annual energy consumption. In other words, you might shave 20% off of your cooling costs.
But one thing you should know is that to enjoy those savings, you’ll need to actually make the changes your energy auditor recommends. And those changes could be costly.
Should you get an energy audit?
An energy audit could reveal some relatively easy, low-cost ideas to improve your energy efficiency and lower your utility costs, and given the relatively low price tag for an average-sized home, it may be worthwhile. But if you’re going to have an energy audit performed, be prepared to either ignore some of the advice you’re given or shell out a lot of money to follow through on it.
