Are you looking for strategies to reduce your energy costs? One of the most effective methods is to undertake a home energy audit. A home energy audit can assist you in determining where your home is wasting energy and how to rectify it. Let’s go through how to execute a DIY home energy audit and what to look for when doing so. While a do-it-yourself project may sound enticing, working with a professional like Energy Mass Save can enhance outcomes.
HOW TO PERFORM A HOME ENERGY AUDIT?
What exactly is a home energy audit? A home energy audit assesses how much energy you use in your home and might identify weak areas. House energy audits help identify areas in your home to enhance energy efficiency, cut utility costs and even improve indoor air quality. Can you perform a home energy evaluation on your own? Sure, but you might miss important information if you don’t know what to look for or analyse your energy consumption.
LOOK FOR AIR LEAKS IN VULNERABLE AREAS
Doors, windows, and electrical outlets are familiar places to look for air leaks. How can you detect air leaks? A certified energy audit specialist will perform a blower door test. They utilize high-powered blowers to depressurize the air in your house and look for air leaks. If you do not have a blower door machine like most households, there is another technique to check for air leakage. You only need masking tape and an incense stick.
To begin, close any doors, windows, and other openings to your home, such as fireplace doors. Next, turn off all heat sources in your home to have no blowing air. Finally, move the incense stick close to sensitive surfaces such as doors, windows, light fixtures, and electrical outlets after everything has been shut and turned off. If you find smoke travelling towards a specific spot, you may have discovered an air leak—Mark the locations using masking tape so you may return to them later.
SAVE ENERGY AND INSPECT YOUR CURRENT INSULATION
Ensuring your home is adequately insulated is one of the most excellent methods to conserve energy. Insulation keeps your house pleasant and impacts the quality of your indoor air. You can get it complete by examining the amount and quality of insulation in your home. You’ll need thermal imaging equipment or an infrared camera to complete so. If you don’t have access to any of them, you may utilize a simple trick: inspect the attic insulation.
Go into the attic and search for any ice dams on the roof to inspect the insulation. If you have ice dams, it signifies you don’t have enough insulation in your home and are losing energy through the roof. You should also inspect the insulation around your pipes to ensure adequate. If it isn’t, you might be wasting electricity through your pipes.
Without the correct equipment, inspecting the insulation in your walls is difficult. The best option is to get an expert to check your present insulation. They can then recommend energy-saving modifications to enhance or replace your insulation.
INSPECT YOUR LIGHTING AND EVALUATE ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Electricity expenses might make for a significant portion of your utility bills. So first, examine your lighting fixtures and lamps to determine the sort of lightbulbs you are currently utilizing. One of the most straightforward energy-efficiency improvements you can make is to replace ageing incandescent lightbulbs with LEDs. Energy Mass Save is a fantastic resource for determining the best-LED lightbulb for your house, which can result in long-term energy savings.
INSPECT YOUR HVAC SYSTEM
At least once a year, you should examine your HVAC system. During home energy audits, it’s critical to update your HVAC air filters to ensure your house has the best air quality possible. If your HVAC system is more than 15 years old, it may be time to consider replacing it with an energy-efficient one.
It would help if you looked at another aspect of your HVAC system, such as the ductwork. If you notice dust or grime accumulating inside your ducting, this might be an indication of a leak. Assume you opt to replace your complete system as part of your home energy evaluations. In such a scenario, you may skip ductwork entirely by installing a Mistubishi Ductless Mini-Split, which can dramatically enhance your house’s energy efficiency and air quality.
CONSIDER THE ENERGY EFFICIENCY OF YOUR APPLIANCES
Evaluating your appliances is another approach to save money on your home’s energy cost. Begin by inspecting all of your devices for the Energy Guide label. It will inform you of how much energy each appliance consumes. If your machine lacks the Energy Star badge, it may be time to replace it.
BENEFITS OF HIRING A PROFESSIONAL ENERGY COMPANY
Although it may be tempting to do home energy audits on your own, it is critical to engage a professional. Here are a few of the most important reasons hiring a professional is the best option.
- A professional can save you valuable time. An energy audit may appear to be quick and straightforward. On the contrary, it will take you much longer to accomplish if you don’t know what you’re looking for. An energy audit specialist can arrive and go in a matter of hours.
- Hiring a professional can save you money. If you don’t have the necessary instruments for auditing specific aspects of your house, such as the insulation, you’ll have to buy them on top of the money you’ll pay to make modifications. An Energy Mass Save team member will already have the equipment on hand and know exactly how to utilize them to increase the odds of locating sensitive parts of your house.
- An energy professional has a better track record of locating susceptible spots in your house. A professional is an expert in this field and will know where to look and what to look for. If you have performed your energy audit and have missed any areas, they will know what to look for and will assist you in correcting any errors.
- A specialist can advise you on the most effective strategies to increase your home’s efficiency. They can give value-added advantages and information to help you decide about the most graceful home upgrades.
Conclusion:
Energy Mass Save is the best place to look for the answers for the home energy audits. We are always there for your help whether you are looking for DIY energy audits solutions or getting professionals to do your work. And not only that, we can make you eligible for the rebates and incentives of the Mass Save program. So call us, and we will be at your service.