Energy costs money. Every drop of water, every invisible puff of gas and each kilowatt of electricity is a charge that will appear on your monthly bill.
1. What Is an Energy Audit
A home energy audit evaluates your home’s energy use. It evaluates your
- electricity use and waste
- Water use and waste
- Gas usage and waste
An audit points out where are you losing energy and provides recommendations on how to increase energy efficiency within your home and thus save money. Therefore, if your energy bills are frustrating you, it’s a good idea to do an energy audit to see how you’re allocating energy use in the home and find ways to reduce your energy consumption along with the chunk of your budget that your energy bill eats up.
2. Benefits of an Energy Audit
In a nut shell, there are many benefits of energy audits from energy rebates, increased longevity of appliances and lower Vectren Energy utility costs. Let’s look into it.
Saving you money on bills
An energy audit allows you to inspect and locate where your home is losing energy. This way, you can make the necessary upgrades or repairs to rectify the situation and save money on your monthly energy bill over the long haul.
It allows you to forecast your expenses
Most of us are unaware how appliances may be causing a higher energy bill such as an old refrigerator or a poorly maintained HVAC. For instance, issues with air conditioning installation Birmingham could lead to inefficient cooling and higher energy consumption. A home energy audit enables you to identify these inconsistencies in your home and budget the necessary finances that are needed to keep your home energy efficient.
An energy audit empowers you to make informed decisions
You can save a lot of money from your utility bill by investing in energy-efficient devices such as those certified by EnergyStar that provide the same performance while using significantly less energy. Just make sure your home is properly insulated first.
You help preserve the planet we call our home
Making more energy-efficient choices not only saves us money but it also helps save the planet. Households that rely on fossil fuels to run are responsible for significant amounts of CO2 emissions which is the primary cause of global warming.
3. Ways To Make Your Home More Energy Efficient
Once you’re aware of the areas and appliances that need to be upgraded or improved, you can take action to make them more energy efficient. With the help of technology and innovation, such as horizon scanning, we can stay ahead of the curve and adopt more energy-efficient practices. We’re fortunate to be living in an era that makes it easier for all of us to live more efficiently.
Unplug unused devices
Your bill likely contains some phantom loads which is the energy plugged in devices consume even if they are not in use. According to Energy.gov, the average charger consumes 0.26 watts of energy when not in use and 2.24 watts when connected to your phone. Although on its own, it doesn’t matter much, but collectively energy vampires in your household can easily add up to 10% of your energy bill. For example, a plugged in coffee maker consumes as much energy as a LED lightbulb when it’s not in use. If you are worried that it’ll take a while to develop the habit to unplug a device after use, just buy a smart power strip which you can even control from your phone with a simple click.
Do you really need hot water?
According to Treehugger.com, 90% of the energy used by your washer is used to heat the water, with only 10% being used to actually run the thing. Cleaning agents are so powerful these days so they will get the job done with cold water. Warm water might be needed for some stains, but there’s no need for it to be boiling. Showering with cold water or at least switching in between hot and cold will do wonders for your health, stamina and the physical appearance of your skin as it gets the circulation going. Every time you are using cold instead of hot water, you are potentially saving a lot of energy.
Give your thermostat a break
According to Energy.gov, lowering your thermostat by 10 to 15 degrees during the working days of the week will save 5% to 15% every year. Try dressing for the occasion by layering up during winter and getting cozy underneath blankets while dressing lightly during hot summer days.
Takeaway – An energy audit will save you money on your monthly energy bill as well as reduce your carbon footprint. An energy audit will pay for itself repay itself through long-term savings as well as by making your home more comfortable, safer and healthier.