As we start approaching the winter months it is important to take note on the condition of your home’s heating systems before the day you need them the most. Conducting a home energy audit is a fantastic way to make sure your home is maintaining its heating efficiency without costing you any unnecessary money.
If you are looking to save energy and reduce your heating bill, there are several simple tasks you can perform on your own to test the efficiency of your home’s energy consumption:
- Check for any air leaks or drafts within your home. These can typically be found where two different materials in your homes construction come together or where your walls meet the floor and ceiling. Try to seal these air leaks with the appropriate material if you can.
- Check your home’s insulation. If your insulation is less than the recommend minimum thickness you can be looking at huge amounts of heat loss, resulting in a higher monthly energy bill.
- Check all of your heating and cooling systems. Make sure they get serviced at least once a year and replace any filters as needed. It is also recommended to consider replacing your HVAC system for a more modern energy efficient one if your homes unit is over 15 years old.
- Make sure to check your home’s lighting as well. Examine all light bulbs in your home and replace older less efficient bulbs with more modern high efficiency, energy saving bulbs.
- Make note of all the appliances and electronics that are in use within your home and calculate their estimated energy use. You can try to reduce your energy use from appliances by unplugging chargers when they are not in use. Use electronics and appliances no more than needed, or if possible replace the items with more efficient models.
By following the steps listed above and performing your own home energy audit, you can start to take back control of your home’s energy efficiency. If however you still feel lost or have questions regarding any of the steps outlined above, please feel free to give the Comfort Air team a call. We are happy to answer your home energy audit questions!