If you’re a homeowner, then you’ve probably been hearing a lot about programs and products that can save you money on energy costs and possibly help the environment at the same time. These days, there’s a big push within the building and home improvement industries to go green and take steps to conserve energy for the long haul. As a result, companies are manufacturing more and more energy-efficient products and appliances, and homeowners are jumping on the bandwagon by taking steps to improve their houses from an energy-efficiency perspective.
If the idea of making your home more energy efficient sounds like a good one to you, then the first step in the process should be to bring in an energy auditing company to evaluate your property. A home energy audit is essentially an assessment of how much energy your home uses. The purpose of a home energy audit is to identify energy-related problems that may or may not be present without your home and recommend solutions that will save you money on energy costs over time.
Kerry Hollenbeck is the owner of Advantage Diagnostics Energy Services, a Maryland-based home energy auditing company dedicated to helping homeowners save money on energy cost. He says that getting a home energy audit is just like going to the doctor: You need to find out what’s working and what’s wrong so that you can take the proper steps to improve the health of your body (or in this case, your home). In fact, in Hollenbeck’s experience, many homeowners tend to make the mistake of implementing changes to their houses without consulting a professional first. The problem with this approach is that the average homeowner isn’t necessarily in the best position to identify weaknesses in his home and implement the most effective solutions given the situation at hand. Just as you’d rely on a doctor to diagnose an ailment and prescribe the right medicine for treatment, so too should you rely on a home energy auditor to pinpoint problems or weaknesses within your home and recommend solutions that will most effectively treat the issues at hand.
So when should you consider getting an energy audit? Some people like to get theirs done before the heating or cooling seasons kick in, but according to Hollenbeck, energy audits can be performed at any time throughout the year. The important thing to remember is that if you’re looking to make improvements to your home’s energy efficiency, then you should get an audit before you spend any money or make changes along these lines. This way, you can maximize your home improvement budget by following the advice of an expert who can identify current shortcomings within your house and point out items that may become problematic down the line. Again, it’s just like going to the doctor: You might walk in and ask for medicine to treat an infection, but if an exam reveals that the problem is viral, then a course of antibiotics won’t do you much good. The same logic applies to fixing problems within a home. While you might think that replacing your windows will save you money on heating costs, adding insulation might be a better and more cost-effective way to achieve that same goal.
So just how the thorough is the average home energy audit? Naturally, it depends on the company involved, but Hollenbeck believes in scrutinizing each home inside and out to identify not only existing problems, but precursors to future issues. Specifically, a home energy audit might reveal that a moisture problem is slowly building – something that, if left untreated, could generate unhealthy mildew and mold. During an audit, Hollenbeck will inspect everything from the windows to the roof to the exterior walls to get a good sense of how a home uses energy and retains cold air and heat. He will also be on the lookout for problems such as poor indoor air quality and improper exterior grading. Contrary to what some might think, the purpose of a home energy audit is not just to tell people that their utility bills are too high. Rather, a home energy audit should identify methods of improving a house to make it energy efficient, comfortable, and safe.
If you’re looking to make changes to your home that will increase its energy efficiency, then don’t jump the gun. Instead, start the process off on the right foot by getting a home energy audit. By doing so, you’ll be able to prioritize your efforts and maximize your budget in your home improvement venture. Best of all, you’ll be setting yourself up to save loads of money on energy costs for as long as you own your home.
