You consider yourself an expert in the field of energy-saving. If only they offered degrees for that. You’ve taught the kids to turn off lights when they leave a room, you’ve installed a smart thermostat, and you’re religious about your HVAC preventive maintenance. Still, it feels like you could be saving more on utility costs for your Berlin, MD home.
The truth is, many of the threats to your energy efficiency go undetected, hidden behind the walls of your home. As much as you’d like to, you won’t be able to hunt all these threats on your own. If you really want to improve energy efficiency before the weather cools down, you need an energy audit from your local HVAC technician. Here’s what an energy audit entails and why you should get one now.
What Is a Home Energy Audit?
In essence, a home energy audit is a lot like a diagnosis from your doctor. You can’t see the viruses swimming around in your body, even if you can feel their effects. You need a doctor to analyze your symptoms and diagnose whatever illness you may have. It’s quite the same with energy loss and a home energy audit. The audit primarily identifies where in your home you may be losing energy. It also seeks out any health or safety issues that could endanger you and your family.
You may be wondering what an audit consists of. Will your local HVAC technician just put a stethoscope to the wall? Of course not. The audit involves a combination of assessment and analysis. To start, your tech will take a look at last year’s fuel bills to establish a base to work from. They’ll then interview you and inquire about any issues you’ve noticed as well as what energy-saving habits you already follow. Following the interview, your technician inspects the interior and exterior of the home, using tools like an infrared camera to identify air leaks, lack of insulation, and more. They’ll also check your thermostat and test your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
Once the inspection and tests are complete, your technician will use the data to compile a comprehensive report that you can later use to improve energy efficiency.
Why Receive a Home Energy Audit?
Following your checkup, your doctor should (hopefully) diagnose your illness and prescribe treatment. A home energy audit is more than just a checkup; it’s completed with the purpose of treating the energy loss issues you may have never found otherwise. For example, you would likely never see a leak in your duct network. You may never hear air seeping out of the crack, but that tiny leak is releasing your cool air and welcoming in warm air from outside. This air loss adds strain to the system and raises your energy bills. An energy audit will identify such issues and propose treatment.
Not only does your audit assess physical issues in your HVAC system and indoor air quality, but it also addresses any poor habits you may not have caught.
What Happens After an Energy Audit?
Think of the comprehensive report as your prescription. Take this medication twice a day. Rest. Eat healthy. Next, it’s up to you to follow the doctor’s guidance, and the principle carries over to energy audits. Found out you have a leaky duct? Call that technician back and get it sealed. Alternatively, you might need to make a DIY weekend project of adding extra insulation to your attic or caulking the borders of your windows.
You’ll also likely need to assess your energy efficiency habits and, now that you have more information, adjust your lifestyle accordingly for maximum savings. That may involve not just turning off lights when you leave a room, but unplugging electronics and small appliances.
A home energy audit is just what the doctor prescribed. With it, you’ll finally be able to take your Berlin, MD home to a higher level of energy efficiency and cost savings. Once you’ve received your audit, schedule HVAC maintenance with Griffith Energy Services by calling us at 888-474-3391.
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