Owning a home is an investment, and it’s one that needs to be maintained. You’ll paint the exterior, trim the grass, replace old gutters, all just to keep up the appearance of your investment. But what about the inner workings? How your home functions and consumes electricity is just as important as how it looks, if not more so since it might be costing you money you don’t have to pay, every single month. Getting an energy audit is like getting a tune up for your home, pinpointing problem areas, and offering solutions on how to improve the effectiveness of the electricity that you do use. You wouldn’t stand for a leaky sprinkler head on your lawn, why would you stand for a potentially similar situation with your electricity? Just because you can’t see it, it doesn’t mean it’s being used to the best of its abilities. While it does seem like a daunting operation at first, it’s quite painless in the end, especially if you have qualified technicians handling the inspection.

So what is an energy audit?

An energy audit is a test that qualified personnel run on your home to detect how well your home uses a handful of its essential systems, and how your home has handled the stress of using them. Attics and basements (if applicable) are inspected for any drafts or leaks. Ventilation systems are checked for the same. Insulation is inspected and made sure it’s up to standards, all around the home. Windows are inspected, as these can be one of the main areas of leaks. Next, a blower door is attached, and your home is pressurized to find any leaks in the flooring, the ceilings, recessed lighting, or any area where air conditioning, either hot or cold, could potentially leak, and reduce its effectiveness. There might be some other tests done, and other things looked at, such hot water heaters, lighting systems, and kitchen appliances; pretty much anything that might be able to be improved to save you money.

But how can this save you money?

Well, as homes age and settle, these systems can lose a lot of their effectiveness. Heating and cooling costs are without a doubt one of the largest energy consumption networks in your home, and if it’s not running at peak performance, it can cost you more money than you’d expect (especially in the upcoming colder months). Heating leaks, deteriorated insulation, windows not keeping in the heat or cool can all have immense effects on your electric bill over time, and only get worse. The best way to counteract this, and even make improvements that can surpass your homes original functions, is through an energy audit. Once you know how effective these systems are, and ways to improve upon them, you will have the knowledge and tools necessary to improving your home, and lowering your electricity bill (possibly drastically!). Even if light renovation is required, it can potentially pay for itself in just one winter with the savings on your heating costs.

A sound investment

In the end, regardless of how old your home is, regardless of how well you think your systems are working, you have nothing to lose by getting an energy audit, but everything to gain. Even if repairs or slight renovation is needed to reach your maximum potential, it’s still a sound investment that will save you money for years to come, and will have many other benefits as well, from upping the value of your home, to being more environmentally friendly. A home running at peak efficiency saves almost 20% more electricity, and that can have a suitable impact on the environment, not to mention your pocketbook. Using a reliable, trusted, and experienced auditor to get the job done will also show results, as energy auditing requires knowledge only experience can bring, and troubleshooting only the most knowledgeable auditors might be able to perform. Luckily, the auditors at NRGwise fall into all these categories, and will treat your home with the utmost care.