How to Do a Home Energy Audit

The easiest way to overpay for electricity is by not monitoring your usage. When you know how much electricity you’re wasting, you’re more likely to save where you can. The first steps to making your home more energy efficient include setting your thermostat at an appropriate temperature and turning lights off when you leave the house. One important step homeowners often miss is doing an energy audit once a year or so. Here’s how you can do a home energy audit and find more ways to save on electricity. 

What is a Home Energy Audit?

The purpose of a home energy audit is to find ways that you can reduce your energy consumption in your home. This can help you save money and make your home friendlier to the environment. You may be surprised by how many factors can impact the amount of energy you use in your home. 

Preparations for a Home Energy Audit

What kind of home energy audit you choose to do can be determined by factors like your level of handiness and the age of your home. You may feel confident in your own ability to audit your home, or this may be a situation that calls for professional assistance. Start by determining who is going to do the audit, then make sure you have plenty of time set aside. See the steps below to help you decide whether you want to do the audit yourself or hire a pro. 

Exterior Assessment

The exterior of your home will give you a surprising amount of information relating to the power usage inside of your home. Here are a few key areas to check:

• Inspect windows and doors for air leakage.
• Evaluate the condition of insulation in walls and roofs.
• Check for drafts and sealing gaps in exterior walls.

Interior Assessment

Checking the interior of your home may involve a little more handiwork. These are some of the key areas to check inside of your home: 

• Assess the insulation levels in attics and crawl spaces.
• Examine heating and cooling systems for efficiency and proper functioning.
• Inspect lighting fixtures and appliances for energy consumption.

DIY Energy Efficiency Improvements

Once you figure out in which areas your home could be more efficient, you can take some of the following steps to fix the problems:

• Add or repair weatherstripping, and caulk areas with air leaks.
• Add or repair insulation. (This is safer when done by a professional.)
• Upgrade lighting and appliances to energy-efficient alternatives.

Doing a home energy audit can help you save a significant amount of money on electricity each year. This is one of many ways to save money on electricity. If you’re in Texas, switching to a prepaid power company like Pronto Power can also help make electricity more affordable. We also offer monitoring services so you’ll always know how much energy you’re using. Call us today at 1-844-621-2852 or contact us online to get started.