As energy costs keep rising, it is now more important to be aware of your energy use at home. Whether you depend entirely on the grid or work with a mix of electricity and solar energy, it does help to know your home’s efficiency level. Home energy audits will help you to learn what measures you can take to curb high energy bills.
An energy audit from a licensed electrician can help you identify which components of your home are the biggest energy wasters. In turn, you’ll be able to make data-driven decisions that result in huge savings.
In this piece, you’ll learn what a home energy audit is, what it entails, and how and when you should schedule one.
What Is A Home Energy Audit?
Home energy audit refers to the electrical assessment made on a residential property. It involves a series of tests to determine how energy-efficient your home is and how it can improve.
How Does The Home Energy Audit Work?
The assessment is done by a professional electrical inspector or licensed power company. Once you schedule the audit, an inspector will show up in your home and asses all the necessary electrical components.
The inspector will look into components like:
- Heating and cooling system.
- Energy efficiency of appliances.
- Water heater.
- Insulation.
- Pumps.
- Lighting.
- Appliance energy use.
Home energy audits usually take between one to four hours. But depending on your home’s size and complexity, the process might take longer. With a proper assessment, your inspector will recommend the best approach to improving your energy efficiency.
You can pass on the recommendations to any electrical contractors near you to make the upgrades and repairs.
Scheduling Home Energy Audits
You can schedule the audit by employing the services of a contractor in your area. To find a licensed electrician, simply look for contractors listed on your local government’s website.
You can also get auditors from reputable electrical companies or use references from friends and family. Once you find the right auditor, agree on the cost and schedule a date to conduct the assessment.
When Should I Schedule A Home Energy Audit?
Summer
If you live in areas with warmer climates, such as Colorado, then scheduling the audit in summer is the better option. Denver, for example, records over 300 days of sunlight all year round. Therefore, having Denver electricians perform the audit in the hottest months is more practical.
During prolonged hot days, your cooling system is under considerable stress to cool your home. You may also find that your second floor is hotter compared to the ground floor, leading you to up the air conditioning. As a result, you’ll notice that you’re paying much more for your cooling system.
So, an energy audit in summer can help you identify ways to optimize your home’s cooling system, minimize air leaks, and reduce potential costs.
Hot weather can sometimes tag along with complicated heating issues that may affect certain systems. High temperatures increase the chances of equipment failures due to voltage fluctuations and overloaded circuits. In addition, the hot temperatures can exacerbate pre-existing problems like faulty wiring and degrading insulation. Home energy audits from electricians near Denver can help you avoid these problems and the unnecessary expenses that come with them.
All in all, any time of the year is good enough to get an energy audit. If you can’t schedule one in summer or winter, then autumn or fall will suffice.
Winter
This would be the perfect moment to schedule all your energy audits. It is during this time when homeowners see spikes in their energy bills. This is mainly due to the increased demand for heating and entertainment since many stay indoors. This helps inspectors to get more precise insights into your home’s HVAC and entertainment systems.
Getting the audit done in winter can also help you identify other issues that affect your electrical system. The licensed electrician will also look for things like wire corrosion, mold, mildew, and moisture damage during the assessment as well as things such as holiday lights that are only used during the holiday season.
Another added benefit of scheduling the audit in winter is the reduced demand from fellow residents. Since many people like scheduling home energy audits in summer, there’s far less competition in winter. As a result, the audit won’t cost as much, and you’ll be able to get more in-depth information about your home’s energy consumption.
What You Get From A Home Energy Audit
1. Better Home Value
A poll found that energy efficiency is among the top factors that influence the decision of home buyers. This confirms that any upgrade meant to reduce energy costs is of great value in any home.
2. Save On Energy costs
Implementing the recommendations you get after a home energy audit can result in huge savings on energy bills.
3. Improved Energy Efficiency
The main aim of home energy audits is to help homeowners boost energy efficiency in their homes. Getting an audit will help you identify weaknesses like leaks in insulations, heating and cooling systems, and appliances.
4. Elimination Of Guesswork
Home energy audits allow you to get to the root of the problem. Knowing exactly what to replace, repair, or upgrade goes a long way in saving time and expenses.
Get Accurate Home Energy Audits With ElectriCall
For over 11 years, ElectriCall has helped many Denver residents tackle unexplained surges in energy bills. You can count on us to do a thorough audit of your home’s electrical components and provide you with actionable recommendations.