There are many good reasons to conduct a home energy use audit. We’re all looking for ways to save money, and low-thrill-factor expenditures like the electric bill are a natural first on the chopping block. Also, with the term “carbon footprint” in common usage, it really makes sense to find out how much of an impact each of us is having on the environment.
To perform an energy audit, you can either hire a contractor or do it yourself. A contractor will have the equipment to accurately measure and pinpoint heat loss. They also know their way around appliances, insulation, and heating and cooling systems. However, at a cost between $300 and $700, it might take a while to realize any savings.
There are four main areas of energy consumption to look at: heat or cool air loss, appliances, lighting, and “phantom energy loads”. Start your investigative efforts by examining your power bill. Most companies provide a comparison between this month and the same month last year, along with average daily temperatures outside. Taking a look at your energy consumption over time might give you some clues as to what in your house is using the most energy. You can also find out how much you are paying per kilowatt hour, which will come in handy as you rate your appliances. Don’t forget to think of your power company as an ally in your search for energy savings: most offer rebates on energy efficient appliances, a budget program to even out your bills over the year, and some even offer lower electric rates at certain times of the day.
1. Find and stop air leaks. Use this low tech method to locate the air leaks around your house. Light a stick of incense and hold it next to places you suspect might have a draft. The smoke will waver if air is moving there. Here’s a short list of places to check: windows, doors, vents, fans, outlets, switch plates, attic hatch, baseboards, and any place where pipes or wires come into the room. Make sure you have weatherstripping on doors and windows, and caulk or plug any air leaks you find.
Next, check your insulation as best you can. If you can get into your attic, see what’s there for insulation and then use this online tool to determine if you need to make any improvements: http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/insulation/ins_16.html. Wall insulation will have to be checked by a professional, unless you want the responsibility of drilling holes in your walls.
2. Rate the efficiency of your appliances. These are likely to be the biggest culprit on your energy bill. For electrical appliances, you should obtain a little gizmo called a “kill a watt”. You plug it into the wall, then plug your appliance into it for a readout of kilowatts used. They cost around $20 to $30. Alternatively, you can use this formula to estimate the daily energy usage of any appliance. First, find the wattage, a number that should be stamped somewhere on the appliance. Multiply by your best estimate of how many hours of use the appliance sees in a day. Divide that number by 1000, and you have the appliance’s daily kilowatt usage. Since you already know how much each kilowatt hour costs you, this number will be easy to translate into cash outlay.
Furnaces and air conditioners can be subjected to that mysterious annual ritual called “the yearly maintenance check”. I can’t say what the furnace repair guy is actually doing that saves money and increases efficiency. However, I do buy into the idea that changing the filter will cause the unit to run more efficiently. And don’t forget that an HVAC specialist can accurately pinpoint heat loss in your ducting system, even if it’s all located in the frightening crawl space under your house.
3. Shed some light. When it comes to lighting, replace every bulb you can with lower wattage or even better, energy efficient fluorescent bulbs. The claim is that these bulbs use 75% less energy than regular incandescent ones. They work best in open fixtures, and you need special bulbs if you have a dimmer switch. To choose the right bulb, just look for the wattage replacement on the package. It gives you an idea of how bright the bulb will be compared to the incandescent bulb you would normally use in a given fixture.
4. Phantom energy draws. If you really want to cut costs where it won’t hurt, check around your house for “phantom loads”. These are appliances that keep drawing power even when you aren’t using them. Some common culprits are cell phone chargers, televisions, dvd players, video game consoles, microwaves, computers, and printers, just to name a few. Look for items that have a light on when they aren’t in use. Is there a clock or a stand by light? Can you hear a fan whirring? To avoid stand by energy drains, get into the habit of turning things off. One way to make the process easier is to connect several electronic items to one power strip, and then turn the power strip off when you aren’t using them.
After you make some changes in your house, go back and look at your power bills again. It will take about a year for you to see the difference in your energy usage over time. If you want to expand on this idea, calculate your overall carbon footprint using the calculator on this page http://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx. This can be a truly eye opening experience as you see the affect your life is having on the planet.
