One of the first steps you should take to reduce your utility bills is to have a household energy audit done. This audit is often done at no charge by your utility company, or a professional auditor can be hired to do the job. An inspection of your entire home can identify areas where energy is being wasted. Knowing what type of changes can be made, can result in significant savings in the future.

Auditing Insulation

One of the biggest areas where energy is wasted, is in home insulation. Older homes especially lack proper wall and attic insulation.

Auditing your insulation will require evaluating several factors that are unique to your household, and contribute to the energy usage. Homes in cold areas require different types of insulation than homes in warmer climates. Having the proper insulation will result in lower heating and cooling costs. A professional will be able to determine the proper type and amount of insulation you require.

Auditing Doors and Windows

Doors and windows are often an area where there is a large amount of energy leakage. Replacement of leaky, inefficient windows may be expensive, but long term savings can be significant. Your heating and cooling systems will operate much more efficiently if all the leaks in the doors and windows are sealed properly.

Checking for leaks can be done by simply feeling the temperature outside the doors and window, or you can hire a professional to do a thorough check. Crawlspaces and basements also need to be checked for energy leakage.

Auditing the Attics

Attics play a huge role in your heating and cooling bills. Inadequate ventilation and improper insulation can result in higher bills.

Always check to be sure there are no holes in ceilings that could cause air leakage from the interior of the home into the attic. Sealing any holes with reduce your energy consumption significantly.

Hiring a professional is a good investment. They will be able to tell you whether fiberglass or foam insulation is a better choice to increase the R factor in your attc.

Auditing Your Fireplace

In recent years, fireplaces have become common in modern homes, especially in the northern climates. The problem with fireplaces is that they allow a large amount of heat loss when not in use. If not sealed properly, heating and air conditioning energy escapes through the chimney. The flue must be properly closed when the fireplace is not in use, so heating and air conditioning cannot escape.

Adding Insulation

Adding insulation to your home can be a do-it-yourself project. Simple jobs can be performed by most homeowners. Home improvement centers have all the necessary supplies and equipment to perform many of these jobs. More complex jobs such as adding insulation to an attic, can be a do-it-yourself project, but is often left up to professionals.

Every year that you delay an audit costs you money. The savings you realize will quickly offset any expense you incur to insulate your home. In addition, audit will often uncover problems you didn't even know existed. An insulation audit should be a priority and should be performed on a regular basis.

Properly insulating your home is a wise decision. Not only do you save money, but you are helping out the environment at the same time..

Auditing Your Fireplace

In recent years, fireplaces have become common in modern homes in the northern climates. The problem with fireplaces is that they allow a large amount of heat loss when not in use. If not sealed properly, heating and air conditioning energy escapes through the chimney.

The flue must be properly closed when the fireplace is not in use, so heating and air conditioning cannot escape.

Adding Insulation

Adding insulation to your home can be a do-it-yourself project. Simple jobs can be performed by most homeowners. Home improvement centers have all the necessary supplies and equipment to perform many of these jobs. More complex jobs such as adding insulation to an attic, can be a do-it-yourself project, but is often left up to professionals.

Every year that you delay an audit costs you money. The savings you realize will quickly offset any expense you incur to insulate your home. In addition, audit will often uncover problems you didn't even know existed. An insulation audit should be a priority and should be performed on a regular basis.

Properly insulating your home is a wise decision. Not only do you save money, but you are helping out the environment at the same time.