One of the best ways to determine true energy efficiency is to have an energy audit performed by a professional company. However, many Arizona residents often ask ‘what is an energy audit’ in the first place? The reason most people are not familiar with the energy audit process is quite frankly – we’ve really had a need to have them performed in recent years.
But with rising costs of energy production and a focus on streamlining our monthly energy bills in every household becoming popular, many people have turned to professional energy assessment to diagnose their home energy efficiency level and suggest a course of action to improve it greatly.
Answers To Commonly Asked Questions About Energy Audits
Question #1 – What is an Energy Audit?
An energy audit is a process where a professional energy auditor that should be BPI Certified, will complete a room-by-room examination of your home and examine your previous energy bills to determine the energy efficiency of your house. There are many individual tests that they perform during this audit, which can include:
- Completing a thermo-graphic scan of the home to check for cold or hot spots in the house
- Completing a blower test to check out how efficient your heater or cooling system delivers air.
- Inspecting the ductwork and complete HVAC system for leaks, clogged ports or any obstructions that might limit the air flow potential
- Reviewing past energy bills for peaks and valleys of energy usage or any patterns that show where energy can be saved during each monthly cycle.
After they complete the basic examination of both the home and past performance of energy bills, the energy auditor will have a basic understanding of the energy efficiency of your home – then complete a course of action plan that will help you improve your energy efficiency level; and most importantly, find ways to save money.
Question #2 – How Can I Prepare for an Energy Assessment?
If you’ve seen the value of an energy assessment and would like to have one completed, there are a few important steps you should complete before the energy assessor arrives to your home that includes the following:
- Make sure you write down any problems your home has such as drafty rooms, cold spots or times during the year when you notice increases in energy bills
- Make sure you have copies of your energy bills from the past 12-month cycle ready for the energy auditor to review
- Be prepared to answer a few basic questions about household living that will give complete information for the energy auditor to make an informed decision
Question #3 – Why should we have an Energy Audit Completed in Arizona?
Finally, now that you’ve answered ‘what is an energy audit’, and what you should do to prepare for one, you might ask yourself why it’s important to have an energy audit in the first place. Well, the answer is rather simple – to save money in the long run. The average home in Arizona loses between 20-30% of its heat and cold due to common and rather easy to fix issues with the home. By having a professional examine and inspect your home, you have the potential to significantly improve your home’s energy efficiency. This will help you save money, protect the environment and improve the overall quality of life.
