What is a home energy audit, and how do you know if you need one? Basically, a home energy audit can save you money on your Desert Hills, AZ home by showing you how you’re using extra energy every month that you don’t actually need to use. In addition to performing a room-by-room assessment of your home, an energy auditor will also review your prior months’ energy bills to determine what you can do to save money and energy.
Our team of licensed professionals at Ambient Edge has several years experiencing performing energy audits and saving our customers thousands of dollars on their energy bills. Give us a call to schedule yours.
How to Prepare for an Energy Audit
Before one of our energy auditors visits your home, you can make a list for him of any problems you already know about, like a particular draft or an area of your home where moisture seems to gather. Make sure you have copies of your monthly energy bills – ideally a year’s worth is enough to make a proper determination. If you don’t usually hold onto your bills once they’ve been paid, you can ask your utility company for copies.
The more information you can provide the auditor upfront, the better. This cuts down on the amount of time he needs to spend at your home performing the audit when he already has a good idea of what to look for, or what not to look for because you have already pointed it out to him.
As part of the audit, the auditor will ask you questions to determine how your day-to-day activities affect your energy usage. For instance, he may ask you if anyone is home during working hours when most people would be at work, not requiring the use of their home’s energy. He may ask you what temperature you typically keep your thermometer at, as well as whether you regularly use all the rooms in your home.
Some additional things you can do to prepare, which will help the audit process flow even smoother, include:
- Emptying your clothes dryer.
- Restraining your pets and keeping them away from the auditor while he performs his tests.
- Stop using your fireplace 24 hours prior to the audit and, if possible, clean out the ashes.
- Make sure the auditor has a clear path to your oil burner or furnace and/or hot water heater.
- Clear off your windowsills so the auditor can access your windows free of obstacles.
- Remember this inspection is a thorough walk-through of your home, so put away anything you don’t want the auditor to see.
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A Typical Energy Audit
You should expect a typical energy audit to last between 3 and 4 hours. The size of your home, as well as the type of HVAC system you use, will determine how long – or short- the audit will be.
During the audit, the auditor will perform several inspections and tests. For one, he will do a more general inspection, getting an idea of the measurements and dimensions of your home and taking notes, including any potential safety or performance issues that are present or possible.
From there, he’ll perform a blower door test and a test of your HVAC system. The blower door test uses what is essentially an oversized fan to see where the air is leaking out of your home. This includes your windows, doors, crawlspace, attic, and air ducts. This will help him determine where, if any, sealing is necessary.
As for the HVAC test, the auditor will test everything from your oil burner to your clothes dryer to ensure that all of your appliances are safely installed and have proper ventilation. Once the auditor completes his schedule of tests, he will discuss the findings with you, as well as any potential repairs or improvements you may need. You will also receive a paper copy of the report for your files and to reference if and when you go to make those repairs.
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Home Energy Audits are a Breeze with Ambient Edge!
If you’re looking to have a home energy audit performed on your Desert Hills, AZ home, Ambient Edge is the company to call. We aim to be as thorough as possible without requiring any more of your time than a typical home energy audit should take. And we are ready, willing, and able to help you with any repairs or insulation installation in Desert Hills you may need to make as a result of the audit.
Start saving money – and help out the environment in the process! – with a home energy audit with Ambient Edge! Simply fill out the contact form on our website, or give us a call, and let’s started!
