Energy Audits
Routine Care Task
Conduct energy audit
An energy audit can help find ways to save you money on your energy costs.
The recommended changes from an energy audit can range from no-cost adjustments, to changes that require investments that pay back savings over several years.
Priority
Timing: July (every 5 years)
NOTE: The tasks and timings shown here for your Energy Audits are based on a single-family home located in Massachusetts with a default set of home care goals and priorities.
If you setup your POLICY-Wizard™ personal home manager for a different location with different home care goals, your recommended home care program can have different tasks and timings for your {home feature}.
How To
A detailed energy audit should be conducted by a trained professional, who has experience in evaluating how energy is used and can be conserved.
The types of things they should look at include:
Evaluate the cost-effectiveness of energy saving devices such as programmable thermostats, low-flow shower heads, water heater wrap kits, attic fans, etc.
Evaluate your appliances for cost-effective opportunities to replace them with higher-efficiency models.
Evaluate your insulation and windows for heat loss ratings.
Evaluate replacing light fixtures and light bulbs with higher efficiency types.
Develop recommendations for reducing operating costs such as reducing the temperature setting on your water heater, doing laundry during off-peak times, etc.
Use a 'blower door' and an infrared device to detect sources of heat and cooling losses around your home.
You should shop around to find a service provider with sophisticated tools and techniques for analyzing your specific home for energy savings.
Helpful Accessories
Allows you to check the energy use of anything that can be plugged into an outlet
consumer reviews, choices, prices
Great for monitoring and managing your whole house energy usage
consumer reviews, choices, prices
Infrared temperature monitor for conducting a do-it-yourself home energy audit
consumer reviews, choices, prices
Benefits
The benefits of this task can provide significant energy savings depending on the age of your home, your cost of energy, and the number of energy saving steps that are available for your home.
-
Energy Savings
-
Comfort & Convenience
-
Maintaining Value
-
Health & Safety
Costs
The cost of this task is moderately low, and may even be free from your local utility.
