Thanks to rising utility cost and environmental concerns, “energy audit” is a term you are attending be hearing more of. What is an energy audit and why may it interest you?

An energy audit is an attic-to-basement assessment of your house’s energy efficiency, detailing how it uses energy, revealing problem areas where energy is being wasted, identifying improvements you could put up better its energy efficiency, and helping you prioritize those improvements.

You'll be able to audit your home yourself or hire a professional energy auditor to do it for you. An auditor will probably begin by discussing with you any concerns you might have (e.g., you energy cost, comfort, or health), asking you about how you live and use energy, and reviewing your past utility bills.

The auditor should then conduct a walkthrough of your house, assessing things like insulation levels, ventilation, appliances, windows and doors, water flow, and heating, cooling and electrical systems. The auditor will likely use infrared technology to evaluate insulation and conduct what’s called a “blower door test” to determine airtightness. The audit should also address health and safety concerns like air quality and carbon monoxide levels.

The benefits of energy audits are numerous - provided, naturally, you implement even some of the recommended improvements. You’ll lower your greenhouse-gas emissions, be easier in your home and, possibly, experience improved health. Your house will run more efficiently, costing less money every month, which will boost its resale value. Plus, you perhaps entitled to rebates and other financial incentives to help offset the cost of the audit and the improvements you implement.