Every year, Americans experience two weather extremes: boilingly hot and ice cold. Even if you live in a milder climate, you're going to find yourself dependingly wholly on your home's heating and cooling system, whether it's an HVAC unit or ductless heat pump. One day, you may notice a change or difference in your home's ability to keep cool or warm; if your house is constantly one or the other, or your energy bill has skyrocketed, it may be time to audit your home energy.

What Is A Home Energy Audit?

At its very core, a home energy audit is an assessment of your home that examines its current energy consumption and provides ways of improving and optimizing energy use. Because heating and cooling comprise approximately 54% of annual utility bills, energy audits can ensure that you're not paying more than you should due to a leak or other source of energy waste. Let's take a look at some of the inspections that will occur when you audit your home energy.

• Air Leakage: Drafts can cause an incredible loss of heated and cooled air, which is precisely not what you want to be dealing in the dead of winter or the height of summer. Your technician will examine any chimneys, bypasses, recessed lighting, outlets, and HVAC ducts to make sure there are no gaps or holes. They will also conduct a blower door test to determine your home's airtightness.

• Heating and Cooling System: By inspecting your insulation, testing for fuel leaks in furnaces, and checking any duct systems, filters, and even dryer ventings, your tech will be making sure that your home's temperature can be regulated and maintained. If you experience drastic fluctuations in temperature, the problem may be located in one of these areas.

• Electrical Systems: Some electrical systems may be using more energy than you know. Your appliances, light fixtures, and wiring will all be tested using a watt meter to measure their total energy use.

Having your home's energy use audited can go a long way to solving major problems, both financially and structurally within your home. Technicians will be able to identify energy saps, such as a lack of insulation, that you can then improve, reducing both your carbon footprint and your monthly utility bill.