Those worried about excessive energy consumption due to usage of various electrical equipment for heating, cooling, lighting and operating home appliances can take advantage of implementing many energy-efficient home improvements. Energy efficient homes are not only Eco-friendly but also are cost effective in the long run.

For example, if the home owner can implement certain measures such as stopping air leaks and strengthening insulation in the attic, basement and walls, the house would be warmer making the residents feel comfortable during winter season.

Energy efficient improvement involves making certain alterations to the house such as plugging the air leaks and improving insulation to prevent heat losses, and is meant to enhance the efficiency in the use of energy for heating and cooling.

By properly insulating the electrical systems in the home, there will be efficient utilization of energy, reduction in power consumption and consequently decrease in power costs. Here are several methods by which one can improve efficiency in the usage of energy in his home. Analytical study and pinpointing problem areas:

The ideal method to tackle problems relating to utilization of energy in older homes or homes that were not given due importance to energy efficiency is to thoroughly assess the ‘weak areas’ in the house that are responsible for high energy consumption and areas where there is considerable scope to make improvements with the aim of enhancing energy efficiency.

The study will indicate the areas of possible leakages of hot air in the house. The examination may include areas such as air ducts, roofs, basements, and any cavities in the outer walls, entry points of various utilities, checking for any leakages through doors or windows and others.

1) Insulation of windows.

Heat losses can occur if the insulation is defective. If the windows are old with gaps or spaces around the windows, hot air will escape through windows causing heat losses or the home may have single glazed windows, which can contribute to heat losses through heat transfer.

In such situations, it is advisable to get the windows repaired or replace old windows with energy efficient ones that can stop heat losses. Regarding glazed windows, it is better to choose double or triple glazed windows, using heat reflecting glass or have polythene insulation installed to facilitate reduction of heat transfer and retain the maximum amount of heat inside the home.

Other measures such as long curtains across the windows during the winter can also contribute in further decreasing heat losses.

2) Door insulation.

If the house has glass doors, one should adopt the same methods that are employed in respect of windows in order to properly insulate them. Apart from this, ‘draft proofing’ or ‘weather stripping’ methods can be followed for plugging air leaks.

When breeze is stopped from entering rooms, it will also automatically stop hot air from escaping the house. These measures are simple and inexpensive to implement and they can contribute significantly in improving energy efficiency of the home.

One can also have insulated doors installed by an expert. These doors are strong and will assist in minimizing heat loss as they have insulation material at the center.

3) Air sealing.

Air sealing involves sealing the less prominent air flows in the house. If there is an air flow under a door, one will be able to stop it with a weather strip. However, there will be substantial amount of heat loss through gaps and holes in basements and other places.

In order to prevent heat losses from these places, it is better to engage a contractor for identifying areas of leaks and seal them to prevent heat losses.

4) Duct sealing.

If the house contains ‘reverse cycle air conditioning duct system’, there could be heat losses through gaps due to improper insulation. An expert home improvement contractor can assist in rectifying the problem areas without compromising on the performance of the system.

5) Attic improvements.

If attics are not properly insulated, they can contribute to at least 20% of the heat losses in the home. There are a number of insulation products for the roof such as conventional fiber glass or environmentally friendly biodegradable material. They are more effective than fiber glass for insulation.

6) Wall insulation.

Wall cavities can be filled up with blow-in cellulose insulation, thereby increasing the energy efficiency of the house. While new houses would have already been constructed with this energy saving method, old house should be renovated to attain the required energy efficiency.

Some people use several electrical devices they do not really require. Excessive power consumption costs money and therefore, it is worthwhile to purchase only energy saving equipment.

There are specific tools that facilitate users to reduce energy costs. As producers too utilize electricity, they are well aware of appliances that utilize high wattage. Lighting is one area which accounts for major consumption of electricity.

Many people have the habit of leaving the lights turned on all through 24 hours. If it is a daily affair, it amounts to gross misuse of electricity and will have a huge impact on the overall monthly expenses. One can effectively reduce power consumption by purchasing low-wattage bulbs, like Compact Fluorescent Lamps (CFLs). They not only use lower wattage to emit powerful beam of light but also last longer.

There are bulbs of different wattage, like the lowest and the highest range. One can buy these ‘energy-efficient’ bulbs and adjust to the lowest wattage so that substantial reduction in energy consumption can be achieved.

Three way lamps are fine examples of this type of lamps. They also emit powerful beam of light similar to the normal incandescent light and yet, consume lesser watts. LED lights and Gu 10 bulbs are among the finest energy-saving lighting available these days.

Light Emitting Diode (LED) light is normally very costly at around $70 each; nevertheless, it not only has a long-life span but also assist in conserving fair measure of electricity at home. Other excellent items that can contribute to reducing energy costs include energy meters, which are complex gadgets that enable assessment of the amount of electricity each electrical point and appliance in the house utilizes.

One should connect them to an electric point or socket and then to the various devices. It is very essential to install energy meters in the house as these would point out the areas where higher number of units of electricity is consumed in the house so that corrective steps can be taken.

For example, items that utilize a lot of electric current can be replaced with energy saving lights and appliances. Back-up wall adapters are other varieties of devices that are designed to facilitate keeping the levels of electrical consumption at home within acceptable limits. Although quite complex in design and manufacture, still, these gadgets are very useful and simple to install.

After proper installation of all electrical appliances that we use daily, one can just turn them off with an easy to- operate remote control. Some electrical articles, like television utilize electric current even when switched off. This energy saving remote control device helps to shut off power when a particular equipment or gadget is not in use.

With rising energy consumption and consequent increase in the amounts of electricity bills, people are constantly on the lookout to find various methods to minimize energy consumption in their homes. Thanks to numerous technological advances, wide range of energy saving devices is now available in the market.

In the present situation, when there is heavy demand for energy and acute constraints in its availability, it is a great challenge to not only for home owners and tenants but also experts on energy sources to identify the areas of wastage in residential power consumption and energy leakages and their causes.

A saving of a thermal unit of combustible gas and a kilowatt of electricity means a corresponding reduction in the need to generate combustible gas and electricity. The requirement of water for turning turbines and the coal for the furnace would also be accordingly less. Hence, if we could make our home more energy efficient, we would reduce the burden of national power plants having to meet energy demand.

Effecting savings in residential power consumption has the advantage of slowing down the building ‘smoke piles’ and nuclear towers. Climatic conditions of the area where the residence is located, the features of the home and the daily routine of the inmates have an important bearing on residential energy inefficiency.

For instance, while wastage of heat may affect a residence in the North Dakota, wastage of energy in cooling is the highest in Texas. Water heating and lighting may be predominant in a high-rise apartment.

Inefficiency in power consumption affects every home and the following 8 factors contribute to the normal energy wastage.

1) Occupants energy consumption habits.

Residents and managers of apartments can assist in preventing wastage and reducing power consumption by about 50% through awareness and cooperative efforts. People can be motivated to take effective steps to reduce energy consumption by offering suitable incentives.

Residents can approach electricity supplier to help them with appropriate training and offer rebates. If the neighbors consume less electricity, it may be a good idea to get a few tips from them on saving energy.

2) Home electrical appliances.

Energy Star will facilitate appraisal of the present inefficiencies in usage of power so that one can get the most energy efficient models suitable to his requirements.

Refrigerators, water beds, lights, televisions, music systems, computers and washing machines and even fish tanks can cause considerable energy losses due to their outmoded designs and improper use. Energy Star appliances can contribute to a great extent to reduce power consumption.

3) Heat distribution system.

Heat distribution systems are other areas where wastages can occur. For example, air leaks in heating ducts cause a lot of wastage of energy. It is advisable to get the ducts sealed if one heating register blows a large amount of warmer air than the other register.

4) Solar gain from the sun.

Many homes consume much more power than required to cool the rooms as they get warmer due to heat from the sun warming their rooms and there is not enough shade for protection, which will be evident if we place our hands on any of the objects in the room. Gadgets like hair dryer also consume a lot of energy. It may be helpful to use a thermal curtain on the west side window.

5) Air conditioning systems.

Air conditioning systems consume abnormally high amount of power due to irregular and incorrect maintenance. In order to ensure that air conditioners operate efficiently, it is essential to enter into an annual maintenance contract. This will help in reducing energy consumption on A.C.

With outstanding advances in technology, numerous energy-efficient air conditioning systems are now available. Even after regular servicing, if the existing air conditioner consumes a lot of energy, it is better to replace it with a latest model of energy-efficient

6) Hot water heater.

Your home water heater also consumes plenty of energy. A water heater contributes to an energy loss of 40%. A proper insulation of water heaters and hot water distribution lines can minimize heat energy losses.

It is essential to set the water temperature below 120 degrees for optimum saving in energy. If ‘baseline’ electricity or gas consumption is excessive, it means that there may be a water heating problem.

7) Air leakage.

A blower door test can determine the cubic feet of air that leaks out and fills into the house per minute. It is quite common for an old house to let out 3000 cubic feet of air through the holes in a home every minute. Air sealing is the most cost-effective way to prevent the gush of air and reduce energy losses.

8) Heat loss.

The heat losses occur when heat passes through the air, cooled by an air conditioning system. Wood and several other construction materials are responsible for high consumption of energy.

This is due to thermal resistance of the structure of a home that considers ‘R-value’, thermal and air barriers, the effectiveness of doors and windows and design and quality of the structures.

A heat loss can be detected by touching the walls of the room. If they feel cold in a cold day, it means that it is a case of heat loss.

Power surges can cause companies to lose valuable time and data as equipment shuts down unsafely. There are also dangerous fire risks associated with power surges. To protect sensitive and important information from a sudden electricity supply spike, the solution is to hire an electrician to install dedicated circuits. These circuits will provide power to areas which are vulnerable to power surges, as well as areas which use a heavy power load.

Dedicated circuits are specialized circuits which perform on only one appliance. Each of your vulnerable machines will have its own dedicated circuit breaker. This breaker will be placed in the proximity of the power source, the closer the better.

By neglecting to install dedicated circuits in your home or office, you are putting yourself and your business at risk. Without dedicated circuits, circuit overloads will occur. These circuit overloads are a dangerous fire risk. Because of this fire risk, the National Electric Code legally requires businesses to have dedicated circuits on various appliances.

In addition to causing fires, circuit overloads can result in loss of sensitive data on computers. Without dedicated circuits, a company loses its security capabilities.

In residential homes, a power surge can neutralize home alarm, motion detectors, security lights and other security measures, leaving your home weakened towards threats. A security system is not safe if it can be rendered useless by something as simple as a family member plugging in a coffee pot into the wrong outlet.

By not having dedicated circuits, you are putting your household in unnecessary risk. In this digitalized age, companies are increasingly reliant on computers to do business. Power surges associated with a lack of dedicated circuits will destroy sensitive information and render computers useless.

Power surges can do more than simply cost you untold damages, as certain vulnerable equipment such as high priced motherboards on your computer can be destroyed. In addition to sensitive equipment, equipment that uses a high volume of power are at risk of a power surge. This includes refrigeration, air condition, and heating which can be knocked out by a power surge.

Restaurants which have deep freezers and refrigerators can lose thousands of dollars of perishable items if a power surge causes the freezer to shut off. Gymnasiums with treadmills are huge consumers of power, and as such are known to be hit by power surges if they do not have dedicated circuits.

Because each home is different, it is important to have a professional electrician fully evaluate each unique situation. The electrician will do an inspection of vulnerability to a power surge, and will be able to plan dedicated circuits to provide security and stability.

After the installation process, the system will run smoother and more efficiently. Security and deadly fire risks will be minimized, and your home will not be at risk to the dangerous effects of power surges anymore.

Air conditioning is a necessity for most people, particularly for those living in humid conditions of the Deep South or the sweltering heat of the deserts of the Southwest. Air conditioners are of two types: wall mounted or window type units and whole house units or central air conditioning systems.

While both types of air conditioners bring down the room temperature, cool and dehumidify the air, they vary in the extent of power requirements and the degree of cooling effect.

Components of air conditioner

Air conditioning equipment consists of several components such as compressors, heat pumps, fans, fan motors and coolant circulation system.

Air conditioning is a complex process in which hot and humid air drawn from the atmosphere is subjected to a series of processes designed to cool the hot air and eliminate most of the dampness from it. It is then forced into the house through an outlet vent reducing the surrounding temperature.

All air conditioning appliances need a coolant, external ventilation and electricity. Earlier, carcinogenic and environmentally harmful CFC s was used as coolant gas. However, at present several other substances are used as coolant.

Window type air conditioners.

Whether a window type or wall mounted or a split air conditioner, it is a single air conditioning system. This type of air conditioner can be permanently installed in the room through an opening in the wall or placed in a window. The ventilation and cooling systems are assembled within the unit.

Though the electrical installation of air conditioning equipment depends on how many BTUs the unit requires for efficient operation, most of the units normally consume 900 watts per kWh. Before purchasing window type units, it is essential to measure the area of the room to be cooled so that one can buy the right capacity equipment that can run efficiently without overworking.

Pros & Cons window type units.

Window units are normally portable equipments, though frequent shifting from place to place can damage the parts inside the units. When buying a window unit, one should select the proper size. If it is very small, it has to operate for long hours, resulting in increase of electricity bills.

On the other hand, too large a unit will operate inefficiently and cooling will not be so effective. In addition, it can increase sticky dampness in the room. Wall mounted units are susceptible to dripping and leaks, particularly in extreme humid conditions.

Moreover they make much more noise than central air conditioners. The operating expenses of window units are much lower if they are used in small areas and the thermostat is set to moderate temperature. Window units also cost less; as low as $300.

Central air conditioning system.

This is bigger air conditioning equipment comprising a ‘condenser’, which is usually kept outside the house, a ‘blower fan’ and a ‘cooling coil system’. The hot air from the atmosphere is compressed, channeled into the fan and after cooled by the coils is allowed to expand through the air conditioning ducts into the house and the rooms, accordingly cooling and dehumidifying the air.

If the house is not equipped with a ‘forced-air furnace’, the fans and cooling coils should be located in the roof space. The thermostat will monitor and adjust the temperature level in the house. A whole house air conditioning unit needs around 3500 watts of power per kWh.

If a house is spacious with many rooms that require cooling, installation of a whole house air conditioning system is the best option. The installation costs of a central air conditioning system depends upon several factors, such as the region, type of the system and the extent of modification required in the house for installation.

If the house is not provided with any duct network, installation costs will be very high. Whole house units dehumidify and maintain the temperature in the rooms at comfortable levels.

A central air conditioning system eliminates all the irritants that normally occur when it is unbearably warm inside the house. One should select a unit that has high energy efficiency rating.

You can ensure that electricity bills in each type of air conditioning unit are kept at acceptable levels by taking certain precautions. Set the temperature at 78° F as any temperature below this level will steeply increase power consumption, as much as 4%.

When not in the room or house raise the temperature level to 80° F or even more. Set the blower fan at a lower temperature to facilitate better air circulation. Insulate the home properly, especially the area directly facing the sun so that the room temperature is maintained at a uniform level throughout the year. In addition to these steps, regular maintenance of air conditioners is essential.

These jobs include replacing filters, cleaning ducts, inlets and outlets often to prevent clogs and checking coolant level from time to time. The number of rooms in the house that require air conditioning and the installation budget are the two major factors that determine whether to install a window type unit or a central air conditioning system or a combination of both.

Irrespective of which type of air conditioning system one opts for, it is important to set the thermostat at a desired level and maintain it properly to obtain maximum cooling efficiency.

One of the best ways to find a good electrician is to make sure you use a licensed or certified professional. To get an electricians license, a person must complete 6,000 to 8,000 hours of on-the-job training, at least 144 hours of college classes, and pass a licensing test or exam.

Their education doesn’t end there; all licensed electricians are required to take continuing education cources, take new licensing tests, get a certain number of hours of professional experience, and stay up-to-date with new technologies and code requirements.

Most electricians begin their careers with an apprenticeship program. This is a program that usually comprises four to five years of on-the-job training under a more experienced electrician. Your electrician will also be taking courses during their apprenticeship, and must complete both the classes and the necessary hours before being allowed to take a licensing test.

They will be working under the supervision of an experienced professional, gaining valuable hands-on experience. The next step is becoming a journeyman. Journeymen continue to take classes to make sure their license is current and their knowledge is up-to-date.

After they are a journeyman they are allowed to work without supervision. Depending on the state, this requirement is between four to eight hours per year. The classes are chosen by the state licensing board, and include education about both state and national code changes to make sure the electrician knows cutting-edge technology, as well as making sure that they will give you work that fits legal requirements.

If you work with an unlicensed electrician, you might face legal ramifications. Apprentices are unlicensed, and must work under the supervision of a licensed electrician.

Depending on the state, you might not be required to use a licensed electrician, but if you are in a state which requires it, you can be charged with a crime for hiring an unlicensed electrician, and the penalties can range from a small monetary fine to jail time.

It is never worth the risk of hiring an unlicensed electrician. Even if it’s only a small job, you should only ever choose a licensed electrician. Not only do you face legal penalties, but you are placing trust in someone who is not qualified for the job.

You will have someone working on your home or business who doesn’t know what they are doing. Electrical wiring problems are the number one cause of fires in building, so you are risking not only your livelihood but your family and coworkers safety by using an unlicensed electrician.

You might save money now, but this will likely cost you in the future. Training to become a licensed electrician is hard work, so you can be sure that the person you are working for is qualified to do the work.

They will know how to do their job correctly and safely. They have also shown that they care about their reputation and the safety of their work is important to them. The license is proof that the person you have hired is qualified, skilled, and dedicated, and you can be sure that they will handle any task they give you professionally and with pride.

Power consumption is for sure a substantial part of our monthly expenses; though we usually accept it as an item we can do little about. If analyzed, it is found that the major chunk of our domestic power consumption comprises heating and cooling gadgets.

There are some tips that can very effectively help bring down power consumption and result in a substantial saving by way of reduction in power bills. Being a bit conscious of the options available for the types of heater with its running cost in mind goes a long way in making huge savings.

Do not just go and buy the first available electric heater; make some inquiries whether a gas heater could be an option and if so, which way you end up paying lower running cost. It may also depend on the availability of sources of power in your area and no one stops you from going in for the type of gadget that would be economical to use at your location. The same considerations hold true if you are going in for changing an old heater.

It pays to learn to regulate the thermostat; though not too technical, most of us take it to be something not to be fiddled with. Only few are aware that thermostats with timer can automatically regulate power to be just required for day and night time; and the results would perhaps pleasantly surprise you with the economy.

Most of us are quite comfortable with temperature settings of 70 and 50 degrees respectively during day and night time. It serves well not to change these settings too frequently as each change causes extra power consumption.

During spring and fall when you feel comfortable in your light woolens, it is advisable to switch off heating system. Inefficient or worn out insulation on the doors and windows in your house too is one of the major reasons for unnecessary power consumption; getting storm doors and windows installed does help save power particularly during cold season.

Warmth received from the sun needs to be put to best advantage; letting extra sunlight enter the living area by folding the curtains and trimming tree branches that obstruct sun also keeps the load on your heating system lower. Areas like attics and basement that do not have heating panels need to be better insulated.

Getting the heating system serviced by professionals before the onset of winter keeps it running with optimum efficiency when the load on it is at its peak. You may even use your common sense to see that the air filters are kept clean and the approach to the heating equipment unobstructed; these are commonly missed points of power wastage.

Inquiries should be made with your electric company to know if units consumed during peak and non-peak hours are charged at different rates; if so manage your consumption judiciously. A small example of this is that washing machine can be timed to operate during ‘cheaper’ hours.

Likewise, inquiries with the electric company can make you wiser about other steps for energy saving. It just needs you to be conscious of the economy in domestic power consumption you can bring about without subjecting yourself and your family to any discomfort.

I believe you can agree that the suggestions above are not too difficult to do. It may seem like a chore, but believe me, the amount of money you’ll save on lower electricity bill is well worth it. After you have done every possible thing to make your home more energy efficient, you can now implement a home solar power system to supplement your energy needs to bring your monthly electricity bill even lower.

Nowadays people are always on the lookout for new technologies to be installed in their homes. In terms of technology, today’s residential homes are very well equipped as compared to the houses of old times.

Slowly but steadily, advanced technologies are creeping into modern homes. We can literally say that today’s homes are not just homes, they are smart homes. In smart homes, we can control our television, telephone, internet, home theater etc from anywhere in our house.

Smart home is a similar term as home structured wiring. What it actually does is that, it will distribute your electronic devices and media equipments like television, internet, telephone etc. throughout your home. Literally enabling you to operate them from anywhere in your home.

Home structure wiring systems basically combines latest technology with your home’s building structure. Home wiring system does much more than just untangling your wiring system, it helps you to create a well connected, well equipped, technologically advanced smart home with centralized control. If you are thinking of changing your home into a smart home, you must know something about structured wiring.

In a home structured wiring system, with centralized control and distribution equipments, you can connect your iPod, cell phone or home theater surround sound throughout your home. Won’t that be great to have some light music in your kitchen, while you are cooking? If you are having a surveillance system or any kind of security system, you will have a hell of a lot of wires running around your home.

All these security devices might be wired together and can cause some real mess. It is not an easy job to untangle those wires. Hanging wires, knots and tangles can make your home look ugly.

Tangled wires can cause short circuits, fire and other safety hazards. It can be even more dangerous if you have kids at home. Structured wiring system is your best option for a smart home solution. It is the best way to organize all your cables and equipment wires.

With structural wiring systems, you can hide all your cables inside the wall structure and inside structured wiring panels. Your data distribution, TV distribution, security system cables and telephone wires can be incorporated into these wiring panels. This will let you operate your equipments by sitting in any room of your smart home.

Moreover you can easily upgrade your technology, as residential structured wiring products fit easily into structured wiring panels. This makes your smart home up to date with the advancement in technology. Structured cable system is your one time solution for all your smart home needs.

Before turning to structured wiring system, it will always be better to have a clear cut idea about the smart home idea in your mind and also have some knowledge about the features you require. Knowing your requirements will go a long way in making the smart home of your dream to a reality. A residential wiring technician or a custom home installation professional can help you in customizing your home to your technological needs.

Most people don’t think of it, but it’s really a good idea to keep an eye on your home insulation. If you find that it is damaged or it is simply not doing its job, you may have to replace it.

This can be very expensive; however, as long as you have faulty insulation, you are wasting money on heating and cooling you home. Here’s what to look for when you check your insulation:

An empty spot is called a void. You will usually find these near light fixtures after electrical work has been done. The workers will usually push the insulation out of the way. You can fix this easily by putting in more insulation or filling it in with a spray-in foam insulation.

Check your basement ceiling. If it’s not insulated, you can lose a lot of heating and cooling into your basement. It’s pretty easy to insulate your basement ceiling, and there are lots of companies that can do it for you if you don’t feel up to doing it yourself.

Your attic is another area that can waste a lot of energy if you don’t insulate it. Again, you might want to do it yourself, since it is pretty simple, or you could hire a company to do it for you.

When you are checking your attic, be sure to check the ventilation system. If the ventilation system is clogged up, your attic will retain a lot of heat in the summertime, and that will heat up your house.

Be sure to keep these vents clean so your attic can air. If you don’t have any vents, look into installing them. Whether you do it yourself or hire a company to do it for you, your basement and attic can be insulated with roll insulation or with spray powdered insulation. If you decide to do it yourself, be sure to wear a safety mask to keep particles out of your lungs.

Be sure to check all your hot water pipes. There are many affordable ways to insulate your hot water pipes. One of the easiest and best ways is to get a length of foam cylinder. They usually come in four-foot lengths. Just cut it to the length you need and split it down the side. Then you can just fit it over the pipe and secure it in place with duct tape.

You can also insulate your hot water pipes with fiberglass insulation tape, but this is kind of tedious because you have to unroll it all the way down the length of the pipe. If the pipe is under your house or in a tight spot, this can be really hard.

Check your walls! If you have already checked your basement and your attic and found that the insulation isn’t good, it’s a pretty good bet you have the same stuff in your walls. Sometimes the best thing to do is to have new siding put on the outside of your house.

Of course, you can also do this yourself if you are handy. Siding is a good choice because it insulates nicely, looks really good, and increases your property value.

Be sure your windows are energy efficient. A single pane window will not insulate your home. If you can change out your old windows and replace them with new, double-paned windows, it will really make a difference.

However, if you can’t afford that, you can use good, heavy insulating curtains inside your home to help seal out the heat and cold. You will be surprised how effective this is and how affordable.

If you can’t afford to add insulating curtains to your whole house all at once, this is a project you can easily do room by room. Start with areas where people spend the most time, such as the family room and living room, and then move on to bedrooms, dens, and so on. Of course, you could also use this plan to change out your windows one-by-one.

For heating and air-conditioning equipment, as well as ventilation equipment, be sure you always have clean filters installed. This will cut down on your heating and cooling costs since all of this type of equipment must work harder to pull air through a dirty filter.

Even though filters can be a little pricey, it will pay off in heating and cooling costs to keep clean filters in all your equipment. Washable filters should be cleaned weekly. Filters that can only be replaced should be replaced monthly.

If you were to get the service of a professional auditor, where do you find them?

One way to find them is to call your local power company and ask them if they provide home power auditing service. Most probably they will do the auditing for you for a small fee.

Another way of performing the energy audit is via a mail-in type. In this approach, you basically have to prepare all the information needed to complete the analysis. Personally, I think this is a silly approach because by the time you’ve finished compiling all the data, you’ve pretty much done the energy audit yourself.

If you’ve hired a professional power auditor, most probably he will impress you with cool stuff and gadgets. One of their standard tools is an infrared device used to measure the temperature of your interior surfaces and also to pinpoint any air leakages.

One area that you must get him to inspect is the furnace because large amount of energy are used on this area. Any improvement done here will reduce your monthly electricity consumption quite substantially.

The fact is, the biggest energy inefficiency in your house can easily be detected. Most houses have very obvious areas where energy is being wasted. For example, there may be a big gaping hole where air is escaping through the attic or a heater which is more than 20 years old.

So, is it worth hiring a professional energy auditor for your home? Well, if you have a big home and you don’t wish to survey every inch of your house, by all means, pay someone else to do it.

If you have an average size house and you have the time to survey your house and look into every corner closely, you might as well do the auditing yourself. In actual fact, the process is not that difficult.

DIY Home Energy Audit Guide

Do you need help to do your own home energy audit? If you do, check out the Easy-Energy-Audits guide.

The manual will show you step by step how to do perform your own residential power audit in a couple of hours. For more information, click on the link below.

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