Suppose you walk into your kitchen and see water gushing out of the faucet, running at full speed down the sink drain. Unless you have a valid reason for wasting water in this way, you'd instinctively turn the faucet off. Another example is seeing the automatic sprinkler system watering your yard while it is raining.
Energy leakage is like wasting water, except many energy leaks don't give visible clues to let you know they are happening. For example, you probably would notice if a light fixture was left on by accident. An improvement might be to install a smart home system that turns lights on and off based on room occupancy.
There is also a type of energy waste called “phantom power,” which enables all electronics to remain in a standby state and turn on instantly with no delay. The problem is that the equipment appears to be off and costs you money, even when not in use if phantom power is enabled.
In this article, we will show how to uncover energy wasters and how to eliminate them. The process starts with a home energy assessment (also called a home energy audit).
Types of Home Energy Assessments
There are various types of home energy assessments that begin with a basic do-it-yourself (DIY) evaluation you can do for free.
A more comprehensive level one energy audit involves a contractor conducting a walk-through with you, identifying the utility usage of various components, and giving you recommendations in a written report. The level one energy assessment may cost around $150.
Finally, the level two home energy assessment includes all the level one efforts plus testing for air leaks, HVAC function, evaluation of insulation, and other tests. The level two energy audit costs
up to $600, depending on the size of your home.
How Do You Save Money with a Home Energy Assessment?
Saving money with the help of a home energy assessment is more than having to pay a modest fee for a home energy audit or something conducted by a qualified inspector.
Many homes, especially older ones, have significant problems with considerable air leaks around doors and windows, requiring checks for energy waste in the northwestern part of the United States. In these old homes, we find single-pane glass windows instead of the preferred double-pane or triple-pane insulated glass. If your house is more than five years old, you probably have these problems.
With these houses, you may also want to upgrade all lighting systems to LED lights. This alone can save you thousands of dollars over the extended life of the LED bulbs. Additional commonly needed upgrades include insulation for a water heater or switching to instant-hot systems with much lower hot water storage requirements.
You may want to change your HVAC air filters regularly and clean the air ducts for more efficient airflow. Consider installing a smart home system that regulates room temperatures based on room occupation (temperature zones) and automatically uses less energy when nobody is there.
Tips for Home Energy Assessments
It helps to read your utility bills carefully. Learn how the utility company charges for the services. For example, using peak electricity during the daytime when businesses create a high demand is usually more costly than using electricity at night.
You might consider washing clothes and drying them when electricity is cheaper.
The before/after test
If you have enough time, you can make changes in one month to review the impact in the following month. You can see the difference between the more expensive “before” month and the less costly “after” month to compare the months fairly, adjust for seasonal differences. Estimating the before-usage to compare to the after-usage helps make decisions about equipment upgrades, too.
For example, you may want to switch from a large water heater to a more efficient instant-hot system. A nice rule of thumb is to look for a payback of your investment in the new equipment and how it is offset by savings on utility bills over the next two to five years.
Suppose your new water heater costs $1,000 (installed), and you expect to save $50 per month on your utility bill after the upgrade. The calculations show that, 20 months later, the system will pay for itself with savings.
Checklist to follow for a home energy assessment
Here is a checklist to help you get started with the process of eliminating energy waste in your home.
Feature | Item to check | Repairs |
Doors | Air leaks | Sealing, alignment, weather stripping |
Windows | Air leaks | Caulking, weather stripping, replacement |
Hot Water Heater | Insulation | Thermal blanket, replacement |
Lighting | Inefficient bulbs | Replace with LED lights |
Appliances | Energy efficiency | Upgrade to appliances with better efficiency ratings |
Smart Home | Rooms too hot or cold | Automatically adjusting temperature zones |
Zombie Power | Standby energy waste | Turn off power with a multi-outlet surge protector |
This checklist is a good start. Learn more about your home’s energy waste by scheduling a home energy assessment with NetZero Energy by sending us an email.
Is a Home Energy Assessment Worth Doing?
If we use the analogy provided at the start of this article, where water is needlessly wasted due to someone forgetting to turn off the faucet, it’s obvious that wasting energy is an important issue to consider. It’s like pouring your money down the drain when you allow excessive and inefficient utility usage to continue.
Take a look at your past utility bills and upgrades made to your HVAC or energy system over time. Then, make the changes and recommended upgrades either on your own or with our help at NetZero Energy. Get started and contact us at NetZero Energy to get started with a home energy assessment.