Want to Reduce Your Heating System Bill? Try a Home Energy Audit

When conducted by a heating system service technician, the evaluation covers air leaks, insulation and duct work. It will tell you exactly where your house is losing energy and how to make improvements – such as caulk and insulation – to make it more energy efficient.

The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that plugging air leaks alone can result in a 5 to 30 percent reduction in your heating system bill, depending on how big the leaks were in the first place. A home energy evaluation also should make your home more comfortable by moderating temperatures – eliminating cold spots or regions where your home may be too warm or stuffy.

Before you call a heating system service company, make a list of any trouble spots, such as drafty doors and windows. The company will then take it from there by inspecting your house from top to bottom. A typical home energy evaluation usually includes:

• An outdoor inspection of your house's walls, eaves and joints. Wind and water especially can take their toll by creating cracks and holes where heat can escape.
   
• An inspection of your attic and basement – two places where many houses lose energy. Insulation – or the lack of it – is a common problem, but one that's easily fixed. So are places where electrical wires and exhaust fans lead outdoors.
   
• A thorough inspection of your duct work, where many homes can lose up to 20 percent of the heat that runs through them during the winter, the department of energy says. Channeling heat through a cracked duct is like trying to drink out of a cracked straw; it's a waste of energy. And despite their sturdy appearance, ducts are more susceptible to leaks than they might appear. In fact, if you can squeeze a screwdriver between the connections, you're losing warm air – and needlessly adding to your heating bill.
   
• An inspection of your house's overall heating system, including the furnace, fireplace and water heater. To back up your pre-evaluation efforts, your doors and windows may get sized up too.

This is a lot of ground to cover, but it's worthwhile. The heating system service company may alos provide you with a detailed home energy evaluation report with recommendations about how to make your home more energy efficient.

Experts In Your Home can help you prioritize the needs of your heating system and then help you determine which improvements you can make yourself – such as installing weather stripping – and which improvements – such as repairing broken ducts – that we can handle on your behalf.

In the end, you may still have to wear a sweater around the house from time to time, but your worst “big chill moments” will come to an end – and you'll have a lower heating system bill to prove it. Contact Experts In Your Home today!

Are you properly maintaining your heating system? Download the free checklist below as a helpful resource!