Energy audits can do more than save money on bills

MXenergy recently reported that a home energy audit can help homeowners identify key problem areas in their properties and how to find energy-efficient solutions. The cost of the energy assessments are often covered by government rebates and incentives.

An energy audit takes only a few hours and can pinpoint what parts of the home are losing energy, evaluate the efficiency of the house's heating and cooling system and offer solutions to seal and insulate the home to maximize its efficiency. These assessments and changes could result in of hundreds of dollars saved a year.

Kevin Klages, president and CEO of BGE Home, said many homeowners are unaware that the evaluation of a home's energy efficiency will not only save money on monthly bills, but improve indoor air quality, humidity, ventilation and the comfort level for residents.

Marjorie Kass, managing director of marketing for MXenergy, said homeowners can receive money in rebates and incentives to cover the audit, as well as more funding to put towards home improvements from state and federal programs. The federal incentives are set to expire at the end of 2011, so Kass recommends homeowners act soon.

Envision Home Performance's Sarah Olson told the Winston-Salem Journal that there are two types of energy audits: the blower door test and the duct-blaster test. The blower door test sucks the air out of the house to locate where there are leaks, while the duct-blaster test checks for leaks in the heating and cooling ductwork. 

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