How A Home Energy Audit Can Save You Money

Whenever your local electrician performs an energy audit, the principle that they follow is fairly simple. During the audit, they will check throughout your home to help identify the areas that are using electricity inefficiently. After they have pinpointed the wasteful areas, they can suggest and implement steps to remedy this. Most electricians are trained in the areas that are most common inefficient energy consumers and can conduct a home energy audit for you. While it may be tempting to try to do your own energy audit, you can expect much more accurate results and long-term solutions by hiring a professional.

One of the first things that your electrician will check is your lighting. They will start by examining your fixtures and the bulbs that are being used in each one. Because incandescent light bulbs are incredibly inefficient (they result in more heat than light), your electrician will recommend replacing them with much more energy efficient compact fluorescent or LED light bulbs. Although it may seem like a small step, replacing all of the incandescent light bulbs in your home with energy efficient alternatives can have a huge impact on your electricity usage.

In addition to examining the type of lights used in each fixture, an experienced electrician will also look at the purpose of the lights in each room. If a room can benefit from dimmer switches, timers, motion sensors or any other type of lighting automation technology, then it may be recommended to you. These types of technologies can help turn lights on and off only when needed so that you are not wasting electricity when you are out of the room.

Because of their sheer size, appliances such as your heating and air systems, dishwasher and washer and dryer can end up being some of the greatest draws on your electrical systems. Because these appliances are essential to our every day lives, it is hard to see how it is possible to save much electricity from them. You can start by making sure that you are only using each appliance when necessary, such as when the dishwasher is full. Where your electrician can help you the most, however, is by installing brand new, energy star rated appliances. These appliances are much more efficient than older alternatives, and are typically much easier to maintain. As a result, you can see an immediate and significant effect on your electric bill.

Regardless of the steps that your electrician recommends that you take as a result of their energy audit, being aware of how you use electricity is the first step toward reducing energy using and saving money. By pinpointing the areas of high usage or inefficient usage, you can start to change your habits, replace items with more efficient items and more. With just a little help from your electrician, you can start seeing that impact on your electric bill in no time.

Written by Cody Kenworthy. Kenworthy is a writer for The Electric Connection, an electrician in Glendale CA. The Electric Connection provides full-service electrical contracting to both residential and commercial customers in the Los Angeles area.

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