By Anne Fonda
If you’re interested in saving money on your energy bills, you might want to start with an energy audit. Also known as a home energy audit, an energy audit examines how efficient (or inefficient) your home is.
A trained auditor inspects and analyzes your home and systems to identify trouble spots that may be needlessly increasing your energy consumption (and therefore your utility bills).
There are three main times to schedule a home energy assessment, including:
A professional home energy assessment can identify areas of wasted energy, health and safety issues, and suggest solutions for solving those problems. A more energy-efficient home will save you money on your energy bills in the long term. Efficient homes are also more comfortable and provide greater control over indoor air quality.
Depending on where you live and your income, you may be able to get a basic home energy assessment performed for free. It may also cost you several hundred dollars – but the recommendations you get can be well worth the cost. You may also be eligible for an energy tax credit under the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (IRA) that can help you pay for the energy audit as well as some of the recommendations.
Google “energy audit near me” and see what comes up. Your electric company may offer them for free to customers. Your state energy office may have a searchable database of approved companies near you.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) is another good source. They recommend an energy audit completed by an independent home energy auditor with professional credentials recognized by the DOE.
A house energy assessment starts with your hiring and scheduling with your chosen energy auditing firm. There are three parts to an energy audit: Home assessment, data analysis, and recommendations.
Using a variety of tools and tests, the energy auditor will inspect your home’s energy use and energy loss.
The residential energy audit should include:
Using computer software, the energy auditor will plug in the information they gleaned during the home assessment. They may show you infrared imaging so you can see where cold or hot air is entering your home.
The data analysis will show where the biggest problems are and what efficiency improvements you should tackle first for the biggest impact.
The final step is making recommendations for changes and upgrades to your home and systems to help achieve higher energy efficiency and stop wasting energy. According to the DOE, you could save anywhere from 5% to 30% on your energy bills by making the energy-efficient upgrades recommended in your home energy audit.
Energy efficiency measures to take based on the data analysis can include, but are not limited to:
The good news is that there are federal energy tax credits that can help you pay for these upgrades through the year 2032. The IRA has tax credits and heat pump rebates that can help offset the cost of increasing your home’s energy efficiency so that you can reduce energy usage and save on energy costs for years to come. Variable speed and multi-stage heat pumps are especially complimentary with insulation and air sealing projects.
American Standard dealers are ready to partner with you to find the most energy-efficient HVAC system that fits your needs and your budget. Learn about HVAC energy efficiency terms before you make any decisions.
But even the most energy-efficient system won’t perform as well as it could if you have poor insulation and drafty doors and windows. Consider getting a home energy audit and making some upgrades before you invest in a new HVAC system.
A Content Writer with Trane Technologies, Anne Fonda researches topics and writes for Trane® and associated residential HVAC brands. She works in collaboration with Trane Technologies subject matter experts, offering easy-to-understand, informative content on complex topics. Her goal is to help consumers make informed decisions on the products and services they need.
She has written for HVAC and other service provider websites for over 16 years. Before transitioning to web content writing, Anne had a 14-year stint as an award-winning journalist. She graduated cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism. When she’s not working, Anne enjoys playing word games, reading, gardening, spending time with family, and visiting gardens and museums.
Expert review by Josef Hejda, Electrification Commercialization Leader
Energy tax credits are a specific type of federal tax credit that you may be able to claim on your taxes if you completed qualified energy-saving upgrades to your home.
Energy efficiency standards for HVAC systems set by the U.S. government to help reduce energy costs and protect the environment.
stands for the U.S. Department of Energy.
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