Your Energy Bills Are High, And This Is Why

Understanding the root causes of your high energy bills is the first step to taking control of your finances. A Home Energy Audit is a powerful tool that can help you identify problem areas in your home, leading to significant energy savings and a more comfortable living environment. This knowledge will empower you to make informed decisions and take proactive steps to reduce your energy costs.

Energy bills are always a focus in the typical American household. High energy bills can rob your budget of disposable income and limit your recreational activities, like dining out or going to the movies. Utility companies are often blamed for the high energy prices, but wasteful energy use on the premises is more often the issue. Utility companies are highly regulated, and even though energy prices are rising, this is not the reason for the hefty utility bills.

The Energy Audit

Homeowners often become fed up with being uncomfortable and having high energy bills that they take matters into their own hands. Some may start to research various services and products and guess at the solution they think will help their situation. This can be a costly and unproductive mistake. One example of this is investing in new windows only to find out that the house does not have adequate insulation. An energy audit performed by a trained professional will help avoid this kind of guesswork.

The process is straightforward:

1. Contact a certified energy auditor;
2. They visit your home and conduct a series of inspections and diagnostic tests; and
3. Finally, a detailed report will be provided that provides valuable information on the necessary repairs. This will help the building owner understand which projects are the best investments for energy savings and comfort.

A typical energy audit focuses on three (3) key areas: the building shell, HVAC systems and major appliances.

The Building Shell

Many major cities in the United States boast a rich history, with homes that have stood the test of time; some as early as the start of the 19^th Century. These older homes often suffer from two fundamental issues with the building shell: excessive air leakage and a lack of insulation. These issues can significantly impact energy bills, making it crucial to address them.

When older homes were constructed, they did not have the best building science principles, practices and building codes that we have today. As a result, buildings leak air—a lot of air. The building structure will leak the conditioned air that was paid for by your hard-earned money. During an energy audit, practitioners use a device called a blower door test to measure the air leakage of a building. After the air-leakage rate and locations are identified, professional contractors will air seal the home to reduce the leakage. Reduced air leakage means less conditioned air is wasted on the outside.

The other building shell issue is a lack of building insulation. Insulation reduces the heat transfer from inside to outside on the home’s exterior surfaces, such as the walls, attic, and foundation. In older houses, there was generally low or no insulation, directly affecting your energy bills. A house with less than optimal insulation will need a larger heating and cooling system to keep the home comfortable, and as a result, raise the energy bills. Not to worry; in most cases, a professional contractor can retrofit the house with products that increase the insulation levels, which will help reduce your energy bills.

The Heating and Cooling System

Your heating and cooling system is the largest energy user in a home. HVAC systems have the same problems as the early-19^th Century (and beyond) building shell; building codes and science were not a focus back then. In a survey conducted by Air Doctors Heating and Cooling, a Michigan-based Home Performance Contractor, many of the HVAC systems studied were approximately 100% oversized for gas furnaces, and 33% were oversized for central air conditioning systems. In addition, those homes are connected to a duct system that is inadequate for the HVAC system. To make matters worse, homes may have leaking ducts, which means the most expensive system in the home easily becomes more expensive to operate due to poor system design. This translates to an enormous utility bill.

An energy audit will determine if your HVAC system needs to be renovated or just overhauled. The energy auditor will also evaluate the duct system to determine if and where repairs are needed. An appropriately sized HVAC system and an efficient duct system are crucial to having a manageable utility bill.

The Major Appliances

Major appliances are also a key conversation when taking about reducing your energy consumption. Older equipment uses more energy, and if combined with a lack of maintenance to the equation, you are looking at wasteful energy use and a bigger utility bill.

Appliances like older refrigerators, water heaters, washing machines, dryers, etc., make up a significant portion of your utility bill. Many homeowners are unaware that these machines require regular maintenance. Additionally, newer appliances have stricter energy use regulations, so replacing the appliance when the time is right is beneficial. When replacing major appliances, look for the ENERGY STAR sticker. The ENERGY STAR designation, developed by the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), is a third-party verification stamp that proves the appliance has met strict testing requirements and meets the energy efficiency standards of today.

Conclusion

If you, as a building owner, receive an energy audit by a trained professional and make the necessary improvements to fix issues in the home, then you have made a very significant achievement. There are many incentives available throughout the country, including tax credits and utility rebates, that will help pay for the energy audit. Take advantage of these programs so you can reduce your energy bills, enjoy a more energy-efficient home and start spending money on those relished pastimes.