New Jersey Home Inspector - Reduce Your Energy Bills

Reduce Your Energy Bills

A whole home energy audit can improve your home's energy efficiency in both summer and winter, and reduce your overall energy bills.

The whole-house systems approach looks at the entire house as an energy system with interdependent parts. Like a human body, when one part functions poorly it affects the performance of the entire system. For instance, the benefits of an energy-efficient air conditioner are lessened when a duct system leaks, windows don’t close tightly, the attic is uninsulated, and humid summer breezes are drifting in under the door.

Overview

Though every situation is unique, the best general approach includes the following steps in roughly this order:

Step	System Component	Strategy	Impact
1	Doors, windows, walls, floor, and ceiling	Weatherize and seal any holes or gaps in building envelope	Improves air barrier by reducing air leakage
2	Heating / air conditioning (HVAC) ductwork	Seal and insulate ductwork	Improves air barrier by reducing air leakage
3	Attic insulation	Improve / replace to R-value recommended for your area	Improves thermal barrier by increasing insulation function
4	Windows	Replace single-pane metal framed windows with doublepaned low-E wood or vinyl framed alternatives	Improves air and thermal barriers by reducing air leakage and reducing solar heat gain
5	Heating / air conditioning (HVAC) system	Service existing HVAC system and /or upgrade to properly sized SEER 14 or higher HVAC system	Improves heating and cooling efficiency
6	Water heater	Replace old inefficient model with modern ENERGY STAR alternative	Reduces water heater energy consumption
7	Lighting	Replace high wattage bulbs (such as incandescent and halogen) with low wattage alternatives of comparable lumen value (such as compact fluorescent and LED)	Reduces lighting energy consumption and unnecessary heat load to indoor spaces
8	Ceiling fans	Install ENERGY STAR ceiling fans in commonly occupied rooms	Reduces load on HVAC system by improving occupant comfort
9	Appliances	Replace old inefficient models with modern ENERGY STAR alternatives	Reduces appliance energy consumption

source: Virginia Coorpoerttive Extension Program

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Last Updated 11.28.2012