Five Energy Audit Hacks

Before investing in one, run through these five energy auditor hacks to decide whether a professional audit would be worth your while.

Home heating accounts for as much as 60% of your electric bill, so optimizing home insulation is vitally important to lowering costs. You could save more by switching to LED lights and caulking windows.

1. Insulation

Insulation is essential for creating a comfortable home environment. It controls how much heat is retained or lost and helps save on heating and cooling costs, so insulation inspection can identify any inefficiencies or safety risks before they escalate into more serious issues.

If you're selling your house, it can be helpful to understand what an inspector will look for prior to an inspection. While doing this won't guarantee an unblemished report from professionals, being helpful can make their job much simpler. Make things simpler by turning on all utilities, clearing any items obstructing access and removing pets from the property.

If you want to bolster the security of your home, try inserting a metal bar or solid-wood dowel in the track of sliding glass doors. This will prevent thieves from opening them and gaining entry. In addition, use your street number instead of your name on mailboxes to decrease risk associated with mail theft and identity fraud.

2. Ventilation

Ventilation plays an integral part in energy efficiency. To optimize this factor, it's critical that pathways for air exchange between inside and outside of a home are fully sealed and insulated to protect energy costs and save energy consumption.

Professional energy audits typically include blower door tests and thermal imaging scans to detect air leaks, while home energy auditors review lifestyle information like who is usually at home during the day, how many people tend to congregate in each room, and the household energy use patterns.

The DATAMYTE Quality Management Platform allows you to easily create and deploy ventilation inspection checklists quickly using our Smart Form Builder. By adding custom fields for collecting data on each item and setting workflows that require approvals by supervisors or managers, our low-code software development platform enables you to ensure all inspection items are inspected accurately in order to prevent potential suffocation or health risk problems. Schedule a demo now to learn more how our low-code platform can assist in streamlining quality management processes while creating custom ventilation inspection checklists tailored to meet industry specifications!

3. Lighting

Lights account for a substantial part of energy used in homes, and can also be an efficient means of cutting electric costs. As such, lighting upgrades represent an easy opportunity for homeowners to make significant energy savings through inspection and upgrade.

Review your utility bills from the past 12 months. Observe any patterns that reveal when and how much energy was being consumed and pinpoint any cost-driving sources. Unplug any unnecessary items from power sockets and consider installing smart power strips that reduce phantom loads that drain energy use.

Switch out old incandescent bulbs for LEDs, which are up to 85% more efficient and save both on energy and replacement costs, while simultaneously cutting waste by cutting back on wasted lighting. Take it one step further by installing timers and sensors for further energy-saving efforts.

4. HVAC

As summer temperatures increase, HVAC systems work tirelessly to keep us comfortable. But it is wise to be proactive and identify issues now, before they turn into costly repairs later. An inspection provides peace of mind while helping both buyers and sellers make informed decisions regarding home purchases.

An inspector uses a checklist to conduct an in-depth property evaluation. It ensures all components of a property are carefully scrutinized without missing critical areas such as roof or electrical systems. Furthermore, it ensures a comprehensive assessment that provides an accurate reflection of its condition.

Checklists can also serve as effective tools in keeping team members safe on site. For instance, forgetting to switch off an appliance they have been working on all day can be hazardous for both him and those around him - with SafetyCulture's EHS audit checklist templates you can ensure your teams have proper procedures in place to prevent accidents or minimize risks.