What uses the most power in your home? It’s not the lighting; it’s not in your kitchen – it’s your heating and cooling system. Heating and cooling make up half of energy consumption in US homes, and the more energy you use, the higher your utility bill will go.
Since heating and cooling use the most power of any home, you want that warm or cool air to stick around and not seep out the window along with your hard-earned money. If you want to keep that air and keep that money, it’s time to take a good look at your home’s sealing and insulation. This is especially true with summer right around the corner.
Why You Need to Properly Seal and Insulate Your Home
According to the US Department of Energy, 25 percent of heating and cooling is lost to tiny cracks, holes, and other openings around your house. That’s too much waste. Your goal as a homeowner is to take care of these issues for an efficient home.
Worst Offenders of Leaks
So, where do those leaks come from? According to the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, most energy loss comes from your floors, walls, and ceilings, followed by ductwork, and fireplace. Even your electrical outlets are known to vent treated air from the home.
Poor Insulation/Ventilation
Poor insulation and ventilation are also major factors in wasteful energy consumption. Attics that are poorly insulated will simply bleed treated air out into the environment while an improperly vented attic won’t be able to keep up with the outside environment. A home with adequate ventilation and the proper insulation for the environment is an energy-efficient home.
Solving Your Leaks
Your best bet for solving your air leak woes is by contacting a certified HVAC service. An HVAC service can perform an energy audit of your home with specialized tools such as infrared cameras to find where your air is going. They can also check to be certain your insulation and ventilation are at the least adequate to cool or heat your home.
Your home may be an energy guzzler, but it doesn’t have to be. Having a certified HVAC provider perform an energy audit to find problem areas and get them fixed is the best way to save your hard-earned money every month in energy bills. The audit and fix will cost you upfront, but you’ll recoup that cost every time you pay your utility bills.
