Home energy Audit Ways to Save Money on Electricity

I am going to show you how to conduct a home energy audit to help you realize ways to save money on electricity. One of the largest portions of every family's monthly budget is the cost of their electric and heating bills every month. Take steps to reduce those costs by being conscious of what causes them to be so high.

Conduct a Self Audit

There are a number of ways consumers can make their homes more efficient and use less energy and heat, and, consequently, save money on electricity, reducing the cost of their monthly bills, according to a report from the Lehigh Valley Morning Call. One of the easiest ways to do this is to conduct a home energy audit of your own. All that might take to realize real home energy savings is simply going around your house and examining the areas around all your external doors and windows.

"It's unbelievable how much air leaks out of people's houses," Anthony Hyde of Saving Green Energy Audits told the newspaper.

Often, there can be broken seals or other fissures around these areas that can be letting treated air - cold in summer, hot in winter - literally get through the cracks, the report said. Some estimates have shown that the total combined surface area of these cracks throughout a house, and also where the home's foundation meets its frame, can add up to be the size of a fully open window. Taking the time to seal these cracks up with caulk or a similar substance can immediately make your home more efficient for a relatively low cost.

More Insulation?

As you conduct your own home energy audit, consider the amount of insulation you have in your attic, the report said. For home energy savings, Experts recommend having at least twelve inches of this substance between your home and the outside, but some attics have as little as two inches. Simply adding insulation on top of the existing protection can cut your monthly heating or cooling costs considerably, because the treated air won't be able to escape as easily.

Check Those Appliances

Of course, you can also save money on electricity by making sure your appliances are running at maximum efficiency, the report said. For example, if you have a hot water heater that's set to 140 degrees (which is usually standard), turning it down to 120 can save you a lot of money and still leave you and your family plenty of hot water.

Take Action

From sealing leaks to adding extra insulation, there are many ways to maximize the value of your greatest asset. Make sure to conduct a home energy audit to identify your home’s biggest leaks/issues prior to undertaking any projects. Most importantly, don’t forget that improving your home is an investment that will certainly come back to you in the long-run with increased home energy savings.

Victor McGlothin is a financial writer for DailyMoneyTip.com, providing easy ways to save money everyday.

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