An energy home audit will determine how much energy your home is consuming. You will look at various home systems, and you will find which ones are losing energy.

There are a number of actions you can take on your own to correct problems you find. Once you do so, you will immediately begin to experience cumulative savings in energy costs.

The biggest enemy of energy efficiency is an air leak. Air leaks spring up in all sorts of places both inside and outside of the home.

Each one of these leaks wastes cool air in the summer and warm air in the winter. It is estimated that the average American house wastes 5 percent to 30 percent of its energy each year because of air leaks.

While some of these air leaks require a professional residential energy audit to detect, others can be detected by a doityourself energy home audit. Certain areas around the outside of your home and inside of your home will reveal obvious air leaks if you inspect them closely.

Itemizing these leaks, then repairing them one at a time as your budget allows, is the best way to begin building up savings on power costs.

Begin your energy home audit by walking around the outside of your home. If you have a fireplace, one of the areas where air leaks commonly occur is the area between the siding and the chimney. Check all exterior corners as well.

These places are also notorious for leaking air. Siding also commonly separates from the foundation. Brick walls can also form gaps between the foundation, and this can be a source of air loss as well.

Some of these things may be beyond your budget to immediately repair. Itemize what you discover, then invest in the first thing that you can afford to change. This will begin to pay you back and provide you with additional funding for future repairs.

One of the most important parts of an energy home audit is a close examination of every window in your home. The reason that we recommend this is because air leaks in these places can be spotted with the naked eye.

Gaps around window frames can often be readily discovered with only a casual inspection. If you see light around the frames, then there is a leak. Also, if you can rattle windows, then air leaks are likely.

Door frames are another place to look. Many times air leaks from between the door and the frame. Anytime you see light shining through, you can be sure that air is leaking out of your house.

The most affordable, immediate solution to leaks around doors and windows is adding new weather stripping and caulking. While you may need to replace some of your windows in the future, start saving money now by at least trapping as much air in your home as possible.

Conclude your energy home audit by examining the area around your attic hatch. Make a note of any visible gaps you find around the hatch and the ceiling. This will send warm air straight through your ceiling if you do not do something about it.

Adding insulation in this one area can save you a great deal of money without exorbitant cost.

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