Energy Star Helps You Perform Your Own Energy Audit
An EcoBroker and member of the Eco-All-Stars Group at Active Rain shares this good information on a FREE energy audit tool.
With all of the talk about having an Energy Rating done on your home to determine its energy efficiency, and to increase its marketability if you are selling, it's nice to know there is a no cost alternative to having a professional come in. If you can't afford a Professional Energy Rater, you can print out the result of this rating quiz, if you will, and have it available for prospective Buyers. If nothing else, it can be quite an eye opener.
If you go to www.energystar.gov , you will find a feature on its website called, the Home Energy Yardstick, or click on the link below.
http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=home_energy_yardstick.showStep2
You can compare your home's energy efficiency to similar homes across the country and get recommendations for energy-saving home improvements.
I tried this with my own home. You will definitely need your utility bills from the last month, or you can ask for a summary of the last 12 months from your utility company. You will also need to know the sum of fuel for heating, in gallons and in dollars, which you have spent over the last 12 months, in order to get the most accurate answers.
Once you have completed the quiz, you will get a score. If your house uses more energy than the average household in America, you will score a 1-4. If you score 5-10, you are using less energy than the average household. The site then gives you specific goals to try to achieve a higher score. There is an additional link, called the Home Advisor, which will give you an idea of estimated cost savings for energy improvements you can make to your home. It's not a replacement for a Professional Energy Rating, but it's a step in the right direction.
And by the way, you can also see, at energystar.gov, which home improvements are eligible for rebates and tax credits. Click on the following link for those: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?fuseaction=rebate.rebate_locator
Needless to say, I love anything FREE. It makes it so much easier to get consumers, including myself, to think "Green".
Frances Sanderson, Franklin, NH REALTOR®, Certified EcoBroker®
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