Real estate
With Texas temperatures heating up, residents may notice an increase to their monthly electricity bill, as air conditioning units work overtime to keep homes cool. However, homes with poor insulation, air leaks and clogged filters can drive those costs higher, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. To identify these types of inefficiencies, homeowners can complete a home energy assessment, also known as an energy audit. Matthew Arndt, an auditor with 1st Choice Energy in Austin, said the assessment involves a visual inspection of key items in a home and typically results in recommendations for how to improve the home’s energy efficiency. Energy audits uncover waste
How it works
Since 2015, the average retail price of electricity for residential homes per kilowatt hour has increased. Average retail price of electricity for residential homes in March
Arndt said a home energy audit takes roughly an hour, depending on the size of the property, and involves a comprehensive checklist to determine how a home can become more efficient. Depend- ing on the features of a property, auditors can inspect the home’s air conditioning and heating systems, exterior walls for air leakage, and attics for amount of insulation. After the assessment, auditors provide a report and recommendations for upgrades to the homeowners. “You want to have a whole-home approach, because just replacing the AC unit will only solve so much of the problem if you don’t have any insulation, or ductwork has holes in it or deterio- rated,” Arndt said. Many businesses also offer free energy assess- ments. A list of certified ECAD energy profession- als can be found at www.austinenergy.com.
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SOURCE: U.S. ENERGY INFORMATION ADMINISTRATION/COMMUNITY IMPACT
“The whole goal is to solve comfort issues, lower customers’ bills and then, ultimately, it helps the grid out,” he said.
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