Not YET Green

We had a great session for the first 5×10 Improvement workshop last night.  One topic that people were really interested in was the Energy Audit.  You can learn more about why I think an energy audit is so important in my previous postings.  And yes, I am continuing to offer one free energy audit to any client because I think they are so critical to a happy, healthy and more valuable home.   

I think the real value is in hiring a professional to do the audit for you.  I’m happy to provide names of good local auditors.  Or you can find one through the directory from the organization that certifies auditors.  You can also learn more about what goes into a good audit from one of my favorite energy auditing companies that services Elmhurst. 

But what if you’re handy and you want to give this a shot yourself?  Or what if you want to get an initial read on your own first?  I always lean towards the return-on-investment calculations and insights of a good auditor.  But, here are two good resources if you want to get you started on your own first:

The US Department of Energy has a pretty comprehensive guide to doing your own audit.

Energy Star offers the Home Energy Yardstick calculator to assess the size of your home and your utility usage.  It will let you know how your home sizes up to others and offer some suggestions for improvement.    You have to gather info on energy usage for the previous 12 months at your home first.  You can sign up for an account at Nicor or ComEd to get this data. 

It’s step one to a greener, more efficient home.  Good luck!