Testing Huntsville Utilities' free home audit
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The whole process takes a little more than an hour. Photo: Courtesy Huntsville Utilities
It's hot out there, y'all, and too hot in my house. So I took advantage of Huntsville Utilities' free Home Energy Audit.
Why it matters: Dotting all the i's and crossing all the t's in your home energy ecosystem can lessen the impact of higher energy bills in the height of summer and the depths of winter.
How it works: Request a survey on the Huntsville Utilities website and schedule a time for Keith Ricketts, HU's home energy adviser, to evaluate the performance of your major appliances, attic insulation and other pertinent components.
- It takes a little over an hour to complete, and you'll get a score (I got a 4 out of 5) and detailed write-up of the findings, including recommended work and the projected costs.
Yes, but: It's only for single-family homes at the homeowner's request. No apartments or commercial buildings, and landlords have to request it on behalf of a renter.
Zoom in: Ricketts, who does about four audits a day, took a look at my house Thursday. Here's what the process is like:
First, he'll get the details: square footage (mine is around 1,600), when the home was built (1989) and the last time the HVAC unit was serviced (this year).
- His top piece of advice to homeowners who get the audit: Have your HVAC unit serviced at least once a year, especially as they get older.
Context: The big-ticket items are A/C and water heater, which account for roughly 50% and 19% of a home's energy usage, respectively, Ricketts said.
- After checking my windows and A/C unit from the outside, he checked the interior A/C system, including ducts and intake, then the water heater.
- I was all good there, but the next step is where I've got work to do: insulation, especially in the attic.
Ricketts recommended weather stripping and a zippered tent cover for the attic door (like this one), extra insulation throughout the attic and foam board insulation in other spots.
- My house is on a slab, so there was no crawl space to examine, and my doors were in decent shape.
What's next: Follow up with TVA's DIY assessment and get a free energy-saving kit, customized report with recommendations, $10 gift card and list of available rebates and credits.
- It took me less than 10 minutes, and I identified $1,500 in potential incentives I could qualify for, the easiest being $50 for having my A/C unit serviced.
The bottom line: All in all, it was painless, and it gave me a solid to-do list, where formerly I had only hunches.
What we're watching: I'll be checking off Ricketts' recommendation this weekend, so stay tuned, because I'll report back to see what changes in my bill — or more importantly, the temperature in my house.