Conducting a home energy audit will help you to make valuable savings on your energy bills and detect areas where you are losing energy without cause. If you have seen an increase in your energy bills, it may be time to consider conducting a home energy audit to improve energy efficiency in your home.

There are some assessments you can perform yourself, but to lower your energy consumption as much as possible it’s worthwhile to have a professional energy auditor in New South Wales to carry out the inspection.

What is a home energy audit?

An energy audit is a detailed report and analysis which shows energy saving areas within your home. The purpose of a home energy audit is to identify opportunities for reducing your energy usage. A home energy audit can help you to reduce both energy costs and consumption.

Home energy audits help homeowners to improve energy efficiency by cutting the cost of energy bills and do your part for the environment at the same time. In many cases, conducting a home energy audit reduces yearly bills by hundreds of dollars.

When carrying out their assessment of your home, auditors consider a wide range of factors when preparing your report, including the size of your family and your property’s energy needs.

Home energy audits in New South Wales include:

• Gas and electricity tariff review
• Water tariff review
• User behaviour patterns
• Energy consumption analysis
• Energy contract management
• Expert energy management recommendations

Here are the top 6 benefits of conducting an energy audit at home

1. Reduce your impact on the environment

The issue of energy consumption has been a growing concern for many householders throughout Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, Maitland and surrounding areas, not only because of its immediate impact on monthly bills but also due to the significant impact on the environment.

Homes significantly contribute to greenhouse gas emissions, with households accounting for about 11% of Australia’s total carbon emissions. Becoming energy efficient is one of the cheapest ways for Australians to cut carbon emissions to do their part in helping the planet.

2. Add value to your home

Homeowners planning to sell their property are being advised to go green as research shows that energy efficiency measures can increase the value of their house.

Improving a home’s energy efficiency rating could add up to 10% to the asking price, according to a report released by the Sustainable Buildings Research Centre at the University of Wollongong.

The study compared residences with a higher energy rating to those with lower energy ratings and found that higher rated homes consistently sold at a premium.

3. Improve insulation and ventilation

An energy auditor can determine if a lack of insulation, draughts around doors, unsealed windows or gaps in the home exterior are the root cause of energy loss in your home.

If your property has energy performance issues, an auditor can get to the root cause of insulation and ventilation issues by conducting door tests, infrared imaging and duct leakage tests to customise an energy-savings plan for your property.

4. Save on high-energy appliances

The appliances you use on a weekly basis in your home and how you use them greatly affect your energy consumption and costs. Older electrical appliances are usually inefficient when it comes to energy usage.

From refrigerators and washing machines to air conditioning units, investing in replacements will save you money in the long run. An auditor will assess the appliances used in your home and estimate their energy usage.

5. Reduce heating and cooling costs

Did you know that heating and cooling can account for up to 50% of the energy used in Australian homes? Having your HVAC system serviced every year is the best way to keep it functioning efficiently and to help prevent costly repairs.

If your HVAC system is old, you should consider replacing it with a newer, energy-efficient unit. A new unit will help reduce your energy consumption, especially if the existing system is in poor condition.

6. Health and safety

Home energy audits are essential for improving health and safety within the home. During an energy audit, your auditor will identify health and safety issues such as problems with your electrical wiring, fuel leaks and other dangers that may compromise your wellbeing.

Powered Electrical & Data uses reliable diagnostic tools to make a full assessment of health and safety issues that may be present in your home during their audit.

Some tips on getting your home audited

Every smart homeowner knows that an energy audit is a great investment. When your home is running at its optimal energy efficiency, you can relax knowing that you are saving money on your next utility bill.

So what’s next? Before you book a home energy audit, you should follow some basic guidelines to ensure you get the best out of your assessment.

• Engage the services of an accredited, professional energy auditor in New South Wales.
• For a thorough report, the auditor will need to analyse all areas of the home, if there are areas that are difficult to access, please discuss this with your auditor.
• Depending on the level of detail required, energy audits may require a visual inspection or detailed measurements.
• The auditor will need basic information about your home and current energy usage. Some useful data to have on hand include details of the construction of your home and recent energy bills.

Professional home energy audit in New South Wales

With Powered Electrical & Data, we have the assets in place to undertake an efficient and effective energy audit. When you work with us, you get local know-how backed by years of expertise in home energy auditing in Lake Macquarie, Newcastle, Maitland and surrounding areas.

If you are looking for a professional home energy auditor to complete a comprehensive assessment of your home’s energy usage, give our professional home energy auditors in New South Wales a call on 0466 182 944 or send us an email at info@poweredelec.com.