Is Your Home a Leaker?

>> According to the U.S. Department of

Energy, an energy audit is “the first step to

assess how much energy your home consumes

and to evaluate what measures you

can take to make your home more energy

efficient.”

“Energy audits started over 20

years ago,” says Rick Chitwood, energy consultant,

building tester, trainer, and owner of

Chitwood Energy Management, which offers

home performance evaluations.

Originally,such inspections were done on commercial

buildings. “Now we have all the test equipment

that’s inexpensive enough to use on

homes.”

An energy audit tests rooms for

leaks and air infiltration to see how much

energy is used (and lost) in a home.

You can do a preliminary energy audit

yourself by looking for air leaks, inspecting

both the interior and exterior. You should

also check to see if any holes around your

sinks and faucets need to be caulked.

The U.S. Department of Energy Web site has

instructions for do-it-yourselfers: Do It

Yourself Energy Audit. However, if you want

an energy audit done professionally, you

can contact the California Building Performance

Contractors Association (CBPCA).

The CBPCA receives funding from Southern

California Edison and Pacific Gas and

Electric and is a non-profit organization

that trains and certifies contractors through

its Green Home Energy Upgrade program.