In this day and age, energy efficiency doesn’t just mean being more friendly to the environment; it also means saving a significant amount of money on energy bills as well. With the right tools and knowledge, it’s easy to identify and correct energy- wasting aspects of your home. To get you started, here are a few of the most common aspects of your home that can be a drain on energy and your wallet.
Insulation
Insulation is detrimental to the level of comfort in your home. It helps keep the heat in during the winter months, and air conditioning in during the summer. In rooms like the attic, insulation is often exposed and can the condition can be easily checked. For all the other rooms with unexposed insulation, call a professional energy auditor to check it for you, he/she will be able to use specific techniques to check on the insulation without causing damage to your walls.
Air Leaks
A small leak around a window sill or a baseboard might not seem like it would have a big effect on your bills, but a combination of every one of those little leaks in your home could account for around 30 percent of your heating bills! To avoid this, looks for worn out weather stripping around windows, cracks around door frames, or poorly sealed dryer vents or air ducts.
Lighting
Besides remembering to turn the lights off as you exit a room, its equally important to make sure that when the lights are on, you are getting the most bang for your buck. Bulbs like Light Emitting Diode (LED) and Compact Fluorescent Lights (CFL) are extremely popular among homeowners due to their long life and minimal energy usage. Implementing these kinds of light bulbs through out your home can seriously lower energy costs.
(Source: http://www.kesq.com/entertainment/green-living/home-energy-audit-diy-and-save-money/26730694)