Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) lists Florida as the sixth highest consumer of energy consumption compared to other states. The national average energy bill is $111.67 and Florida residents have a state average of $126.44—that’s 13% more than the national average. Energy consumption is based on cooling and heating your home, running appliances, turning on lights, and using other electrical components. The higher-than-average energy consumption is not surprising consider the constant heat and humidity Florida residents face every day.
Granted, these numbers are an average of all of Florida, so residents of Central Florida may have a slightly higher average for their energy bill with fewer cool days than North Floridians or those along the coast.
Energy Audits in Greater Tampa Bay Area
If you live in Central Florida and have an average energy bill well over the state average, then you might need an energy audit. Having a $250 or higher bill two or three months out of the year isn’t bad but if two-fifty is low for your home, give us a call.
Energy audits are also available to customers interested in going “green” and seeing where in their home they can be more conservative of energy usage.
What Is An Energy Audit?
An energy audits is a lot like you would expect, it is an analysis of the energy consumption in your home and which areas of your home are the worst. The energy auditor then makes recommendations on the changes you can make to scale back your usage.
What To Expect During An Energy Audit
Depending on the size of your home, an energy audit can take from 30 minutes up to 4 hours. When the energy auditor arrives, they will use a variety of tools and methods to gauge energy usage in of different electrical components of your home. Your energy auditor may:
Inspect the outside of your home, reviewing window and door seals and checking eaves where air may be leaking out of your home. When you have major air leaks, your HVAC system has to work harder to cool or warm your home, which in turn drives up its energy usage.
Check in the attic to inspect the amount of insulation to ensure it is applied evenly and thick enough to meet building requirements.
Look at the electrical wiring viewable from the attic to see if installation was done properly.
Review your light sources to determine the type of bulbs in use.
Review the model and hook-ups of your appliance such as your refrigerator or washer and dryer.
Examine your air conditioner for obvious signs of repair or maintenance (like filter changes or dirty coils) that can overwork your system. Visual inspection of your duct work for any signs of tears or air leakage.
Perform a general inspection of your water heater, checking for its age. Older units often consume more energy than newer models.
Perform a Blower Door Test, which is a way to analyze a home for leaks by sealing the home and using special machines to depressurize it and review for excessive hot/cold spots.
Following the audit of your home, the energy auditor will provide you with an analysis of their findings along with list of energy efficient recommendations.
Common recommendations may include:
Adding additional insulation
Changing all light bulbs to LED lighting
Repairing duct work
HVAC Maintenance
Update appliances to energy efficient models
Replace your water heater
Repair the seal around windows and doors
Upgrade windows to double panes, which are more energy efficient
