FREE HOME ENERGY AUDITS
Looking For Ways to Reduce Your Electric Bill?
Altamaha EMC offers FREE Home Energy Audits to our members. Our Member
Services Director, Van Henriott, can do an inspection of your home and
offer suggestions on improving your energy efficiency and lowering your
monthly electric bill.
To discuss a home energy audit, call 912-526-8181 or 1-800-822-4563.
Auditing Energy: Small Measures, Real Savings.
No matter the age of your home, it could ben-
efit from an energy audit. Altamaha EMC of-
fers free home energy audits conducted by certified
energy advisors. But you can get started on your own
in finding low-cost solutions that could save money
on your monthly electric bill.
First, ask yourself a simple question: Does my
home feel drafty and cold in the winter, or stuffy and
hot in the summer? If yes, then it probably experi-
ences air leakage. To track down where those spots
are, start with the usual suspects-like damaged seals
around doors and windows. If you see daylight or
feel air, then apply caulk and weather stripping to
keep outdoor air where it’s supposed to be. Don’t
forget spots you might not immediately think of, like
recessed canister lights and electrical outlets. Outlet
insulation kits can be purchased for as little as $2, and
you can fix up your canister lights with some caulk
around the edges. Also look where walls meet the
ceiling. Cobwebs mean you’ve got drafts.
Next, peek into the attic and inspect the crawl
space or basement for sufficient insulation. Keep
in mind insulation won’t do its job well if you don’t
have a proper air barrier working in tandem. That
means all joints and cracks must be sealed between
your living space and insulation.
Finally, look to your light fixtures. Compact fluo-
rescent lightbulbs (CFLs) are up to 75 percent more
efficient than traditional incandescent bulbs, and
they’ve come a long way in light quality, design, and
affordability. You can purchase CFLs in a variety of
shapes and hues. They cost more upfront, but you’ll
make your money back in less than nine months
and, after that, they start saving money. Make sure
to purchase a CFL that’s rated by ENERGY STAR, the
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s program that
denotes products meeting specific energy efficiency
criteria. ENERGY STAR-rated CFLs will typically last
10 times longer than a traditional incandescent bulb
producing the same amount of light.
LEDs - light-emitting diodes -are in the next wave
of residential lighting. An ENERGY STAR-rated model
is estimated to use only a quarter of the electricity
consumed by traditional bulbs and can last for 25 years.
As with many new technologies, the up-front cost for an
LED bulb is still much more than even a CFL, but prices
are expected to drop as new products are developed.
To learn more about ways to reduce your electric bill,
visit www.energysavers.gov, or call us at 912-526-8181
and ask about our free home energy audit program.
More Energy Savings Tips:
- How to save money and energy.
- Caulk is cheap – use it to plug those leaks and save!
- Invest in energy efficiency.
- Replace air filters regularly for efficient heating and cooling.
- Auditing Energy: Small Measures, Real Savings.