Contributing Author: Gentle Heron
Often your local utility company will come out to your home and perform an energy audit. This is probably the most accurate way to learn how to use energy efficiently. However, it will mean scheduling the visit for several hours during the workday, and this may not be feasible for your schedule.
An alternative is the online energy audit. You will spend a few minutes inputting data, and in return will receive valuable information about your energy usage.
Several sites offer these audits. Many local utilities will add in local weather and housing data, making them quite accurate.
You can also check out the US Department of Energy’s Home Energy Saver site at: http://hes.lbl.gov/consumer. This site helps you calculate your energy usage based on your ZIP code. It also includes several videos of energy saving projects such as insulating your water heater and hot water pipes, as well as interesting blog posts.
Another online energy audit option from energy.gov is found here: https://energy.gov/energysaver/do-it-yourself-home-energy-audits. Not only will you learn how to look for areas in your home where you are losing energy, but you will be offered methods for improving the building’s energy efficiency.
Beware, though, of advertising sites that want to collect your personal information. If an offer related to energy audits or energy savings seems too good to be true, it probably is. Use only sites from your local utility companies, universities, or government agencies.
Editor's Note: While the above links are for US consumers, many countries have corresponding services available to their citizens. Be sure to seek them out.
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