Energy audit helps homeowners save money by preparing their home for a bitter winter

Here are five tips to help your family be warmer and cozier at home despite Mother Nature.

• At the top of the list is to have an energy audit. According to the U.S. Dept. 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.” Following a professional energy audit, homeowners should receive a list of prioritized, recommended improvements to solve any comfort and excessive energy usage

issues.

“Too many homeowners assume new windows, more insulation or an upgraded furnace will solve their home’s comfort issues and high utility bills,” said Karl Rosenau, owner of the local Pro Energy Consultants franchise. “The very first step is to always start with a home energy audit. It removes all the guesswork.”

• Another tip is to check the caulking around windows and make sure they’re sealed properly to prevent drafts.

• Third, glass doors and fireplace covers are ways to reduce heat loss from a fireplace. Both products are designed to reduce airflow, and thus heat loss, up the chimney. How much energy a glass door saves depends on how it’s used. Burning with the doors open is the same as not having a door at all. Closing the door during the burn allows for better control of the fire, but reduces the amount of radiant heat transfer into the room from the fire.

• Fourth, switch to a programmable thermostat. It allows homeowners to pre-set temperatures to match the family’s comfort needs and hectic schedules for every day of the week to match activities – whether the family’s home, vacationing, having friends over, or simply spending a quiet evening in front of the fireplace.

• And finally, planting trees and shrubs around the home to protect it from the wind can reduce winter heating costs naturally. This will lower the wind chill around the house. There are many kinds of protective trees, and some grow better in particular climates, but a general rule of thumb is to plant evergreens and shrubs on the north and northwest side of the home for the best protection from winter winds. To take full advantage of the sun’s warmth in winter, avoid planting evergreens on the south side of the home.

For more information on energy audits, call 218-380-2367 or visit www.proenergyconsultants. com.

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