Are your cooling and heating systems energy efficient?

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Not only does the efficiency of these systems spare energy -- which has been in short supply in some areas lately -- but it adds to the money left in your pocketbook after paying energy costs.

The first step to taking a whole-house energy efficiency approach is to find out which parts of your house use the most energy. A home energy audit will show you where these are and suggest the most effective measures for reducing your energy costs.

You can conduct a simple home energy audit yourself, you can contact your local utility, or you can call an independent energy auditor for a more comprehensive examination.

Formulating Your Plan

After you have identified places in your home that are losing energy, assign priorities to your energy needs by asking yourself a few important questions:

• How much money do you spend on energy?
• Where are your greatest energy losses?
• How long will it take for an investment in energy efficiency to pay for itself in energy savings?
• Can you do the job yourself, or will you need to hire a contractor?
• What is your budget and how much time do you have to spend on maintenance and repair?

Once you assign priorities to your energy needs, you can form a whole-house efficiency plan. Your plan will provide you with a strategy for making smart purchases and home improvements that maximize energy efficiency and save the most money.

Another option is to get the advice of a professional. Many utilities conduct energy audits for free or for a nominal charge. For a fee, a professional contractor will analyze how your home's energy systems work together as a system and compare the analysis against your utility bills.

He or she will use a variety of equipment such as blower doors, infrared cameras and surface thermometers to find inefficiencies that cannot be detected by a visual inspection. Finally, they will give you a list of recommendations for cost-effective energy improvements and enhanced comfort and safety.

Source: Consumer Energy Information: Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Network, U.S. Department of Energy