Conducting an energy audit on your home to check for air leaks, and fixing any problems that are found, can reduce your energy costs by as much as 30%. While professional energy audits are available from private firms and utility companies, you can also conduct your own energy audit.

Here’s how to conduct a DIY energy audit on your home:

1. Turn off any gas appliances and close fireplace dampers.
2. Close all exterior doors and windows.
3. Turn on any exhaust fans in your house, such as bathroom and kitchen vent fans.
4. Hold a lit piece of incense around door and window openings. Movement of the smoke indicates an air leak.
5. Repair any weather stripping and fix any gaps under door thresholds to seal up your house and reduce heating and cooling loss.

For more information on how to make your house energy efficient, visit energysavers.gov. Watch this video to find out more.

Further Information

• Easy Ways to Save Energy in Your Home (article/video)
• Conducting an Energy Audit for Your Home (video)
• Testing HVAC Ductwork for Leaks Can Save Energy (video)
• Using an Infrared Camera to Conduct an Energy Audit (video)

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I’ve been a long-time advocate of conducting energy audits to find out how you can improve your home’s efficiency and make it a greener place to live. Many utility companies offer this service, as well as private organizations. But, you can also conduct your own home audit that could help you save anywhere from 5 to 30 percent on your energy costs.

First, look for any obvious air leaks around windows and doors, electrical outlets and switch plates, light fixtures and attic accesses. If you close all the exterior doors and windows, fireplace flue and turn off any gas-burning appliance, then turn on all your exhaust fans, which creates a slight change in the air pressure inside.

Then you can locate air leaks by using a lit piece of incense. The leaks will cause the smoke to waver. These are just a couple of ideas. You can learn more at energysavers.gov.