This is a Sponsored post written by me on behalf of Santa Clara County’s 80% Home Energy Assessment Rebate for SocialSpark. All opinions are 100% mine.
Last Summer, our electric bill was extremely high (especially for two particular months). It is actually high every, single month, but the summer months are extremely bad for us. We really dread receiving our electric bill in the mail every month. Last month our bill was over $500! Below is a photo of our actual bill – scary, right?
My husband and I have had conversations about having an energy assessment, but we just haven’t done it yet. Why? I have no idea. It seems simple enough and could potentially save us hundreds of dollars per year. We really try to be conscientious of our electric usage, but with four people in the house (two of whom are teens), it is very difficult.
An energy assessment can help you discover why your bills might be so big and what problems might be causing them to be so extreme. You might think that replacing windows will solve all of your problems (as we did), but in fact, you might be wasting more energy through the ceilings or even air ducts. Who knew?
An energy assessment can determine if you have poor insulation, leaks that can be caulked, etc. Your contractor will also tell you about the efficiency of your heating and cooling systems. We finally had to replace our old air-conditioner. We found (thanks to the tech who told us) that it wasn’t big enough for the size of our house, which caused it to work overtime, using too much energy. The new air conditioner has made a difference somewhat, but now we need to look into having new thermometers installed (because something still is not right). Our downstairs stays really cool, but the upstairs is like a sauna. There has got to be a way to have the upstairs and downstairs equally comfortable. I’m sure that this mystery will be solved once we have our assessment.
Energy assessments sound pretty simple, really. Just look for a contractor in your area, and they will come to your house and do a thorough check of what could be costing you money, or tell you what might help in saving money. Even though you might think you can figure these things out on your own, that is probably not the case. Contractors have special equipment that can determine things that aren’t easily seen by the naked eye. They know where to look and what they are looking for, to help you save money and stop wasting energy. Of course, there are the obvious things you can do in the meantime (unplug appliances that aren’t being used, turn off lights when you leave the room, etc.), but for the bigger issues, you need a professional.
Have you had an energy assessment for your home? I highly encourage you to see if there is a program available in your area, just as I am now going to do. You may even qualify for a home assessment rebate! To learn more, visit Santa Clara County Energy Upgrades on Facebook!
3 Responses
I feel your pain + $200. We have the same issues with upstairs temp vs downstairs temp. We had an energy audit by our power company (free) & did everything they suggested. Our bill has steadily increased. We are at a loss on what else to do. I would love to hear the results of your assessment. Maybe I’ll find something we missed. 😉
Wow, that is a high bill. The highest ours got was $300 and that was more than enough for me. I have never even thought of getting an energy assessment.
It can’t hurt! $300 is steep too…but I don’t think ours ever even goes below that 🙁