UPDATED 9/11/2017 In the winter and summer, does your HVAC system have a hard time keeping up with increased demand? If that’s the case, you probably see high utility bills and low indoor comfort. A home energy audit identifies the reasons why. 

An energy audit is a low-cost way to get to the bottom of high utility bills. BGE and Pepco customers qualify for a special price of just $100, while the Home Performance with ENERGY STAR program funding lasts. Plus, utility customers get FREE energy-saving products and qualify for up to $7500 in energy efficiency rebates.

Minnick’s offers two types of energy audits. The Healthy Home Energy Audit is our premier audit that focuses on your HVAC equipment, home performance, safety, and comfort.

Minnick’s also offers an HVAC Audit. Typically, contractors get HVAC audits to test the efficiency of new or upgraded equipment. They may not need a comprehensive audit that looks at the entire home, because their focus is on the heating and cooling equipment.

Unlike the Healthy Home Energy Audit, the HVAC Audit focuses only on your heating and cooling system. Your HVAC system uses a lot of energy so it’s important to know if it’s running efficiently. Even if you have the latest equipment, it may not perform as expected. That’s because your whole house works as a system, and your furnace and air conditioner are just one piece of the Whole-Home Comfort puzzle.

When it’s time for HVAC replacement or an upgrade, it’s not as easy as choosing the model that offers the best energy efficiency. Sizing matters or you won’t achieve optimal energy efficiency. Bigger isn’t always better for HVAC equipment.

During the HVAC audit, the auditor makes sure the HVAC equipment is sized correctly for the home. Even the most energy-efficient unit won’t perform as expected if it doesn’t fit with all the systems in the home.

Ductwork sizing also matters for Whole-Home Comfort. Improperly sized ductwork won’t deliver conditioned air which lowers a homeowner’s comfort level.

Once the auditor evaluates the size of the equipment and ductwork, he checks the ducts for leaks. These are more common than you think. If air leaks out of the ducts, your system works harder. This leads to more breakdowns and a shorter life for your equipment.

Plus, you won’t feel as comfortable because the conditioned air is lost before it reaches the rooms in your home.

In both Minnick’s Energy Audit and the HVAC Audit, the auditor uses a blower door to finds hidden air leaks.

In addition to checking for air leaks, the energy auditor checks carbon monoxide levels. Proper ventilation is important for your health and safety. Carbon monoxide is an odorless gas that kills.

Equipment performance and efficiency can be greatly improved with the help of an HVAC audit. A trained technician will examine your HVAC system and ductwork, looking for inefficiencies that hurt performance and cost you money. He will then provide suggestions to help improve HVAC efficiency.

An HVAC audit is just one part of the puzzle, though. To truly get to the bottom of your home’s energy woes, you need to also perform a home energy audit. That’s why Minnick’s recommends the Healthy Home Energy Audit.

Any audit is better than no audit. It improves your home’s performance, improves indoor air quality, and puts you one step closer to Whole-Home Comfort.