Home Energy Audits

Reese / March 5, 2018

Reasons to Get a Home Energy Audit in Phoenix

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REASONS TO GET A HOME ENERGY AUDIT IN PHOENIX

MAR 05, 2018

A home energy audit can be the first step in ensuring your home is working as efficiently as possible. A professional auditor will assess everything from your appliances to your ductwork to your lights. But what are the specific benefits of a home energy audit and why should you get one?

HOME ENERGY AUDIT IN PHOENIX

The benefits of a home energy audit for homeowners in Phoenix are especially pronounced. The extreme climate means that most folks simply cannot afford for their homes to be operating like anything less than a well-oiled machine. A difference of even just a few degrees on the thermostat can mean heaps of money over the course of consecutive 100-plus-degree days. With summer and extreme heat just around the corner, check out these reasons to consider getting your home energy audit now.

WHAT IS A HOME ENERGY AUDIT?

A home energy audit is the process in which a professional conducts a thorough and holistic assessment of all of the systems in your home. This assessment allows for recommendations to improve the functionality of all of the systems that comprise your home. By understanding how much energy your home uses and where there is potential room for improvement, homeowners can make strategic decisions about upkeep and upgrades. At its most basic level, a home energy audit identifies areas that energy is going to waste — wasted energy is wasted money. The ratio of energy used by any element of your home must be proportional to its output, whether that be cool air, light or something else. If there is insulation that needs touched up, a thermostat that is not working correctly or an appliance that is not working as well as it could, a good auditor will find it and let you know in a detailed report.

While do-it-yourself home energy audits are certainly not a bad idea, they do not carry the same precision as an audit from a professional. Before the professional visits your home for an energy audit, be prepared with some information.

For instance:

Is anyone at home during the typical work day?

What are your typical thermostat settings?

Are there any rooms in the home that you do not use?

Gather the previous year’s energy bills for the professional to review as well.

Then be prepared to be home while the auditor does a walkthrough of your home. During the physical inspection, they will likely have questions that will require your input. Using different types of special equipment, the auditor will assess where your home is experiencing energy losses.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A HOME ENERGY AUDIT?

You have probably already guessed the immediate benefits of a home energy audit — a likely savings on your utility bills. Many homeowners could save hundreds of dollars every yearwithout even changing their lifestyles. But did you know that the money-saving benefits extend even beyond that? By ensuring maximum energy efficiency, you can extend the lifespan of expensive systems and appliances like HVAC systems and even your washer and dryer. Not only will these systems last longer, but they will be less likely to need repairs as frequently over the years.

And did you know that a home energy audit can help improve the comfort of your home?

Many homeowners have found that after following the professional recommendations gleaned from their assessments that their air quality improved inside their home, the home was quieter and that overly drafty or hot rooms were fixed.

Additionally, some utility companies provide different incentives for getting a home energy audit. Check with your local company (likely SRP or APS) to find out what incentives might currently be available to you.

TIPS FOR CHOOSING A HOME ENERGY AUDIT COMPANY

When choosing a professional to conduct your home energy audit, be sure you pick a company that is well-respected and accredited by the Better Business Bureau.

Ask questions such as:

How they will conduct your home energy audit?

What kind of equipment they will be using?

How often is the equipment calibrated?

If you are ready to start enjoying the energy and money savings that come with an intensive home energy audit, give us a call today. We have excellent reviews and all of our work is guaranteed. Furthermore, we can help streamline the total process of increasing your home’s efficiency by executing recommendations your home energy audit might yield. While other auditors only do audits, we do it all! After we have conducted a thorough assessment of your house, we will help you build a solid plan to start cashing in on your home’s newfound efficiency. But you are on your own when it comes time to plan out what you are going to do with all of that money you will be saving down the road!

Click here to contact us about a home energy audit.

Reese / May 2, 2017

The Top 5 Energy Saving Tips for Summer

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THE TOP 5 ENERGY SAVING TIPS FOR SUMMER

MAY 02, 2017

Summer in Phoenix can be a stressful time for homeowners. In addition to soaring temperatures, the kids may be home more often with school out, you may be entertaining more or you may find that the heat puts a strain on more appliances than just your air conditioner. So what’s a Phoenix area homeowner to do? Here are our top 5 energy saving tips!

HOW CAN I LOWER MY ELECTRIC BILL IN THE SUMMER?

1. TAKE STOCK OF ALL OF YOUR APPLIANCES AND UTILITIES

While Phoenix area residents understandably think of their air conditioner first when seeking energy saving tips for summer (your air conditioner is the top energy user in your home, after all), to truly maximize savings, homeowners need to also be conscious of how much they use their other appliances as well. Doing laundry on off-peak hours and reconsidering the extra refrigerator in the garage are just a couple of examples.

The swimming pool is the second largest energy user in most Phoenix residences, but luckily, simply running the filter overnight is an energy saving tip that can result in significant savings and decreased energy consumption.

2. USE YOUR CEILING FANS APPROPRIATELY

One of our top energy saving tips for summer is to make sure you are properly utilizing your ceiling fans – and be sure other members of your family are as well. If you or someone else in the household feels a little warm, be sure fans are turned on and spinning counterclockwise (for optimal cooling) before anyone thinks about touching the thermostat.

3. CLEAN AIR FILTERS ARE A MUST

Keep your air filters clean and be prepared to change them more frequently than normal during summer months. Because you are likely using your HVAC system far more often, it is only logical that filters will become dirty and clogged that much more frequently. A clean air filter is critical to an efficiently running air conditioner and another practical energy saving tip – the cost of additional filters will be more than made up for when you see the difference in your utility bills.

4. SET YOUR THERMOSTAT CORRECTLY BASED ON YOUR SCHEDULE

In terms of energy saving tips for summer, this may be one of the ones that stumps people often. With all of the conflicting information about whether or not or how often to adjust your thermostat in the summer, the truth is that it depends. While you will want to let your air conditioner keep your house at a steady temperature while you are home, it is a good idea to set it about four degrees warmer while you are away for any significant length of time. But, because life can be unpredictable, many people understandably forget to adjust their thermostat in this way and lose out on all of the benefits of this energy saving tip.

If you have a fairly consistent schedule, programmable thermostats can be a lifesaver. You can set your thermostat to adjust automatically based on the time of day and the day of the week. For the more high-tech crowd, there are numerous thermostat options that interact with your mobile device so that you can adjust the thermostat after you have already left your home and even begin cooling it back down when you know you will be home soon. Furthermore, these thermostats can result in significant energy savings in the summer because they adapt to your habits and the weather.

Additionally, make sure that you have the correct fan setting to make the most of our energy saving tips for summer. Instead of leaving it on the “On” setting all of the time, keep it on “Auto” or, even better, “Circulate” if you have a newer thermostat and that is an option. Lastly, no air conditioner can be expected to work efficiently if it is not properly maintained and the correct size for the home.

5. SET YOUR THERMOSTAT TO THE CORRECT TEMPERATURE

What temperature to set your air conditioner to in summer is entirely dependent on you and your preferences. Because this is an article about energy saving tips for summer, we will assume that your priority is keeping within your budget. But with temperatures soaring over the 100° mark routinely over the course of Phoenix summers, it is not practical to think that your utility bill will not increase at all.

Consider the temperature you currently feel comfortable at and move the temperature on your thermostat up a couple of degrees every few days. Not only will you be conditioning yourself to be comfortable at higher temperatures, but you will also find that even warmer temperatures still feel relatively cool as the thermometer begins its upswing in the outdoors. Consistently setting your thermostat to even just a few degrees warmer than you normally would can yield huge dividends in the form of lower energy costs and is one of our top energy saving tips for summer.

If you have not already, consider a Donley Home Energy Audit. Our professional will conduct a multi-point inspection to make specific recommendations and give you personalized energy saving tips based on a variety of factor such as your equipment, how many people live in your home, how long you are home during the day and what your average thermostat setting is.

Reese / March 7, 2017

Our Favorite Energy Saving Products

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OUR FAVORITE ENERGY SAVING PRODUCTS

MAR 07, 2017

Whether it is your concern for the environment or the expense of your utility bills, there are numerous energy saving products that can help significantly reduce your household’s energy consumption. Here is a rundown of our favorite heating, cooling, and plumbing products to start reaping the rewards of energy saving products today.

TOP ENERGY SAVING PRODUCTS

PLUMBING

Tankless Water Heaters

Tankless water heaters are an excellent addition to any home replete with numerous benefits. In addition to never running out of hot water, no standby heat loss and taking up significantly less space than traditional water heaters, tankless units can save you up to 20 percent on the cost to heat water in your home. You may be asking yourself, “If tankless water heaters are so great, why doesn’t everyone have them?” As with many energy saving products, the upfront costs associated with installing them keep many people from taking advantage of the product.

Tankless water heaters do cost up to three times as much as other water heaters, and some people may have to install a larger natural gas line to supply it with adequate fuel. However, tankless water heaters also outlive other water heaters by an average of 5-10 years, meaning that those who have them installed at their homes will be enjoying a return on their investment for many years to come.

Hot Water Recirculating Pumps

How many times have you found yourself running your morning shower while waiting what seems like forever for the hot water to finally get there? Unless you have a hot water recirculation pump, the answer is probably every day. Hot water recirculating pumps save you energy, water, time, and money by making it so that hot water is available at the tap on demand, rather than wasting your time and all of the cold water that goes down the drain while you are waiting for hot water to travel from your water heater to the faucet.As pointed out by ENERGY STAR, though, to really optimize the benefits of this energy saving product, it is important to get a hot water recirculating pump that is activated by a timer, motion sensor, or a button. If you have a unit that runs continuously, you will certainly still enjoy the convenience of on demand hot water, but the unit will use more energy in the long run.

AIR CONDITIONING/HVAC

High Efficiency Air Conditioning Units

Living in the Phoenix area, air conditioning is a primary driver of high utility bills in the summer months. Even minute differences in air conditioning unit efficiency can results in 100s of dollars of savings or expense on your power bill each year. While we recommend everyone look into high efficiency air conditioning units when considering energy saving products, it should be an even higher priority for our neighbors here in Arizona.

When assessing the efficiency of an air conditioning unit, you will want to take note of its Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER). This is calculated by taking the amount of cooling output of a unit during a typical cooling season (the summer) divided by the amount of energy the unit took in to accomplish that. Air conditioning units produced today are required to have a minimum SEER rating of 13, but if you have an older air conditioning unit, that number may be rated six or less. Whether it is time for a new air conditioner because the existing one is broken or because you are just tired of inefficiency and paying too much to air condition your home, investing the extra money to get an air conditioning unit with a SEER rating of 16 or betterwill quickly pay for itself.

Variable Speed Compressors and Motors

To explain how variable speed air compressors work, it is easiest to tell you about three different types of air conditioners: single speed, two speed or variable speed. Single speed air conditioners only work at one speed, while two speed units can go high or low. As you have probably guessed by now, variable speed air conditioners’ compressors operate at varying speeds, depending on cooling needs. So, when your home needs to be seriously cooled down,

it can run on full blast, but it can be run at a low speed when the weather is not too hot or maybe you are not at home. Additionally, it can operate at several speeds in between to keep you comfortable in a range of temperatures while also conserving energy when prudent.

If you have any questions or concerns please contact us. Our professionally trained team is eager to help you with any problems you may have.