Energy audit shows heat loss spots - 13 WTHR Indianapolis

You can save money on your heating bill by knowing where to look for energy losses and how a free program can save you energy.

The program is called Energizing Indiana - a combined effort by the local utilities to help you save energy, and money, by showing you where to look for areas in your home that might need a little work.

Energy auditor Bob Nuss, who is with Energizing Indiana, said "It's cheaper to save energy in homes than it is to build new power plants." 

So they are checking out about sixty homes in an effort to save electricity and natural gas.

As an example, "Nine compact fluorescent light bulbs will save about ten-percent of your energy consumption," Nuss said.

So an energy auditor will come to your house and may recommend insulation on your water heater and pipes, for instance.  The visit may also leave you with a low-flow faucet head that will restrict water flow and save energy.

"Set your water temperature to 120 degrees," recommends energy inspector Mike Bass.

Auditors recommend checking your furnace filter once a month to make sure the furnace is working efficiently. Bass told Eyewitness News, "Your furnace works harder trying to pull air through a dirty or clogged filter." 

Bass also recommends you have your furnace tuned up each fall, before the peak of heating season, and have your attic checked out for leaks in ductwork and insulation. "Heat rises, so the attic is a prime source of heat loss," Bass said.

A whole-house energy audit takes about one hour and fifteen minutes.

For more information about Energizing Indiana, and how you can have an auditor come to your home, click this link.