Saving money with home energy audit

Saving money begins at home. A home energy audit from your power company could save you a lot of money.

The Mastriano's house in North Haven looks good, but they know they could save money by making some improvements.

"We want to have this energy audit done because with the rising energy costs, we really wanted to try to help on our bills," Paul Mastriano said.

A home energy audit, or assessment, is available through the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund, and it's like a checkup for your home.

"You know, you go to the doctor, you've got high blood pressure or you have to drop a couple pounds -- what we're doing here is giving your home a full-blown checkup," Christopher Ehlert of United Illuminating said.

Instead of blood pressure, they change the air pressure in the house, then they can feel where heat leaks out of the house. With a smoke stick they can actually see it. The heat the Mastrianos are paying for is rushing outside through small gaps around their windows.

"We're looking for leaks within the home to reduce air infiltration coming in as well as having wasteful heat or air conditioning going out," Ehlert said.

A home energy audit is not just about measuring heat loss. They also look at water usage and put aerators on faucets and low flow heads in the shower. They also change out incandescent light bulbs for compact florescents.

"Compact fluorescent bulbs last 10 times longer than incandescents and they also use 75% less electricity," Ehlert said.

One of the things they recommended the Mastriano family do is replace their appliances with Energy Star appliances guaranteed to be more energy efficient. If they do replace, say, their fridge for instance, they can get a $50 rebate. And if they do that within 45 days of the home energy audit, they'll double that to a $100 rebate.

"There's also tax credits available through the federal stimulus package where you can also get up to $1,300 in federal tax credits," Ehlert said.

United Illuminating says the average homeowner can expect to save $120 a year on their energy bill after one of these assessments. That's because after they find all the leaks, they fill them in with clear caulk or by putting foam in the gaps around pipes and making sure doors seal tightly. It's a lot of work, but thanks to the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund it only costs the homeowner $75.

"For $75, you're going to get $750 worth of services and potentially $120 worth of energy savings," Ehlert said. "I think the $75 is a good investment."

The cost of the rest of the services is paid for by the Connecticut Energy Efficiency Fund, which is funded by a charge on your electric bill.