Home energy efficiency audit can help keep money in your pocket this winter

CLEVELAND - When people hear the word audit they normally think tax time, but it is possible to have your house audited as well.

Jen Hovis of Cleveland's Ohio City neighborhood is proud to open up her home since it was audited for energy efficiency.

"Love the savings, love the benefits," shared Hovis.

That's exactly what she did Friday.

Consumers Union, the public policy division of Consumer Reports, held an open house to show off the energy saving work completed at Jen's home.

"It's a consumer issue because it saves people money," said Stacy Weisfeld of Consumers Union.  "It makes their home a lot more comfortable and it also helps the environment."

Jen completely rehabilitated a fire-condemned home she purchased and weatherproofed it from attic to basement.

As a result of the energy audit at Jen's home, Matt Berges, an energy efficiency expert with Environmental Health Watch, installed a high efficiency furnace in her basement.

In order to reduce utility bills, Berges recommends switching to energy efficiency lighting, check for air leaks around doors, windows and ceiling joists and then caulk and insulate where needed.  While these are some of the more common fixes, Matt also highly recommends not overlooking a home energy audit.

"It's trying to pinpoint what would be the most cost-effective things to do at your house and it's not always going straight for the windows," said Berges.

The owner of an energy-efficient home can save almost $200 a year in their  utility bill. 

For Jen, the energy audit was worth every penny.  Her monthly utility bills are now a third of what they used to be.

"If you have a house that you are happy with, it really behooves you to go and have an energy audit," said Hovis.

Home energy audits can range from $450 to $500.  Experts recommend checking with your natural gas provider and other utility companies to see if they provide rebates on both the energy audit and any work performed.