How energy efficient is your home? Find out with an energy assessment, whether you hire a professional or do it yourself – or both! Understanding your home’s energy use is the first step to improving its efficiency and saving you money on utility bills. (Most info below from City Light’s energy conservation page.)
Get a Discounted (or Free) Professional Audit
Seattle City Light offers home energy audit rebates for customers with electrically heated homes living in single family homes, duplexes, triplexes and quads. Independent auditors assess your home’s insulation level, leakiness, and heating system efficiency. These audits lead to an “Energy Performance Score” report that rates the current efficiency level of your home and suggests energy-efficiency upgrades. Your auditor will also install energy-saving compact fluorescent light bulbs courtesy of Seattle City Light.
If you have electric heat, SIGN UP for your $125 audit here.
For income eligible customers, the City’s Office of Housing offers free home energy audits and free comprehensive weatherization services. For more information, visit the HomeWise website or call 206-684-0244.
Do-it-yourself Home Energy Audit
There’s a lot you can learn without the specialized tools of a professional auditor. City Light has a Do-it-yourself Energy Audit that helps you learn more about your home’s energy use. Even if you’re planning to have a professional audit, going through your home yourself will help you know which questions to ask and make you a savvier customer.
Check out a “Kill-a-Watt” & Check Your Appliances
City Light worked with the Seattle Public Library to make checking your appliances’ energy usage as easy as checking out a book. Take a Kill-a-watt energy monitor home to learn how much energy appliances use and track down where your energy vampires are lurking.
Web-based Evaluation Tools
There are several web-based home evaluation tools that can provide additional insight into your home’s energy use and help you prioritize spending on upgrades. Seattle City Light does not maintain or specifically endorse these tools, but provides links to a few that you might find useful.
- Home Energy Saver from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
- Home Energy Yardstickfrom ENERGY STAR ®
- Community Power WorksOnline Assessment
If you have any questions, please call an Energy Advisor at 206-684-3800.