Wasting energy in your home is like throwing away money.

Here’s how to perform your own energy audit and save a bit of money.

verify Everything Is Insulated

Shoddy insulation is the worst offender for home energy loss.

Start in your attic and check for gaps around pipes and ductwork and fill them using expanding foam.

If you have gaps around your fireplace, verify you use non-combustible foam sealant.

confirm your attic floor is insulated but don’t block your attic vents.

Next, check your basement for insulation.

Wall insulation is better than ceiling insulation.

This makes a more comfortable living space and adds value to your home.

Here are more tips forinsulating your basement walls.

It uses infrared sensors to measure surface temperatures.This onefrom Black & Decker is $32 on Amazon.

A step up is athermal imaging camerawhich is much more accurate and provides a visual hot and cool view.

Check for air leaks around doors and windows.

If a leak isn’t obvious from the inside, then inspect the window from outside.

Replace worn door sweeps or installautomatic bottom sweepsthat will last longer.

Air leaks are also common along baseboards and at the edge of flooring.

This could signal an exterior wall that isn’t fully insulated.

Replace Heating and Cooling Filters

Regularly replace filters in air conditioning systems and forced air furnaces.

Dirty filters cause unnecessary stress on these appliances and they will consume more energy.

If your AC unit and furnace are more than 15-20 years old, consider replacing them withEnergy Starrated units.

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Keep an eye out for “vampire” electronics.

These are electronics that use electricity even when they seem turned off or are in standby mode.

This Forbes article lists the tophome energy hogs, and the digital cable box is number one.

Other offenders are computers and home office equipment.

Thistoolhelps calculate how much you pay for “energy vampires”.

They are also more convenient to use, since they last much longer than incandescent bulbs.

The only drawback to these alternative light bulbs is the color.

New bulbs fromCreeandPhillipsoffer a soft white that’s very similar to traditional incandescent lighting.

The long-term savings will likely be well worth the cost.

Photos fromUSDA,Jack Amick,Rob Ireton,Charles & Hudson.