“I know I could save energy,” you might be thinking, “but I don’t think an energy auditor can tell me anything I can’t figure out for myself.”
You might be wrong. According to Energy.gov, if you make a professional energy auditor’s recommendations, you can save as much as 30% on your home electricity bills. The site explains that a professional energy auditors has tools and knowledge that the average homeowner doesn’t have. Your home energy auditor will check for leaks, run a blower door test and even use infrared cameras (source).
Special Training & Tools
Your auditor will examine every room in your home to check for leaks and look for ways you can improve your home energy efficiency. They should even look over past electric bills with you to find areas where your family can save money.
Blower door tests, which use powerful door-mounted fans to lower the air pressure inside your home, do more than identify leaks; they can tell the auditor how airtight, overall, your home is. The more leakage there is in your home, the less efficient it is and the more expensive your energy bills will be.
Thermographic scanning, which uses infrared cameras, can be done from the inside or the outside of your home. The scans will show your auditor where temperature variations exist in your home. Your auditor will use the results of the scan to determine what areas of your home need more insulation than they currently have.
Your Home Energy Audit is 100% Tax Deductible
If the cost of a home energy audit is intimidating to you, keep in mind that most home energy audits are 100% tax deductible in Missouri, as long as you hire a certified auditor.
Search for a certified home energy auditor here or contact your local Cooperative.
The Missouri Department of Economic Development explains that “for a home energy audit to be deductible on Missouri state income tax, the auditor must be certified by the Division of Energy (DE) as required under SB1181 (RSMO 640.153) (source).”
Missouri’s home energy audit deduction is available through December 21, 2020. Almost every Electric Cooperative in Missouri offers a home energy audit program, so be sure to contact your local Cooperative today to find out what audits they offer, how much they cost, and what Cooperative rebates apply.
Your Missouri Electric Cooperatives are here to provide you with safe, efficient, and affordable power every day, all year long. Learn more about your Cooperatives by following us on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Instagram.
