Energy audit leads to savings - WICU12/WSEE Erie, PA News, Sports, Weather and Events

Randy Leck is a homeowner that is looking to slash his energy bills and Columbia Gas is helping by providing an energy audit. Columbia Gas communications manager, Chris Kozak says, "We kind of look at this as teaching someone how to fish. We are going to show you ways to save on your energy bill. So you don't have a lack of funds during high heating bill season."

An energy audit is an investigation set up to find out where each homeowner is losing energy. The first task is setting up a blower door. This creates a pressure difference on the house that is equivalent to a windy winter day. This will speed up the drafts in the house and make them easier to identify.

The next task on the list is finding inefficient appliances such as furnaces and water heaters. Then the crew installs a programmable thermostat and an energy savings shower head before they leave. The final report shows that Leck's family can save nearly 60 dollars a month if he makes a few improvements.

Kozak, "all of the work that we are going to recommend today is going to have a discount of about 60-70%." Those discounts would apply to sealing up air leaks in the crawl space and adding nearly 1200 square feet of insulation. Both of these improvements would pay for themselves in just about 1 year.

Leck, "I am hoping to see a nice savings in energy bills. 4 kids, 2 of them teenagers, you have showers everyday, lights left on, refrigerator door left open. So it would be nice to save a little bit of money."

Columbia gas customers can get an energy audit set up by contacting the Columbia Gas. The audits cost $50 unless your family income is below 80 percent of the area's average income then the audit costs $20. If you are within 200% of the federal poverty level the program is free.